Partnerships are essential for sustainable design, as they can help you leverage resources, expertise, and impact. But how do you build strong and lasting relationships with other organizations that share your vision and values? Here are some tips to help you succeed.
The first step is to research and identify potential partners that have complementary skills, goals, and missions. You can use online platforms, networks, events, or referrals to find organizations that work in your field or sector, or that have a similar target audience or stakeholder group. You can also look for partners that have a different perspective or approach, but that can add value and diversity to your project.
In my experience the best way to identify potential partners is to always be on the lookout and freely communicate with people you come across both in work and outside of it. You'll be surprised how many people you can relate to if you simply strike up a conversation be it in a conference through work or in the sauna at your gym.
The next step is to reach out and communicate your interest and expectations. You can use email, phone, or social media to introduce yourself and your organization, and explain why you want to partner with them. You can also share your portfolio, website, or case studies to showcase your work and achievements. Be clear and concise, and avoid jargon or technical terms. You can also ask questions about their work, challenges, and needs, and show genuine curiosity and respect.
If possible it's best to communicate in person - this could be at an event but maybe they're locally based so you can pop in? If not then offer a video call inside an informative and helpful email that is clear of your intentions and ideally provides some use to the company as well, and shows them you would be great to have on their side.
The third step is to build trust and rapport with your potential partners. You can do this by meeting them in person or online, and having regular and honest conversations. You can also involve them in your planning and decision-making process, and listen to their feedback and suggestions. You can also show appreciation and recognition for their contributions, and celebrate your milestones and successes together. Trust and rapport are the foundation of any successful partnership, and they require time and effort to maintain.
There is no quick fix to building trust and rapport, it comes from reliability over time. As Warren Buffet once said "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently." In short, just do your thing and work honestly and work hard and don't compromise. Don't send an email if you've been slightly triggered, or if you're tired and are probably going to be unconcise.
The fourth step is to define roles and responsibilities for each partner. You can do this by creating a partnership agreement or contract, that outlines the scope, objectives, deliverables, timelines, and budget of your project. You can also specify the roles and tasks of each partner, and how you will communicate, coordinate, and collaborate. You can also set clear and realistic expectations, and agree on how you will measure and evaluate your progress and impact.
What will be appropriate for this is totally dependent on the situation. If it's a large project with some level of risk then you are going to want contracts and agreements in place that clearly define exactly what is expected of each partner and these will need to be well thought through in terms of stipulating exactly what deliverables are and when and at what cost. Each partner can then be held to account, if there are ambiguities around this then one party may fall short of others expectations. If it's a very simple project being partnered on and there is a great level of trust then a casual chat and agreement over who is doing what may be more appropriate.
The fifth step is to solve problems and conflicts that may arise during your partnership. You can do this by communicating openly and respectfully, and addressing any issues or concerns as soon as possible. You can also use constructive feedback, negotiation, and compromise to find solutions that benefit all parties. You can also seek external support or mediation if needed, and learn from your mistakes and challenges.
Again, conflicts can be avoided by being meticulous over expectations from the offset. Conflicts can however still arise, in which case it's important to keep things professional and not exchange emails or messages hastily. If triggered when forming an email or response, consider asking a colleague to run their eyes over it to ensure it's professional/polite before hitting send, or you could even try an LLM such as ChatGPT. Try to stay logical and see things from their perspective knowing that they need to have their own company in their best interests - how can you bring it back to shared interests that benefit all involved satisfactorily?
The final step is to sustain and grow your partnership over time. You can do this by reviewing and revising your partnership agreement or contract, and adapting to changing circumstances or opportunities. You can also seek feedback and testimonials from your partners, and use them to improve your work and relationship. You can also explore new ways to expand or deepen your partnership, such as creating joint products or services, hosting events or workshops, or applying for grants or awards.