http://www.socialcatalyst.co.uk/2008/02/24/partnership-real-or-imagined/ Social Entrepreneurs who make places and spaces work. Sat, 28 Aug 2010 09:36:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://www.socialcatalyst.co.uk/2008/02/24/partnership-real-or-imagined/comment-page-1/#comment-20 mike chitty Mon, 25 Feb 2008 09:22:49 +0000 http://193.189.74.98/%7Esocialca/?p=35#comment-20 Sounds very familiar. I work with a chief executive who has a plaque in his (home) office that says 'Partnership: the temporary suspension of mutual loathing in pursuit of funding'. And too often this is very close to the truth! One of the challenges is that partnership is a 'weasel word' with many definitions: 1) a relationship of two or more entities conducting business for mutual benefit 2) a legal contract entered into by two or more persons in which each agrees to furnish a part of the capital and labour for a business enterprise, and by which each shares a fixed proportion of profits and losses. 3) The persons bound by such a contract. 4) A relationship between individuals or groups that is characterised by mutual cooperation and responsibility, as for the achievement of a specified goal: Neighbourhood groups formed a partnership to fight crime. Then there are different types and levels of partnership: a) Self interested Partnerships - only put in place in pursuit of funding b) Mutual Partnership - in pursuit of a single relatively narrow agenda c) Strategic Partnership - characterised by a wider and longer term context and relationship d) Shared Destiny Partnership - close to a merger situation where both partners share a single vision and go a long way towards the integration of cultures and systems. All partners face extinction as a consequence of failure. Perhaps one of the challenges that you have in making this partnership work is to recognise the type of partnership that each organisation wants. It looks to me like you are offering them a 'self interested partnership' while perhaps you are looking for something that is more 'mutual' or 'strategic'. This sort of differing expectation can be very damaging - and I suspect 'delivering results' will not be enough to sustain it. The possibility is that once the other partner sees how results are generated they will try to take over more of that work themselves - or otherwise attempt to strengthen their position. The best bet for long term success is to try to move quickly to strategic or shared destiny partnership. Good Luck! Sounds very familiar.
I work with a chief executive who has a plaque in his (home) office that says ‘Partnership: the temporary suspension of mutual loathing in pursuit of funding’. And too often this is very close to the truth!
One of the challenges is that partnership is a ‘weasel word’ with many definitions:
1) a relationship of two or more entities conducting business for mutual benefit
2) a legal contract entered into by two or more persons in which each agrees to furnish a part of the capital and labour for a business enterprise, and by which each shares a fixed proportion of profits and losses.
3) The persons bound by such a contract.
4) A relationship between individuals or groups that is characterised by mutual cooperation and responsibility, as for the achievement of a specified goal: Neighbourhood groups formed a partnership to fight crime.
Then there are different types and levels of partnership:
a) Self interested Partnerships – only put in place in pursuit of funding
b) Mutual Partnership – in pursuit of a single relatively narrow agenda
c) Strategic Partnership – characterised by a wider and longer term context and relationship
d) Shared Destiny Partnership – close to a merger situation where both partners share a single vision and go a long way towards the integration of cultures and systems. All partners face extinction as a consequence of failure.
Perhaps one of the challenges that you have in making this partnership work is to recognise the type of partnership that each organisation wants. It looks to me like you are offering them a ’self interested partnership’ while perhaps you are looking for something that is more ‘mutual’ or ’strategic’.
This sort of differing expectation can be very damaging – and I suspect ‘delivering results’ will not be enough to sustain it. The possibility is that once the other partner sees how results are generated they will try to take over more of that work themselves – or otherwise attempt to strengthen their position.
The best bet for long term success is to try to move quickly to strategic or shared destiny partnership.
Good Luck!

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