Gandhi’s expressed a similar observation, in 1913 with his iconic aphorism, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
Change starts from within. Nowhere is this truer than in partnerships. Partnerships are a group activity, but success is only achieved through individual efforts and skill.
This requires us to ask ourselves: Who am I going to be when I show up as my best partnership self? What is the best version of your partnership you - your partnership Identity?
The only person who can determine your identity is YOU. Your identify is who you are, your sense of yourself, which is largely formed by what you decide to be and do. Repeatedly. One of the most powerful ways to do that is to START by defining who you aspire to be as a strong partner. Then turning those attributes into habits so you change yourself and change the world!
What are key collaborative qualities that form a positive, proactive collaborative identity?
Be a Win-Win-Win Advocate: What does it mean to commit to win/win/win? First: treat your partners the way you and your organization want to be treated. And, of course, make sure you treat yourself the way you’d like to be treated, too. Second: take the time to get to know and understand your partners, their needs, and challenges. As Stephen Covey says, “seek to understand, then be understood”, valuable advice for any win-win-win partnership. Third: Commit to ensuring your partners success, the partnerships success as well as your own success. Result? You win. Your partners win. The partnership project wins!
Be a Synergizer: Synergize is the 1 + 1 = 3 synergy goodness Stephen Covey talks about in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. “Synergy is everywhere in nature. If you plant two plants close together, the roots commingle and improve the quality of the soil so that both plants will grow better than if they were separated. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Look for alignment, ways to leverage assets and strengths. Then synergize with a 1 + 1 > 3 attitude.
Be an Equity Builder: Effective, strong partnerships do not dismiss anyone. Nor do they elevate anyone. Everyone is important. Equity is a core value – where everyone who is in the partnership is seen to bring value, is given voice, and is appreciated. Lead by example. By building equity between all partners, we build inclusiveness and respect. That helps us to feel safe and free to express ourselves – essential to successful partnerships.
Be Authentic and Reliable: All partnerships move at the speed of trust. Trust is a core, foundational principle. It’s truly a place where partnership will soar or plummet. Trust is built through honesty, authenticity and delivering on commitments.
Be Courageous: Model courage. Work and live with ambiguity, accept this is inevitable in a partnership. Have the courage to ask questions, to be curious, and not to fear new solutions. To work differently in consultation, to regard setbacks as iterations rather than failures. Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. It means you don’t let fear stop you.
Let your aspirational Partnership Identity drive how you show up and who you are. Then let it drive your behaviour!
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