How do you evaluate partners for alignment with your goals?

1 Why alignment matters

Alignment is the degree of fit and compatibility between your and your partner's objectives, strategies, and cultures. It affects how well you can collaborate, communicate, and deliver on your promises. A high level of alignment can lead to mutual trust, satisfaction, and loyalty, while a low level can cause friction, conflict, and disappointment. Therefore, before you enter into any partnership, you need to assess how aligned you are with your potential partner on various dimensions.

2 What to look for in a partner

When considering alignment with a partner, there are many factors to consider, such as if you share a common purpose, have similar goals and values, have a clear and coherent plan to achieve your goals, have compatible or synergistic approaches and methods, respect and appreciate each other's culture and style, have sufficient and relevant resources and capabilities, and leverage each other's strengths. It's important to ensure that you have a positive and constructive relationship as well as address any gaps or overlaps that may exist.

3 How to evaluate alignment

When evaluating your alignment with a partner, there are various methods to consider, depending on the stage and type of partnership. Research and due diligence can help you learn more about a potential partner's vision, strategy, culture, and resources. Conversations and interviews give you the opportunity to explore their interests, expectations, and concerns. Assessments and tests can validate your compatibility on specific criteria or scenarios. And trials and pilots let you evaluate your performance, feedback, and outcomes before formalizing the partnership.

4 How to improve alignment

Alignment is not a static or fixed state, but a dynamic and evolving process that requires monitoring and maintenance. To improve your alignment, you should communicate regularly and openly with your partner, providing and receiving constructive feedback. You should also schedule periodic alignment and review meetings to revisit goals, strategies, and expectations. Furthermore, learning from your experience and adapting your approach can help you identify areas for improvement. Conflict resolution and problem-solving should be used to anticipate and prevent potential issues, while using respectful and collaborative methods to find win-win solutions. By following these steps, you can ensure that your partnership remains aligned.

5 How to measure alignment

Alignment is not only a qualitative but also a quantitative concept. You need to measure your alignment with your partner, and use the data and insights to evaluate and improve your partnership. To do this, you should define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) that reflect your goals and expectations. Additionally, you should measure and analyze satisfaction and loyalty levels using metrics such as net promoter score (NPS), customer satisfaction score (CSAT), or retention rate. Finally, you should produce and share regular alignment and impact reports with your partner to showcase achievements, challenges, and learnings. These reports should also be used to solicit feedback and recommendations.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?