You're in a partnership that's not working out. How can you evaluate your own performance?

1 Review your expectations

Before you start blaming yourself or your partner for the problems in your partnership, take a step back and review your expectations. What did you hope to gain from the partnership? What did you agree to deliver? How did you communicate your expectations to your partner? Were they realistic, clear, and mutually understood? Sometimes, the root cause of a partnership breakdown is a mismatch or a gap in expectations. By reviewing your expectations, you can see if you met them, exceeded them, or fell short of them.

3 Reflect on your actions

Feedback from others can give you valuable insights, but it is not enough to rely on external sources. You also need to reflect on your own actions and behaviors in the partnership. How did you approach the partnership? Did you show up with enthusiasm, commitment, and respect? Did you communicate effectively, honestly, and frequently? Did you share your ideas, concerns, and feedback? Did you support your partner and acknowledge their efforts? Did you handle disagreements and conflicts constructively? By reflecting on your actions, you can recognize what you did well and what you could have done better.

4 Compare your results

Another indicator of your performance is the results you achieved in the partnership. How did you measure your progress and success? What were your goals and metrics? How did you track and report them? How did your results compare to your expectations, your partner's expectations, and the industry standards? By comparing your results, you can see if you met or exceeded the objectives of the partnership, or if you fell short of them. You can also see if you added value to your partner and the project.

5 Learn from your mistakes

No one is perfect, and no partnership is flawless. Chances are, you made some mistakes along the way that affected your performance and the partnership. Instead of dwelling on them or denying them, learn from them. What were the causes and consequences of your mistakes? How did you handle them and rectify them? How did you prevent them from happening again? What did you learn from them? By learning from your mistakes, you can improve your skills, knowledge, and attitude. You can also avoid repeating them in the future.

6 Plan for the future

Finally, after you evaluate your own performance, plan for the future . What are your next steps? Do you want to continue, modify, or end the partnership? How can you communicate your decision to your partner? How can you maintain or improve your relationship with your partner? How can you apply what you learned from the partnership to your next project or opportunity? By planning for the future, you can take action based on your evaluation and prepare for the next challenge or opportunity.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?