Melissa Nicholson intro

MELISSA NICHOLSON: And let me tell you—after nearly a decade of job sharing with four partners, I wish I’d had this list. I could’ve immediately checked off the traits I had (happily, a lot of them!) and known which ones to look for in a partner. Check, check, check. It would’ve saved me so much time, energy, and pain in selecting a great-fit partner from the very start.

Introduction

INTRO: Welcome to Job Share Revolution. The show about job sharing—a partnership between two people to bring two minds and skill sets to one full-time position. I’m Melissa Nicholson, former job sharer turned founder of the first U.S. job share company. But it wasn’t long ago that I felt like an utter failure at work and as a new parent. Job sharing was my game-changer. I reclaimed four days a week to fully engage in my life while my capable partner handled everything. Together, we achieved more than I ever could solo. Fast forward to many lessons learned to bring you the training and support I wish I’d had to change lives and the modern-day workplace. Let’s live life and slay work.

Melissa NICHOLSON

MELISSA NICHOLSON:

Hey there, friend. It’s Mel, and I’m thrilled you’re here for this episode in our lesson-based series of Jobshare Revolution. Now if you want to catch up, you can go back to episodes 35 and 36 where we dove into a Job Share 101 and my job share story before identifying the 5 types of people who may benefit the very most from job sharing.  

So, before we dive in—if someone came to mind just now who might be curious about job sharing, can you do me a favor and send them this episode? Who knows, they might even turn out to be your future job share partner. In fact, this episode is THE perfect episode to send to potential candidates for your job share partner if you are actively exploring creating a job share for yourself.

One more quickie! Happy Earth Day! You may not know this but I am a super, kind of, earth-friendly gal. Did you know that job sharing is green? Job sharing is green!  Aside from being a tool for retention and recruitment, succession planning, as well as productivity, engagement, and professional development, job sharing has many benefits for Mother Earth, enabling companies to cut costs, waste and their environmental footprint. Just something to think about, especially if the environment is a hot button for your company.

In last week’s episode, I shared the 5 types of people who may benefit most from job sharing. Today, we are diving deeper and talking about something every future job sharer should know: the 11 traits of the most successful job sharers.

This list comes straight from the 2011 Job Share Project study. And let me tell you—after nearly a decade of job sharing with four partners, I wish I’d had this list. I could’ve immediately checked off the traits I had (happily, a lot of them!) and known which ones to look for in a partner. Check, check, check. It would’ve saved me so much time, energy, and pain in selecting a great-fit partner from the very start.

Because here’s the truth: not everyone is a fit for job sharing—and that’s okay. There’s no good or bad. There’s no right or wrong, friend. However, there is value in knowing what makes job sharers thrive so that you can be intentional about how you design your job share.

And today, we’re diving in. Here’s What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The 11 key traits that make job share partners successful – And you can download the 11 Traits Checklist in the show notes right now!
• How to assess your own traits and identify ideal partner matches
• What my 9+ years of job sharing taught me about trait alignment (and misalignment)
• Why you don’t need all 11 traits—but 7 is a great benchmark
• How complementary personalities help you thrive, not clash
• Stories from real job sharers on what makes it work

I want to talk about The Confidence Gap—and Why This List Matters. Let’s start with a powerful stat from Hewlett-Packard:

Their study found that men apply for jobs when they meet just 60% of the qualifications. Women? We wait until we meet 100%. This is what’s called the confidence gap. And it’s part of why I want to be really clear today:

You do not have to possess every trait on this list. If you resonate with even 5 or more—and especially if you hit 7—you’re in a strong position to job share. And guess what? In the areas where you’re not as strong, you can look for a partner who complements you.

Think of this like your job share strengths finder. A little self-awareness goes a long long way.

Let’s Break It Down: The 11 Traits in 3 Categories I’m  going to organize this list into three buckets for you to make it super simple :

1. Core Collaborative Traits – the foundational people skills that make teamwork thrive
2. Work Style Traits – the ways you approach your work and structure your day
3. Mindset Traits – the beliefs and behaviors that make you resilient and growth-minded 

Category 1:   Core Collaborative Traits

1. Trustworthy – You do what you say you’ll do and you own your outcomes. This is everything when job sharing.  Trusting – You believe your partner will do the same. Letting go isn’t always easy, but it’s essential. 

This duo is so impressive. They are part of the Work Muse Job Share Project, our case study project, and I cannot wait for you to hear from  them. 

winona barron

Winona Barron: We’ve talked about this recently, just because we’ve talked a lot. Like any relationship, it has a lot to do with trust. And I thank you for posing these questions to us  because it’s made us talk about it a little bit. And I think that’s what it comes down to more than anything. I trust completely that Kathy has our interest, our best interest at heart. That Kathy has my personal interest at heart. That she represents the partnership like I would represent the partnership. That we’re interchangeable. That we support each other’s personal life, business life, and that we respect each other. I think it comes down to trust and respect.  

Melissa continued

2. Excellent Communicator – You are clear, honest, and open, even when it is uncomfortable, and that’s probably the most important part. 

3. Flexible-Minded – You are willing to adapt, pivot, and try new ways of working without losing your cool.

Category 2: Work Style Traits

4. Organized and Detail-Oriented – You keep your ducks in a row, your calendars synced, and your handovers clear. You don’t miss a beat. Every “t” is crossed and “i” dotted—important when sharing responsibilities.

5. A Focused Decision-Maker – Assured in your decisions and focused on the task at hand

6. A Problem Solver, Not a Blamer – You are willing to tackle issues head-on in the interest of the team, clients and company

7. A High Performer – You’re productivity feeds your drive for results

Category 3: Mindset Traits  

8. Committed – You are all in—for your role, your team, and your job share partner.

9. Collaborative, Not Competitive – Job sharers can be competitive with others, but never with one another. They share in the success of the team, not the individual. 

10. Work Well in a Small Team Environment – You honor and are energized by your partner’s time, contributions, and ideas. You love working this way! That’s what it comes down to, that’s the bottom line. 

11. Proactive – You take initiative and stay on top of what needs to get done without needing to be reminded.

My Lessons from Four Job Share Partners Let me share what nearly a decade of job sharing taught me:

With my first partner, we weren’t the best fit. We didn’t have many of these traits between us, and it really  showed. That partnership was bumpy, and in hindsight, I can see how a checklist like this would’ve helped me see the misalignment early on.

My second partner  Ginny, was someone I loved job sharing with—but even that only lasted a year. She came from a much more autonomous role beforehand, and while she was wonderful, and I really did love her and love working with her,  the partnership wasn’t ideal for the long term.

But my third and fourth partners, Kelli and Staci, they had so many of these 11 traits. And those partnerships were a dream.

It’s not about perfection. But this list can help you:

• Know yourself
• Know what to look for
• And set yourself up for success

And honestly? It takes the guesswork out of choosing the right partner. I mean, that matters. Because putting in the time to find your partner, design your job share, and get the green light from your company… it takes real work. You want to make sure it’s worth every bit of that.

Your Takeaway Today If you are wondering if you’ve “got what it takes” to job share—this episode is your answer, my friend.

You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be self-aware.

And if you’re strong in most of these areas, or can partner with someone who is, you’re going to thrive.

If this episode hit home, share it with a friend. Take a screenshot, tag me on Instagram @workmuse, or send me a DM on LinkedIn. Jump into our free Facebook group. I would love to hear what traits stood out to you—and which you’re looking for in a dream partner.

Until next week—same time, same place—remember: You don’t have to go it all alone. Sending love, friend.