#TellAllTuesdays: Sharks in the Water

Welcome to another Tell All Tuesday! Today, we’re delving into a pivotal topic: navigating partnerships. The right partners can ignite your vision, propelling it forward with unprecedented momentum, but the wrong partner can put you so far back that you struggle to stay afloat.

In a society that champions scale and access to “unlimited” resources, large corporations, national big greens, and other well-funded organizations are poised to lead initiatives your organizations/businesses have been dedicated to since their inception. In this landscape, it’s crucial to discern what partnerships are genuine and which ones are merely fulfilling a requirement (i.e., they need a small business, a local partner, a non-profit partner, or other contact requirements)

There have been times I’ve had a gut feeling about a firm’s shitty intentions, and against my best judgment, I moved forward in partnership. I realized I should’ve listened to my instincts when things went south. Here are some red flags I take note of and I’m hyper-aware of when I move forward with new partnerships:

White Saviorism and Performative Allyship

Organizations led by individuals who come out of nowhere (both new organizations and new people) approach work as helping people of color but have a mindset and methodology that centers their actions and often disregards the voice and expertise of the people we’re trying to support (this includes fundraising for themselves instead of fundraising and supporting orgs/BIPOC leaders that already exist). These groups reinforce stereotypes and perpetuate power imbalance.

Poor Communication

Partners who are unresponsive, secretive, or dishonest can sow seeds of misunderstanding and mistrust. Partners who are defensive, angry, aggressive, or demeaning often do not value the partnership. We have seen partners who refused to share the vision of the work and realistic information on what they’d like to expect work to happen. (I’ve even had a main contactor call me a bitch via email by accidentally replying to all). These partners often do not want subs talking to each other and are often gaslighting and demeaning others.

Lack of Accountability

Equitable accountability is critical. Wrong partners often fail to take responsibility for their actions or contribute equally to the partnership. Accountability and reliability are crucial for long-term success.

Unethical Practices

Avoid partners who engage in unethical or unsustainable practices. These behaviors can damage your reputation and contradict the values of the clean energy sector.

It’s not all red flags and stressful times. There are some fantastic partners out there who can be good partners. It’s essential to conduct thorough research and background checks before entering into a partnership. Understand their business history, reputation, and relationship to your work. Here are some things I do to identify suitable partners and build relationships rooted in trust, transparency, and accountability:

Aligned Mission, Values, and Vision

Their mission and vision are true to who you are and what you do. Good partners share and respect your business values and long-term vision. They understand and support your mission and work with you to deploy services that advance toward a common goal. Partners support transforming and inspiring local communities by increasing their capacity to address complex problems and build trust, transforming and inspiring local communities. Partners aligned with your mission, values, and vision are open to working on avoiding white saviorship and focusing on closing equity gaps through direct participation by impacted communities.

Transparency and Open Communication

Effective communication is a cornerstone of successful partnerships. Good partners are transparent, honest, and open to feedback, fostering a collaborative and trusting relationship. They are open to communication, clarification, boundaries, and expectations. Good partners establish clear agreements and contracts that outline each partner's roles, responsibilities, and expectations. This clarity helps prevent conflicts and misunderstandings. Good partners maintain regular communication and check-ins to ensure the partnership remains aligned and promptly resolves any issues. In a partnership, good partners evaluate how voices and opinions are centered, the power dynamics involved, and how identity, privileges, and biases affect perspectives.

Mutual Respect and Support

A good partnership is built on mutual respect. Your partners should respect your ideas, contributions, and leadership and be willing to support you through challenges. This includes working creatively to assess what structural barriers exist in your participation and how to eliminate those barriers. Good partners do not over-commit and work beyond a short-term project to support structural changes.

Complementary Skills and Resources

Ideal partners bring complementary skills and resources to the table. They fill gaps in your expertise and provide additional strengths that enhance your business capabilities. - Good partners share information, funding, and resources rather than extracting time, talent, and traditions from your community.

I’d love to hear your experiences and tips on navigating business partnerships. Please share your stories, and let’s support each other in building solid and successful collaborations. I look forward to seeing you at our next #TellAllTuesday! If you want to join us for a quarterly lunch session, fill out this form, and we'll invite ya: https://pb39uv34732.typeform.com/to/O27bo1rM

Feel free to share your thoughts, and let's keep the conversation going!