Partnerships are essential for creating social impact, but they can also be challenging to establish and maintain. How can you build a partnership that benefits both parties and advances your shared goals? Here are some tips to help you succeed.
Before you approach a potential partner, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, what you can offer, and what you expect from the collaboration. You also need to align your values and mission with those of your partner, and avoid any conflicts of interest or ethical dilemmas. Having a strong sense of your own needs and values will help you communicate them effectively and find a compatible match.
Para construir uma parceria mutuamente benéfica, é essencial estabelecer uma comunica??o clara e aberta desde o início, identificando objetivos comuns e expectativas claras de ambas as partes. A transparência sobre recursos, responsabilidades e metas ajuda a construir confian?a mútua. Além disso, é crucial compreender profundamente as necessidades e capacidades da parceira, promover uma abordagem colaborativa que permita a adapta??o contínua. A cria??o de valor compartilhado, onde ambas as partes enxergam benefícios tangíveis, fortalece o compromisso a longo prazo. Estabelecer mecanismos eficazes de comunica??o e resolu??o de conflitos contribui para a sustentabilidade da parceria.
This is basic due diligence. When building strategic partnerships in the impact space, you’re not just looking for a mission-aligned partner: the values have to be baked into that partner’s operations and working culture. As far as the actual collaboration goes, draft a simple “memorandum of understanding” between the two parties that is collaborative and acknowledges each side’s needs and expectations.
Once you have identified a potential partner, you need to do some homework to learn more about them. What are their strengths and weaknesses, their opportunities and threats, their history and reputation, their culture and style? How do they operate, communicate, and make decisions? What are their current projects, challenges, and goals? The more you know about your partner, the better you can tailor your proposal and pitch to their needs and interests.
+ Ask for business references from current or former clients, even partners. This will give you valuable information about the experience of other business partners. + Evaluate possible conflicts of interest, such as including relationships with direct competitors, exclusive agreements with other companies, or any situation that could affect the relationship.
A partnership is not just a transaction, but a relationship. You need to build trust and rapport with your partner, and show that you respect and value them. You can do this by being transparent, honest, and consistent in your communication, by listening and acknowledging their perspectives and feedback, by delivering on your promises and commitments, and by showing appreciation and recognition for their contributions. Trust and rapport will help you overcome any challenges or conflicts that may arise in the partnership.
A partnership needs a clear and mutual understanding of the roles and expectations of each party. You need to define the scope, objectives, and outcomes of the partnership, as well as the responsibilities, tasks, and resources of each partner. You also need to establish the communication channels, frequency, and methods, as well as the reporting and evaluation mechanisms. Having a written agreement or contract that outlines these details will help you avoid any confusion or misunderstanding, and ensure accountability and transparency.
As the Harvard negotiation model indicates, to reach an agreement the parties must focus on interests, not positions, that is, on the real objective behind the negotiation, not on ways to achieve it, because they can be mutually exclusive.
A partnership is not a one-time deal, but an ongoing process. You need to nurture the relationship with your partner, and keep it fresh and dynamic. You can do this by maintaining regular and open communication, by providing and seeking feedback and support, by celebrating and sharing successes and learnings, by addressing and resolving issues and challenges, and by exploring new opportunities and ideas. Nurturing the relationship will help you sustain and deepen the partnership, and create more value and impact.
A partnership is not a static entity, but a learning curve. You need to review and improve the partnership, and measure its performance and impact. You can do this by collecting and analyzing data and evidence, by soliciting and incorporating feedback from stakeholders, by identifying and addressing gaps and weaknesses, by recognizing and leveraging strengths and opportunities, and by adapting and innovating as needed. Reviewing and improving the partnership will help you enhance its quality and effectiveness, and achieve your shared goals.
+ You must be flexible and adaptable to be able to react to external and internal changes. + You must be proactive in identifying areas that require adjustments and work together to implement changes efficiently and effectively. + Time is critical, so being agile means continuing in the game or not.
??Be Respectfully Selfish??Encourage Selfishness?? It sounds contradictory, but when both parties admit clearly to their needs and values, they can begin building towards compromises or creative solutions that fulfill each of their goals. When partners each have vested interests and recognize the self-serving interests of one another, they are more likely to trust and work with another as they understand both have something to gain from the partnership! JP Morgan once said "A man always has two reasons for doing something: a good reason and a real reason." Not everyone has or will believe a good reason, but EVERYONE has and will believe a 'real reason' to do good things! Make partnerships mutually profitable from a whole value perspective!