How do you solicit feedback and suggestions from partners in a timely and effective way?

In my experience, gathering timely feedback from partners begins with setting clear expectations and asking open-ended questions for deeper insights. One thing I’ve found helpful is actively listening, showing genuine interest, and following up with actions or explanations to build trust.

Writing down expectations for the partnership is key. When I look back to our successful partnerships, there is an artifact in writing explaining what success looks like. Without something in writing, you have no chance to know whether the partnership reaches its intended place.

Set the schedule and communication formats for feedback. Monthly, quarterly and annual review meetings are good. Also, scope for any instant reach out in case of challenges that may come up during regular partnership roll out should be kept in place to make it easier for teams to share real-time feedback in case of critical issues.

Antes de pedir o feedback, fortalecer a autoconfian?a e a clareza de que pontos realmente aceita a corre??o será essencial para que todas as partes dessa conversa possam sair sentindo-se partilhadores de um mesmo ideal.

I always start by setting clear expectations with my partners. This means communicating when and how I’ll be asking for their feedback. For instance, if we’re launching a new project, I’ll outline key milestones where their input will be most valuable. This way, everyone knows what to expect and when to prepare their insights.

Sometimes I received vague responses from partners and attribute it to asking closed questions. Since then, I’ve made it a point to ask open-ended questions encouraging detailed responses. For example, instead of asking, “Did you like the project ?” I now ask, “What aspects of the project did you find most valuable, and where do you see room for improvement?” This approach has led to much richer feedback, giving us deeper insights into what works and what doesn’t.

Too often questions are asked to solicit a certain response. Or people only ask questions they know answers to. I've found that some of the most critical information comes out after asking an open-ended question such as "is there anything we should discuss that we haven't covered already." This is when the magic happens.

Let the teams and the opposite side describe their feedback rather than give close ended answers. This allows for more deeper insights and also enables partner teams to be more involved and inclusive towards sharing operational realities.

Listen to understand rather than to respond. This is essential to be able to get the best learning experience and make the other side feel heard. Relate to the person and the scenario as a human.

Coming out of a meeting where feedback is shared it is critical to put it into action. I recommend somebody on the team summarize the meeting and note any action items. Once this work is done, it should be shared with the strategic partner for review and comment. Instead of saying "here is a summary from the meeting" say "here are our notes, let us know if you agree." This ensures complete alignment on the feedback and suggestions.

Actions speak better than words. Respond with actions, and where possible, deliver more than expected. Go an extra mile to work with your teams to help them with their gaps, as well as delivering value through your actions based on their feedback.

Be kind in your feedback, and share practical insights that can help your teams and audience. Also support your teams with the required roadmap to help them achieve their goals and delivering on your feedback.

Constantly checking on progress of the partnership is key. I rarely encounter a situation where a partner says "you are reviewing the partnership too frequently." In fact, it usually receives the opposite reception because it shows commitment, dedication, effort, and focus on making the partnership work. These check-ins are easy to track with a tool like Mircosoft Outlook or Google Calendar.

While I agree with the points mentioned, strategic partnerships are rooted in the relationship between parties. Setting expectations and asking open-ended questions is important, but I also want to get to know them beyond just a contract. Ideally, meeting in person or at industry events can foster a genuine connection. Even with the best intentions, partnerships can sometimes go sideways, so building relationships at various levels of the organization based on mutual trust and respect is paramount. With that as a base, soliciting feedback and suggestions will be a natural output of a healthy relationship.

In my experience once a strategic partnership is signed, most people who signed the deal move into high level oversight/sponsor mode and aren't involved in day to day execution. In those scenarios, its important for operating check-ins to start with "The Why": Purpose and North Star Vision. The next step in those meetings is to anchor discussions around the goals (specific, measurable and time-bound) and metrics that were identified and agreed, and present an objective view on the current situation to kick off discussions. This approach reduces emotions and defensiveness. Seasoned leaders go one step further and track leading indicators, and call a meeting to course correct ASAP as opposed to waiting for periodic checkin meetings.