The five plain truths about partnerships: 1: Partnerships are critical to the long-term success of any initiative. Why? Addressing today's complex issues requires a multi-sector, comprehensive approach. All the players must come to the table, forge a shared vision, and develop a clear plan for working in concert on a common problem. And only partnerships have the power to do the job. 2: Partnerships are challenging to manage and to master. Personalities, different backgrounds, previous history, conflicting styles of leadership, each person seeing things through their own narrow lens, uneven levels of commitment, different levels of experience with collaboration. The list goes on and on. So the "solution" of forming a partnership to address an issue becomes the new "problem." And few of us have had the training that equips us to master the complexities of partnerships. 3: Partnerships are built on two pillars: Form and Process. Form is about how the partnership is organized; it includes the structure and the systems needed to operate the partnership. Process is about how the people in the partnership interact and treat each other; it includes the relationships between the people in the partnership, and the skills they need to work with each other effectively. If either pillar is allowed to grow weak, the partnership will collapse. 4: Partnerships are easier to start than to sustain. Many collaborative projects are sparked by a crisis, funding, or a dynamic personality. They begin with high hopes but all too often commitment wanes, meeting attendance drops off, and initial enthusiasm gives way to doubt and frustration. 5: Partnerships go through stages of development. At each stage, the partnership requires different things from members, is marked by different developmental milestones, and has an increased capacity for achieving results. For example, trust must be built slowly and deliberately at the initial stage. This trust increases members' commitment to contribute the resources that equip the partnership to carry out its activities, and if successful, trust deepens further. Eventually, trust is high enough to support the purposeful conflict required for creative problem solving and high-level partnership performance. We can help you manage and master your partnership. Whether you're starting one, in one that could use a boost, or responsible for insuring the success of ones you oversee.
	Building Effective Partnerships from the Ground Up First impressions last, and later success is largely determined by how your partnership starts . . . so why not build it on a solid foundation? Establish ground rules & norms for interaction. Determine roles & responsibilities. Set up the right structure and operating systems. Develop a coherent and realistic plan. Avoid common pitfalls of partnership start-up. We can help guide your planning and facilitate your initial meetings to lay the groundwork for future success. >>>
	Strengthening and Sustaining Ensure your coalition's long-term success. Assess your progress against our 10 Sustainability Indicators and plan how to reinforce strengths and shore up weak areas. We can help you re-energize your partnership, and plan to keep going and growing. >>>
	Training Host a training for leaders and key members of partnerships and coalitions. Help them acquire essential knowledge, refine critical skills, identify & avoid common pitfalls, and develop strategies for ensuring the success of their partnerships. >>>

Coaching and Consulting
Unsure of how we might help? Give us a call. We can quickly assess your partnership needs, and together determine what would help you better manage and master it.

Getting it Right the First Time: Keys to Building Viable Partnerships Sustaining Effective Partnerships in the 21st Century