How do you leverage best practices and learnings from other partner managers or organizations?

Partnership is a Collaborative approach where this formula has worked best for me : GIVE GIVE <> GET<> GIVE<> GET <>If None <> Get Lost. Best way to tag along is to make their agenda you agenda and vice a versa. I have always kept my agency partner's agenda as my agenda which is a Win Win for both the parties. Second - focus to upskill them, train them, share insights, build a great trust battery with people which goes long.

Thorough groundwork sets the tone for productive discussions. Ahead of partner reviews, an extensive analysis of past interactions, joint plans, and performance metrics lays the foundation for meaningful dialogue. For example, outlining how a cellular partner's network compatibility facilitated a smoother eSIM integration or how transportation partners' input improved booking interfaces aligns expectations and encourages focused discussions. Sharing a clear agenda well in advance primes partners for strategic, outcome-oriented conversations.

A Partner review should always regardless the frequency be composed by 3 main pillars: Partnership Long Term Vision, Main projects contributing to the vision and KPIs. This model helps to keep partners aligned and investment in the right projects leading to common goals and long term while leveraging the immediate deliverables and signals from current execution. Making sure the long term vision is not lost by actual KPIs not performing and teams working on changing project direction but loosing strategic long term alignment. It's very common during QBRs for this mis alignment to show up if the reviews are not set clear. Any feedbacks on this ? tks a lot community.

Joining a community like Partnership Leaders has gone above and beyond my expectation of learning from other partner managers and organizations. Since the community is filled with people willing to share their knowledge and experience in the form of webinars, office ours, or 1v1 connects, it is easy to apply those learnings into partner account reviews.

Open communication, transparency, and truly listening to learn and understand are critical. In the midst of busy schedules with a lot of demands on time, it is also necessary to be intentional about making time and having forums that foster this type of dialogue and collaboration with clear actions and takeaways. There are various approaches to facilitate impactful group workshops on this topic, and one-on-one conversations can be very beneficial as well.

The word customer is really missing here. The biggest value you'll give or get is by making more happy customers. Focus on the value and all the helpful things both side is getting and giving but then dive into the customer and the use case. That's what it all comes down to.

Emphasizing shared accomplishments amplifies the partnership's significance. For instance, showcasing how collaborative marketing efforts boosted eSIM adoption rates or streamlined transportation bookings demonstrates tangible value. Backing assertions with concrete data reinforces the narrative, opening dialogues on challenges faced and future milestones. Recognizing partner contributions and acknowledging lessons learned fosters a constructive, forward-looking atmosphere.

DATA is key ! Value perception comes from great team alignment, companies culture but having decisive and clear data is fundamental. There are many situations where one side of the partnership needs more the other so proving value added with concise and clear data helps ancho the sentiment. The opposite of that is using data that not clearly define the performance of the partnerships but trends on one side impacted vs both, those conversations usually led to revisiting the investment and value proposition. Make sure KPIs are pre set and auditable for all parts involved.

One thing I've found helpful in fostering successful partnerships is to always focus on value. Whether it's during a partner account review or any interaction, it's crucial to highlight the tangible benefits and outcomes of our collaboration. By showcasing our joint achievements and milestones, backed by concrete data and evidence, we reinforce the value proposition of our partnership. Additionally, acknowledging the challenges we've overcome together and the lessons learned demonstrates transparency and a commitment to continuous improvement. It's not just about looking back; it's also about discussing future goals and strategies to ensure our mutual success moving forward.

In my partner account review, I underscore the partnership's value and its role in shared achievements. I spotlight key milestones and the progress made, while candidly addressing any hurdles encountered, framing them as learning opportunities. I lean on data and concrete examples to substantiate my points, steering clear of ambiguous claims. Also, I express gratitude for my partner's input and hard work, inviting their insights and proposals for improvement. I shift the conversation from retrospective to forward-looking by outlining future objectives and strategies, fostering a dialogue that not only celebrates past successes but also sets a collaborative course for continued growth and success together.

At ServiceNow I lead a team of partner technology strategists. One of the ways we leverage and share best practices and learnings across the team is through a weekly retrospective where everyone brings up what they found worth learning and reflecting. In an hour we have 5 to 6 people sharing for about 10 minutes each. This works best because every gets a chance and one doesnt have to be very formally prepared for this retrospective.

1. Engage partners in two-way conversations for effective collaboration. 2. Use open-ended questions, active listening, and empathy to foster trust. 3. Simplify communication to avoid confusion; be respectful and constructive. 4. Understand partner perspectives and needs to find common solutions. 5. Share real stories to illustrate successful partnership practices.

A partner account review is more than just a presentation; it’s a dynamic exchange : Two-Way Interaction: Encourage your partner to share their insights, concerns, and ideas. Ask open-ended questions to explore their perspective. Active Listening: Show genuine interest in what your partner says. It builds trust and rapport. Empathy: Understand their challenges, goals, and emotions. Plain Language: Speak plainly and clearly. Ensure regardless of their background, everyone can follow the discussion. Constructive Feedback: When discussing areas for improvement, focus on solutions rather than blame. A successful partner account review hinges on effective communication, mutual respect, and a desire to work together toward shared success.

Just as partner account reviews are a two-way street, learning from your partners is equally beneficial. You can use open-ended questions in your review meetings to learn about their success versus failure, what works for them, and where they are failing right now. Later on, your constructive input will benefit the partner more than anything else.

The essence of partner reviews lies in collaborative discourse. Engaging partners through active listening and steering clear of technical jargon ensures a mutual understanding of goals and challenges. Encouraging partners to contribute through open-ended questions fosters a two-way exchange, nurturing trust and strengthening relationships. Upholding respectful communication without resorting to blame or criticism encourages joint exploration of effective solutions.

To ensure accountability and progress, I scheduled regular check-in meetings with team members to review our implementation progress, address any challenges encountered, and make adjustments as needed. By following up and following through consistently, we were able to successfully leverage the best practices learned from our partners and improve our client engagement efforts.

Post-review, swift action ensures momentum. Providing a comprehensive summary with detailed action items within 24 hours cements shared commitments. Clearly defining responsibilities, deadlines, and expected outcomes aligns both parties towards common objectives. Regular updates and gentle reminders ensure accountability, nurturing a culture of commitment and achievement.

During partners reviews its very common that new ideas will come to table, suggestions and pivots from the strategy based on the data shared and performance. It's very important to prioritize and make sure that the group is aligned on what are the ideas worth a follow up and investment of time. Usually having 1 POC controlling that agenda and making sure discussions will actually happen can prevent from frustrations on next meeting when executives and partner managers will ask about the inputs given. Make sure that prioritization doesn't lead into accommodating more tasks but what drops for another idea to take over and bring the pros/cons for the discussion table.

Leveraging best practices and insights post-partner review involves meticulous follow-up and follow-through. Immediately after the meeting, I send a succinct summary and action items to ensure alignment, embedding clear deadlines, assigned responsibilities, and anticipated outcomes for transparency. I monitor the execution of these actions, maintaining open lines of communication for updates or necessary nudges to keep momentum. Crucially, I recognize and celebrate milestones reached together, reinforcing the value of the partnership. This cycle not only cements commitment but also sets a precedent for continuous improvement and collaboration, driving mutual success and deepening the partnership bond.

By following up and fostering an open, two-way dialogue, you set yourself apart from the vast majority of your peers. While many tend to rely on traditional, one-sided presentations, your approach demonstrates a deeper understanding of partnership dynamics. This proactive, collaborative engagement already distinguishes you from 99% of others in your field, as it shows a genuine commitment to mutual success and continuous improvement.

It’s really easy to ask people to share their success but I found my team repeating failures so we implemented a weekly review and went over our failures and ideated on how to improve. Failing is a natural part of growth and we grow faster when we all can learn from one failure rather than have to repeat it ourselves.

Combination of QBR Executive level and monthly Partner Reviews always helps the partnership move in the right direction. It also gives all teams involved time to learn and adjust the pace of working x companies in an effective way. Processes and Systems can be trained but culture is more tacit and takes longer to absorb.

I sought feedback from both clients and team members on the effectiveness of the new approach and made adjustments based on their input. By continuously learning and improving our client engagement strategies, we were able to strengthen relationships, increase client satisfaction, and drive business growth.

Continuous enhancement is vital. Evaluating the review's effectiveness and gathering feedback from partners and stakeholders cultivates refinement opportunities. Implementing insights gleaned from surveys or interviews enriches subsequent reviews, fostering an evolving, adaptive process. Sharing best practices and key learnings among partner managers fosters a culture of collective growth, elevating partnerships across the industry.

Transforming partner account reviews into a cycle of perpetual growth demands a commitment to learning and improvement. I treat these reviews not as isolated checkpoints but as opportunities for continuous evolution. I actively seek feedback from my partner and relevant stakeholders to gauge the review's effectiveness, employing surveys or interviews for comprehensive insights. Then, I analyze this feedback to distill actionable lessons and best practices, which I share with peers and across the organization. I integrate these insights into subsequent reviews, carefully monitoring their effects to refine my approach further. This ensures that each review is more insightful and productive than the last.

I always engage with our team and our clients as a human first. After all this is common ground for all of us. It is certainly one of our best attributes in our organisation. We drive positive change and optimise businesses, though we do it in collaboration with fellow humans. Often people forget that businesses are made up of people who also have lives, passions, families and interests that transcend their work. If you want to drive change no matter what it is, you need to connect first. When you connect and engage well as a human, your subject matter is naturally enhanced, and people will listen, you will listen and you open the gates for success

In my experience, integrating cross-functional collaboration during partner reviews significantly enhances outcomes. Involving teams like product development or customer support brings diverse perspectives to the table, fostering a comprehensive and aligned approach to partnership success. Additionally, exploring collaborative opportunities or joint initiatives arising from partner reviews can pave the way for innovative ventures and mutually beneficial strategies.

Partner Reviews usually tend to go very procedural which is important but as said taking the time every kick off to remind all on the long term vision and why this partnership was set is always a good way to elevate the discussion and solve for long range solutions vs reacting to actual vs planned KPIs. Setting clear performance tuning periods and how long/much expected investment should run before we see the initial results.

Joining online communities and forums where you can connect with other partner managers and share your experiences is a good idea. Collaborating (when appropriate) with other partner managers on joint initiatives, projects, or campaigns can help you learn from each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Get in the habit of leveraging partner surveys and feedback sessions to gather insights from your partners. Encouraging your partners to share their best practices and learnings with you, and reciprocating by sharing your own, can also be helpful. Finally, adopting a growth mindset of continuous learning and improvement helps you stay ahead of the curve.