Communication is key to any successful partnership, but it can also be challenging to manage effectively. How can you streamline communication with your business partners and avoid misunderstandings, delays, and conflicts? Here are some tips to help you improve your partnership communication strategies.
Before you start working with a new partner, make sure you have a clear and mutual understanding of the goals, roles, responsibilities, and expectations of each party. This will help you avoid confusion and frustration later on. You can use a partnership agreement, a project plan, or a scope of work document to outline the key aspects of your collaboration, such as deadlines, deliverables, budget, quality standards, feedback mechanisms, and dispute resolution procedures. Review these documents regularly and update them as needed.
One point that is usually left aside is to make sure the expectations are clear and set by-directionally. What does the partner expect of you? I always found that the proposing party has clear ideas of what they want out of the partnership, but what about the receiving party? Are there clear set expectations on both sides? If they aren’t, the risk is that none of the expected actions and results will happen because one of the two parties does not see the value in collaboration (regardless of signed agreements, PR, etc that might be agreed to do).
Using the right tools can make a big difference in how smoothly and efficiently you communicate with your partners. Depending on the nature and scope of your partnership, you may need different tools for different purposes, such as email, phone, video conferencing, instant messaging, project management software, file sharing platforms, or collaboration apps. Choose the tools that suit your needs and preferences, and make sure your partners are comfortable and familiar with them as well. Establish some guidelines on how and when to use each tool, and avoid switching between too many tools or platforms.
“Meet your partners where they are already hanging out” .. slack, email, Teams.. that is the best way to communicate effectively. It might not be the most efficient though, especially with a complex, diverse and wide partner ecosystem. Based on scale of the program (number of partners) and maturity, it will become necessary to find a tradeoff between choosing a channel they are familiar with and defining a preferred, streamlined channel that can be efficient too.
One of the most important aspects of partnership communication is to keep in touch regularly and consistently. This will help you build trust, rapport, and alignment with your partners, as well as monitor the progress and performance of your partnership. Communicate frequently enough to stay on the same page, but not too much to overwhelm or distract your partners. Find a balance that works for both parties, and stick to a schedule or a routine. For example, you can have a weekly check-in call, a monthly report, or a quarterly review.
Organising the cadence is as important as keeping it relevant. Meeting for the sake of meeting is not the way. Defining an agenda ahead of time, bringing insights, new training opportunities, and a simple report of what’s being worked right now with owners, next steps and deadlines is an effective way to keep the communication going and make it relevant for both parties.
Another key aspect of partnership communication is to be respectful and transparent with your partners. This means being honest, polite, and professional in your interactions, and avoiding any hidden agendas, ulterior motives, or manipulative tactics. Respect your partners' opinions, feedback, and concerns, and acknowledge their contributions and achievements. Transparency also means sharing relevant information, updates, and challenges with your partners, and being open to their suggestions and solutions. Don't hide or withhold anything that could affect your partnership, and don't make promises you can't keep.
I would add that it is also important to ask partners to do the same, being respectful and transparent has to be from both sides too, like any other part of the partnership business relationship. I am a firm advocate of leading by example and to never expect the other party to initiate the behaviour you want to see, but it is also important to set firm boundaries on what are the minimum standards for healthy partner relationships.
Finally, partnership communication is not a one-time or a one-way process. It is a continuous and a two-way process that requires feedback and improvement. You should always seek feedback from your partners on how you can improve your communication and collaboration, and provide feedback to them as well. Use constructive criticism, praise, and recognition to motivate and inspire your partners, and to address any issues or gaps. Also, be willing to learn from your partners, and to adapt and adjust your communication style and methods as needed.