“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence therefore, is not an act but a HABIT.” -Aristotle
Don’t show up occasionally as your best partnership self - commit to it day in and day out through everything you do. Improvement will add up over time. They will turn from actions into superpower habits! Here are four partnership habits that will change the impact and effectiveness of your collaborations – forever!
GET BETTER AT LISTENING:
“I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So, if I’m going to learn, I must do it by listening. – Larry King
Otto Scharmer, from MIT and Theory U renown, describes four levels of listening.
Level one, downloading listening, is limited and reconfirms what we already know.
Level two, factual listening, we are open to listening to facts and information and notice new information.
Level three, empathic listening, we see the situation through the eyes of another.
Level four, generative listening, we listen and hold space for something new to be born.
Partnerships require level three and four listening. By paying attention and genuinely listening, we can improve and level up our partnership work - together.
STAY CURIOUS, LONGER:
“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with the problems longer.” – Albert Einstein
In partnerships we often want to move quickly to solve problems to keep the work moving forward. If we stay curious longer, we have the possibility to uncover the real challenges and opportunities that will benefit and improve the partnership and partnership project outcomes!
How do we stay curious longer? Probe and quiz. Know that curiosity fosters learning. Learning promotes new thinking. This leads to innovation. Great questions even over good answers.
OBSERVE, REFLECT, LEARN:
“You don’t learn from experience. You learn from reflecting on that experience. – John Dewy
Reflection is a process of exploring and examining ourselves, our perspectives, attributes, experiences, and actions / interactions. It helps us gain insight and see how to move forward. Reflection is often done as writing to allow for thoughtful learning. Encouraging partners to be reflective during their inevitably busy schedules can be a challenge, but those who adopt more reflective practices see a return on investment.
The Partnership Brokers Association suggests integrating reflective partnering practice by asking yourself questions such as:
• What is/is not happening in this partnership?
• What role have I played in this?
• What can I/we learn from this?
• What can I/we do with what has been learnt?
TURN PRO: BECOME A PROFESSIONAL PARTNERSHIP BUILDER
“The difference between an amateur and a professional is in their habits. An amateur has amateur habits. A professional has professional habits – they go all in.” – Steven Pressfield
Often what ails us in partnerships is working as hobbyists, working off the corner of our desks, fitting in the heavy partnership lifting when there is a spare moment. We don’t put in the required effort and build the specialized skills needed to forge genuine, effective partnerships.
When we turn pro and become committed to being professional partners, we find our power. We find our will and our voice. We find our self-respect. We go all in. Partners who commit full-time and show the proper level of commitment, build the right skills, and focus to work with others to achieve something that all deeply believe in. Make it a habit to be a professional partnership builder – go all in and see the difference it can make!
PARTNERSHIP BROKERS TRAINING, November 2024
There are many things out of our control when we partner – budgets, timelines, sometimes exactly who is at the table. But what is within our control is our ability to foster within ourselves collaborative habits that will make us more effective and impactful partners!
Want to turn pro and gain the habits and skills needed to become a Professional Partnership Builder? Check out our latest Partnership Brokers Training for November 2024!