You're working with a difficult partner. How can you get them to see your point of view?

Primeiramente lembre-se que você está utilizando o termo "parceria", ou seja, haver?o vantagens em seu relacionamento para ambos os lados. O ponto principal é entender quais os motivos das dificuldades encontradas e depois tomar medidas para resolver, ou ao menos amenizar tais situa??es. Em uma rela??o comercial podem existir quest?es de pre?os, prazos, quantidades produzidas, etc., e a quest?o vista como problema por um lado pode ser facilmente resolvida pelo outro, por exemplo, a adequa??o de um prazo de entrega por uma entrega parcial ou prorroga??o do prazo. O importantíssimo é sempre termos uma comunica??o aberta.

In my experience, clarity is the first step towards resolution. One time at work, we faced a communication breakdown with a partner providing local taxi services through our app. The issue was a disagreement over service response times, affecting user satisfaction. By meticulously documenting instances and their impact on our operations, we approached the situation without assumptions, focusing purely on facts. This approach helped us pinpoint the problem as a lack of aligned expectations on service standards, steering us away from blaming and towards a constructive dialogue.

When working with a difficult business partner, it's important to investigate tactfully, be inquisitive, and actively listen and acknowledge their concerns. Try to understand the underlying concerns and what is not being said. Build rapport, establish a personal connection, and empathize with your partner. Remind yourselves of the shared vision for the business and how your efforts contribute to it. This can help bridge communication gaps and foster a more collaborative environment.

When dealing with a challenging partner, approach the situation with patience and diplomacy. Listen actively to their concerns, empathize with their perspective, and communicate your viewpoint clearly and persuasively, emphasizing shared goals and benefits. Seek compromises that address both parties' concerns and remain open to adjusting your position. Build trust through reliability and professionalism, and consider involving neutral third parties if needed. Stay calm, persistent, and focused on fostering a collaborative and productive relationship.

When I face the situation in which my client is doubtful about the suggested solution to a problem I often times use examples of other businesses and other clients with which I have used similar solutions and I elaborate on the effect that they were able to achieve.

Ensure that you frame your discussion in ways that everything is aimed at helping the partner improve their business, solve their problems, achieve their objectives. I've seen far too many interactions with "difficult" partners begin with the vendor's perspective, why the partner needs to change to suit the vendor. In 99% of such interactions, the discussion ends with an even more "difficult" partner and lowered chances for success for both.

Empathy has always been a cornerstone of our partnerships. One thing that I have found helpful is to genuinely understand our partners' constraints and challenges. For instance, the local taxi service provider was struggling with driver availability due to local festivals, which we hadn’t considered. By recognizing their limitations and expressing genuine concern for their situation, we opened a pathway to mutual understanding, facilitating a more cooperative environment for problem-solving.

Something really very useful that has been of great help is to talk, making it clear that any differences that may arise are only due to work, not on a personal level.

It also contributes to problem solving seeking feedback from others can provide valuable insights and a different perspective, helping individuals gain clarity on the situation. Overall, acknowledging and addressing problems head-on is the first step towards resolution and improvement.

Clear and respectful communication is key. When we encountered differences in opinion with our eSIM service partner, we made an effort to engage in open dialogue. We used phrases like "I appreciate your perspective" and "Could we explore this solution?" which fostered a positive atmosphere. By actively listening and validating their points before introducing our viewpoint, we avoided defensive reactions, making it easier to navigate through the disagreement and work towards a mutual understanding.

Make sure you understand their needs. Get confirmation that your understanding is correct. Evaluate the problem with your value proposition. Start by answering at least five "why" for the persistent difficulty. One of the reasons for the difficulty could be a misstatement of your partner's needs, or it could be a communication problem where, for example, you might decide to have a face-to-face conversation rather than just exchanging emails, or you might need to produce visuals rather than phone explanations, or you might need to create visuals and discuss them over a collaborative conference call, or it could be that you cannot meet your partner's needs and might need to find alternatives, including seeking assistance from experts.

Finding common ground is essential. One time at work, a disagreement arose over pricing models with a shared workspace provider. By focusing on our shared goal of maximizing user satisfaction and retention, we identified a compromise that allowed for dynamic pricing. This solution maintained the provider’s revenue objectives while offering competitive rates to our users, showcasing how divergent views can lead to innovative solutions when both parties are committed to the partnership’s success.

Setting clear boundaries and expectations has always been beneficial. Early in our partnership with a global eSIM provider, we agreed on specific communication protocols, service level agreements (SLAs), and escalation processes. This framework helped prevent misunderstandings and ensured both parties knew exactly what was expected, how issues would be communicated, and the steps for resolution, fostering a healthy, productive partnership.

Regularly reviewing our partnerships has been invaluable. For example, after implementing a new booking system with a taxi service, we scheduled quarterly reviews to assess performance against our agreed metrics. These sessions allowed us to celebrate successes, such as increased user satisfaction, and openly discuss areas for improvement, like response times in certain locales. This practice of constructive feedback and mutual goal-setting has been pivotal in evolving and strengthening our collaborations.

Periodic reviews and feedback sessions are a great way to evaluate partnerships on various levels. I have used them with my employees, business partners, clients, and it always led to improvements and processes, expectations, and communication.

In my experience, most difficult Partnerships arise from neglected personal relationships, or an imbalance of expectations and boundaries. Similar to what Rich is saying in #2 regarding empathy - take some time to self-reflect on whether you or your team's actions have led to this situation. I've found that, similar to an 'ant problem,' 'difficult Partnerships' rarely occur in isolation, and if you start encountering a few, it may be worth reevaluating your approach or strategy.

Remember the importance of adaptability. In the dynamic world of international travel services, external factors like regulatory changes or market shifts can impact partnerships. One lesson we’ve learned is to maintain a flexible approach to our agreements, allowing for adjustments as the landscape changes. This adaptability, coupled with a commitment to open dialogue, has helped us maintain strong partnerships even in the face of unforeseen challenges, underscoring the value of resilience and flexibility in long-term collaboration.