How to Successfully Introduce Partnering to Your Association by Edwin Richard Rigsbee There are two paradigms that embrace partnering. The first approach, we'll call Cotton Candy Partnering. It looks good, tastes good, but is mostly fluff and dissolves into nothing when put it in your mouth. Like cotton candy, this type of partnering has very little substance. Maybe you've seen this sort of partnering. Many talk a good talk but unfortunately few, have substance when it comes to implementing the commitments of their partnering exchange. The second approach is what I call Integrity Partnering. This type of partnering is embraced by innovative leaders in a wide array of industries all over the world. Fortunately, it is clearly on the rise. Someone who partners with integrity is the kind of person who continually seeks superior approaches to make their business or company even more successful. "Can't put frosting on a cake made of manure?" says Roger Tompkins, Vice President-California for State Farm Insurance Companies. For the practitioner of Integrity Partnering, synergy is a force for action. This is because partnering, besides being an activity, is also a mind-set. This mind-set, will deliver many benefits if integrated into your business operations. Partnering could, but does not necessarily have to equate to partnership. While a partnership is contractual, a partnering activity might simply mean working together to increase membership. This is similar to a barn raising of the last century, where the community would come together to assist an individual. The key distinction between partnership and partnering is that in partnering a formal, written agreement is not always necessary. In an age of cutthroat global competition, trust allows this new spirit of cooperation. This is afloat in today's economy from the time honored hand shake relationships to the more formal multimillion dollar contractual agreements. Even with a contract, those who operate from an adversary paradigm or belief, find that the enforcement difficult. Frequently, the cost of enforcing their coveted contract can be greater than the value received. A NEW BELIEF In 1496, just a few years after Christopher Columbus set off to discover The New World, Nicholas Copernicus enrolled in the University of Bologna as a student of canon law. Privately, Copernicus pursued his interest in astronomy, making his earliest recorded observation in 1497. Sometime before May 1, 1514, he wrote the first draft of his new astronomical system, De hypothesibus motuum coelestium a se constitutis commentarious and discreetly circulated a few manuscript copies among trusted friends. His work challenged our place in the universe by shattering conventional wisdom about the known world being flat. Copernicus faced and received excommunication from his faith for boldly pushing the limits (in 1992, the Pope reversed the order), as do modern day heros. It takes putting your reputation on the line to effectively create change. Are you willing to do the same? What is it going to take to get you and/or your company to change? Why a need for a new belief? To succeed, you must adopt or at least adapt to, new ideas. Your members, squeezed for time and money, want to partner with associations that will serve their needs. A most important lesson I learned is that everybody wants to feel good about themself and will do what it takes to get to that personal feel good place. Partnering, as I have defined it, is a part of doing this. This is because equality develops, while position, power and prestige stay intact. Today there is much talk about empowerment. Unfortunately though, many people of "position power" (authority based in their title) believe their power must diminish at the same rate that power is given to others. This is completely untrue. The giving of power creates more power and this class of power is the most powerful of all it's 'personal power' (ability to influence others because of whom you are)! When people want to partner with you . . . That is personal power. When you want to partner with others, you also increase this personal power. PARADIGM INTRODUCTION The introduction of a new paradigm or belief need not be difficult if approached with reason. Similarly, we humans prefer to ease into change. Too much change, too quick can be fatal! Give yourself and all the people around you time to adjust to the "hot water" or the shifting paradigm. The time commitments are an absolute necessity in developing relationships. Just as in any partnering endeavor, set your partnering plan into play and avoid the urge to change it before the plan has time to work. The belief in partnering is up to you. Be ready for ridicule from nonbelievers as it's sure to come. relationships, I am recommending that you too, can discover the connection each has to the other. This will help you to develop your partnering Pentad. DEVELOP YOUR PARTNERING PENTAD The Partnering Pentad idea functions under a similar belief. This is the belief that an association and all of its parts must perform their functions while still keeping in mind that their singular actions affect the whole. For years, interdepartmental cooperation has been merely an idea and nothing more, similar to cotton candy partnering. Think of it as eating something you are allergic to, just to satisfy a need. It's the same principle when one department knowingly does something that will have an adverse consequence to another department. Integrity partnering is as much the answer to successful internal cooperation as it is to external alliances. No association can succeed if its inner workings are being ripped apart at the seams by distrust, individual protectionism, and poor communications. PARTNERING CORE VALUES To start, you must adopt the core values to successful relationships that are synonymous with those of partnering: Trust. Trust, means confidence, reliance or resting of the mind on the integrity, veracity, justice, friendship, or other sound principle of another person or thing. It's also the glue that binds an organization together. For partnering, trust is necessary to move from inertia to action. Trust is that wonderful, mystical and cherished virtue hoped for and shared among practitioners of the Partnering Paradigm. In trust, you're continually putting yourself at risk. It's the process of taking risks necessary in building relationships. At times you are certain to be disappointed, but hopefully these disappointments will be few, compared to the availability of beneficial experiences. Tolerance/Understanding. It's unfortunate, that the terms, tolerance and understanding, are so clich‚. That they too easily roll off the tongues of so many persons. For partnering to work, this core value must be cherished and practiced by all in the alliance. When you can accept the value of an idea rather than be concerned by whose inspiration it was conceived, you will truly exhibit tolerance and understanding. Cooperation/Growth. In my seminars, I lead exercises like the one where the audience is standing in a circle and facing to the center, blindfolded, and holding a rope. Their instructions are simply to make a square. This exercise and others, show how much more is possible when the participants work together rather than separately. This is only possible when they adopt an attitude of cooperation. During the rope exercise, it is always interesting whom shows up as the leader to make the square it's not always the boss. Growth is the natural outcropping of this essential element. Caring/Commitment. Caring enough about a partnering alliance and its members to make a commitment to its success. This is what will usually smooth out the potholes on the road to successful partnering. It's this element that allows each partner in the alliance to feel they will be heard and remain safe from criticism. Additionally, there is also the commitment that is necessary to the function of leadership, and at times, the ability to follow when another is currently leading. Synergy/Mutuality. Partnering must be an institution where individuals, organizations, and companies come together to develop a relationship of trust, tolerance, understanding, cooperation, growth, caring, and commitment. The result of this effort is synergy and mutuality, similar to that of a successful marriage. Partnering and partnerships have much in common with the institution of marriage. Both require all of the above, and both offer benefits that outdistance the possibilities available singularly. When two people enter marriage, the first synergistic result is one plus one equaling three: she, he, and they. The 'they' take on a new life while the 'she' and 'he' retains their unique individuality. This is the successful formula both for marriage and partnering. The preceding values were prevalent in every successful partnering alliance I have studied. Similar to a symbiotic relationship of two dissimilar organisms in close association or union. This is especially found where it is advantageous to both as each finds benefit from the other resulting in a way to coexist. The partner or partners you choose to select must also adopt these core values or the relationship is doomed to failure from its inception, never allowing symbiosis to occur. Couple the above with "the desire to win" and you now have the foundation for successful partnering alliances. These alliances form the framework for a marketing campaign and business strategy based on partnering. I suggest this because partnering alliances are only as strong as their weakest member. When the weakest member does not have the desire to win, they become nothing more than a remora. This is a fish that adheres to another and can only be dislodged with difficulty. Like the remora, weak partners hanging on and benefiting from your efforts while contributing little, does not serve! Synergy is a "must have" ingredient in a successful partnering alliance. STEPS TO PARTNERING Step 1: Monitor. Study your association, observe, and identify areas for improvement. Also, take inventory of core strengths that might be valuable to a potential alliance partner. Specifically, define what it is that you want and help others to define what they want and help them to achieve it as quickly as possible. Study other industries that have embraced partnering along with the individual companies that have been successful with partnering. Study what worked and what did not. If partnering was not successful, be sure to understand why. Step 2: Educate. Learn about those other associations, suppliers, or member companies you might consider for partnering arrangements, ones that create a mutually beneficial result for all who participate. Ask yourself and your management team these questions: What are their strengths and weaknesses? What effect would they have on our business? And how would we effect their business? Be sure that the company cultures are complementary and that the people who will make the alliance work can get along. Step 3: Select. This is the critical step, the one in which all your future efforts will be built. Select partnering, and with whom to partner, with knowledge, understanding and commitment. Surely, there is little security built upon a foundation of fatal flaws. Search for the strongest material for your partnering foundation. Member/customer-oriented culture is critical to the success of the partnering alliance. The greater the sophistication of another entity and its officers, the more likely they will enter into a partnering agreement. Keep this in mind when making your selection. Embrace long-term thinking. Partnering is rarely a quick fix, but a sound long-term management/marketing strategy. Target others, large or small, that can aid you in rapidly and efficiently, reaching the goals of research, member services, technology, convention and meeting production, and marketing. Another element to consider is the focus of the individuals involved. Be certain their focus of the partnering relationship is strategic to the individuals' goals. A disparity of focus could be unhealthy and put your future alliance at risk. Step 4: Organize. Now you're to the point of identifying, understanding, and putting together the possibilities for an alliance. You'll start working with internal and external personnel to develop not only your partnering structure, but also your road map. Plan this step well! The success of the blending of cultures is pivotal to the success of any partnering alliance, takes great pains to insure this achievement. Access is crucial emphasize the importance of understanding and access to each alliance member's staff. Create a convenient communication system for all partners, especially decision makers. Plan procedures to keep relationships between key people of partnering companies open and constantly alive. Make sure that all levels of both organizations share the partnering attitude. Stress strong information systems and share information constantly. Such as; electronic data interchange for document savings, inventory control, materials ordering, member services, and marketing. Look into the future, plan for the long term relationship and encourage strategies that will sustain the relationship through to its conclusion. Phasing in the partnering relationship could be a preferred strategy, as this method will allow partners to have a "get acquainted" time. This can assist in the identification of reaching milestones, successfully or identify the need to reassess before moving on to a higher level in the relationship. Step 5: Charter. This is the agreement, whether it is a hand shake or actual contract. Even so, I strongly urge all partnering alliances to put their agreements on paper it's so much more clear six months or two years later. Each alliance member's commitment to the other, are on paper, and it will smooth a path through the potholes of partnering. Also, your charter should explain conflict resolution sure as Murphy's Law, conflict will emerge. Be ready for it and the conflict will be resolved timely and amiably. Have agreed upon procedures in place that will help resolve the issues that arise. Inevitably, there will be a need for a mechanism to handle things like price increase discussions, inability to ship and dispute resolutions. Develop a clear agreement on what your goals are and make sure they are measurable. Have a formal mechanism for alliance members to identify the goals, milestones, and turning points crucial to the success of the relationship. Devise some form of evaluation that will measure how well plans have implemented Total Quality Management (TQM) principles. Given that each party views the partnering agreement as a business opportunity, the partnering agreement should then establish the terms and conditions under which the partners will resolve conflict. Additionally, consider having the partnering agreement include forms of dispute resolution for more formal arrangements, along with exit strategies as partnering safety valves. Step 6: Post Agreement. Regularly review your partnering efforts. Periodically meet with alliance partners and evaluate whether the relationship should be upgraded, maintained, or downgraded. To continuously improve your business and the quality of the partnering agreement, share information regularly with partners. Discuss opportunities for improvement and ways to enhance performance. Favorable public image and stature of all partnering alliance members are necessary to keep the alliance valuable to all. Caveat pars! (Partners beware). You are responsible for selecting and maintain the alliance you entered. If at the onset it seems too good to be true it likely is! Inherent in the process, partnering has benefits and pitfalls. The benefits usually outweigh the down side if you're careful and methodical in the search for a partner, and in the elements of the arrangement. The road to a successful partnership is filled with obstructions that create fatal flaws in your strategies. First, knowing the steps to partnering. Then how to select the right partner (person, company or association). Your partner(s) must have the ability to successfully adopt the partnering paradigm philosophy. This is the challenge of partnering. QUALITIES TO IDENTIFY IN AN ALLIANCE PARTNER Wants to win. There is no reason to partner with a loser. The relationship will only bring you, your association or company down to an unacceptable level. You must have a desire to win, to want to do better, to be useful in creating synergy with your partner. Knows he/she is ultimately responsible for their own success. A person who will partner because he/she understands the value of synergy, knowing when partnering is, and is not, the best choice for the situation. Caveat Pars (Beware of Partner)! Accountability goes both ways. Do not always assume that your partner is looking out for your best interest. You are human and are susceptible to not always acting in your partner's best interest. Is an active listener. To truly keep in touch with the heartbeat of an alliance, active listening is a critical skill. This helps you to know what you need to do and when the other side is falling behind in their commitment to you. Alertness from both sides equals mutual success. Understands and cares about what drives his/her partners' businesses. Because successful partnering is about synergy, you must consistently give added-value to the relationship (regular relationship bank deposits). The way to add value to your partner's situation is to know their need. Learn what it is that your partner considers to be of value and give it to them. Responds well to, and acts on feedback. "If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen!" The only possibility for a forward and beneficial movement occurs when leaders are willing to accept counsel. Not one of us is smart enough to know it all! If so, there would not be a need for partnering. Notice I did not mention criticism, it was intentional! Is flexible, especially when events or circumstances are not what was expected. If you can't change direction when the road ahead is washed out, you'll likely find yourself wishing for rescuers as you uncontrollably float down the stream. Flexibility is absolutely necessary because things will never be exactly as we expect. Is trustworthy and has integrity respects all with whom he/she comes in contact. The fastest path to membership reduction is for members or staff to badmouth your association or its leadership. Seeks win-win arrangements and solutions. Earlier, I said that you must look after yourself, but if that is all you do, you're of little value as a partner. You must win for the sake of your association or business. Simultaneously, your partner must also win to motivate a desire in them to continue in the relationship. The partnering advantage becomes stronger the longer the relationship lasts. Understands that partnering is a relationship of interdependence. I did not say dependence or independence? Visualize your partner and yourself as partially overlapping circles. The part that overlaps is the area of mutual value. The greater the overlap, the greater the value. This overlapping area is also your area of interdependence. Working together for mutual improvement is a great benefit received from partnering. A FINAL WORD Copernicus did away with the belief of a fixed earth, situated at the hub of the Aristotelian- Ptolemaic universe. In his cosmos the earth revolved around the central sun in an annual orbit and simultaneously executed its daily rotations. You too can make a difference by casting off antiquated beliefs and embracing the ultimate management/marketing strategy, partnering. Build, honor, and respect the many entities, people and relationships of your Partnering Pentad. Partnering will not solve all your challenges; partnering will create some now ones. By adopting the partnering paradigm, you will have access through relationships, to more possibilities for your association than you would have considered possible. So many have told me that the power of success is less in the knowing and more in the doing. What do you plan to do about what you've learned from this article? For challenging conventional wisdom, Copernicus received a 500-year excommunication. What price are you willing to pay for progress?