When you are networking, you want to find potential partners who share your vision, mission, and values. This can help you build trust, collaboration, and mutual benefit. But how can you ensure that your values align with someone you meet at an event, online, or through a referral? Here are some tips to help you evaluate partner fit based on values.
Before you start networking, it's important to have a clear understanding of your core values. These are the principles that drive your decisions, actions, and goals, and reflect your beliefs, ethics, and standards. To identify your core values, ask yourself questions such as what matters most to you in life and work, what you're passionate about, and how you want to be perceived by others. Take note of the common themes in your answers and select a few words or phrases that capture your core values. For instance, some of your core values may include integrity, innovation, diversity, or service.
If you want to get married to the right kind of person to have a long lasting and happy marriage, you’re gonna have to figure out what’s important to you. If you want to have a happy, productive, and inspiring time in your work, then you also figure out what’s important to you. Otherwise, you are just chasing rainbows.
Asking the potential partner: why they think this is a good fit? Understand it from their perspective and not just your own. Ask them what they see to be a pain point, this allows you to see it from their perspective and how you can answer that problem for the customer.
Once you have your core values, you can use them as a filter to research your potential partner. Gathering information on their background, goals, achievements, and challenges is essential. You can use various sources of information, such as their website, social media, and online presence; their portfolio, testimonials, and reviews; their publications, presentations, and media coverage; their awards, recognitions, and memberships; and their referrals, recommendations, and endorsements. Look for clues that indicate their values and how they align with yours. For instance, do they have a clear mission and vision statement? Do they support any social or environmental causes? Are they committed to diversity and inclusion? Do they showcase creativity and innovation? By considering these questions you can determine if your core values are compatible.
When you have the chance to speak with a potential partner, you can ask open-ended questions to gain insight into their values and perspectives. Such questions begin with who, what, where, when, why, and how. This allows your potential partner to express their thoughts, emotions, and experiences while displaying your interest and curiosity. Examples of open-ended questions include: what are some of the values that drive your work? How do you tackle issues and chances in your field? What goals have you achieved or are working towards? How do you measure success and impact? What changes have you noticed in your industry? Listen attentively to their responses and observe any compatibility or conflict with your values. You can also share your own values and stories to build rapport and mutual understanding.
When asking general questions you can also give real-life scenarios that you have encountered and ask the person how they would handle these situations. The more specific you can be the better. You can also ask about situations that you foresee could happen based specifically on the goals you have for the partnership. Many times people's past behavior will give you a strong indication of their future behavior. These types of questions will give you an idea about the person's values. Which you can specifically ask for later if you feel there is a fit based on the answers to the questions you've asked.
To ensure your values align with a potential partner, observe their behavior. This can reveal more than their words. Pay attention to how they act in different situations, such as how they treat you and others, how they handle feedback and criticism, how they deal with stress and pressure, how they cope with failure and success, and how they communicate and collaborate. Look for consistency and authenticity in their behavior. Are they walking the talk? Are they respecting your boundaries and preferences? Are they following through on their promises and commitments? Are they demonstrating integrity and professionalism?
After you have identified your core values, researched your potential partner, asked open-ended questions, and observed their behavior, you can evaluate the fit. Consider if you share a common vision and mission, complement each other's strengths and weaknesses, have similar or compatible work styles and preferences, trust and respect each other, and enjoy working with each other. If you answer yes to most of these questions, you have a good chance of finding a partner who aligns with your values. However, if you answer no or have doubts, it may be best to reconsider or look for other options. Remember that your values are important and should not be compromised for the sake of networking.