10 Tips for Partnering Success in 2020
As we look ahead to 2020 it is a great time to reflect on our partnering projects and initiatives and think about how we can improve our performance.
Often we can get stuck in the myriad of relationships and tasks that arise when partnering and it is hard see a clear path ahead. Taking some time to reflect and step back to assess what is really happening is a critical first step in improving performance.
So let’s look at 10 tips for partnering to help you generate some new thinking and approaches for your partnering in 2020:
Tip #1 - Have a clear purpose
Are all your partners clear on exactly what the partnering is intended to achieve? Partners may have different expectations and understandings of exactly why they are coming together to partner. Regular checking for agreement on the purpose (the what) will ensure that you are all on the same page and it will be easier to gain commitment to the partnering in the longer term
Tip #2 - Know your partners
Organisations can often jump into partnering without knowing enough about their potential partners. Undertaking some due diligence in the early stages of a partnering relationship to learn as much as possible about your partners – their values, strategic direction and underlying needs and expectations - will pay dividends down the track
Tip #3 - Build a trust bank
Partnering is not easy and conflicts can emerge over time. Building a foundational level of trust or a ‘trust bank’ as we call it will provide a safety net when difficult issues emerge. Building strong relationships through transparency and respect will go a long way to building this trust bank
Tip #4 - Create the space for partnering
Partnering takes time if you want to do it well. In the early stages the initial discussions may be an add-on to peoples work. But if the partnering is going to last over the long term it needs to become part of ‘core business’. For this to happen you need to let go of enough activities to create space for the partnering and ensure people have the capacity to engage effectively
Tip # 5 - Let go of control and take some risks
One of the key benefits of partnering can be to create innovative solutions. However, if partners try and impose solutions or control the process too much it will limit the partnering opportunity. When solutions are not known at the start this can be a scary place for some to be. But if you don’t take some risks and let go of control you will never maximise the opportunity at hand
Tip # 6 - Have a clear process
You would never undertake a major building project without a proper project management process in place. So why would you engage in a complex partnering initiative without a structured partnering process? Having a clear staged process framework and series of steps to follow can save time and reduce risks
Tip # 7 - Develop your own partnering language
The language around partnering is very confusing. So how do you make sense of all the various terms and interpretations? We need to remember that partnering is all about working together with others. The most important aspect is that all the partners develop what works for them and agree a common language around partnering
Tip # 8 - Give people ‘permission to partner’
If partner representatives come to the partnering table in a straitjacket then we will get little innovation and creativity emerging. Overly restricting what people can say or or do will slow progress and frustrate the other partners. Partner representatives at the table need to be empowered to participate and be able to make decisions rather than continually referring back to their organisation
Tip # 9 - Do regular health checks to monitor impacts
Partnering processes start out with good intentions but often can operate over long periods of time. During this time the way the partners interact and the results that are delivered can vary. For this reason undertaking regular evaluation of impacts and review of how the process is working is essential. To do this regular health checks should be scheduled by the partners
Tip # 10 - Celebrate achievements and know when to move on
One of the challenges when partnering is knowing when to stop. When have you have achieved enough? and is it time to move on? Often we see that partnering processes that have been operating for some time reach a mature stage and the main delivery has taken place. But partners don’t want it to end it. Far better to have the conversations needed, recognise the achievements and move on to new opportunities
These are just a few tips to help you refocus on your partnering relationships and to check where you can improve your results. Being able to step back from the day to day and see what is really happening in a partnering process can save huge amounts of time and energy and enable us to focus on what is really important. Remember a key success factor for partnering is continual learning about what is working and what isn’t.
Good luck with your partnering in 2020 and we look forward to sharing more partnering tips with you in the yea ahead.