There is no roadmap to creating effective partnerships. No checklist, no simple, ten-step process. The good news is that building effective partnerships is not some mysterious secret that depends on hard-to-find geniuses. But a good compass is vital to help you and your partners on your quest. It can help get you started and support you during those inevitable times of disorientation, or even losing your way. A good compass can help you understand what direction you need to move towards.
What would a partnership compass look like? At JS Daw & Associates, we've come to believe – through both extensive research and lots of practice – that blending four essential partnerships elements AND four partnership values will enable organizations to move beyond just saying the right words, and into the realm of acting on our values to create genuine, breakthrough partnerships.
The JS Daw & Associates Partnership Compass starts with a circle – just like the partnership cycle (see earlier blog). Add a vertical line down the middle and another horizontal line across the midpoint. Putting arrows on the end of each of those points gives us the four cardinal direction points of our compass.
At the top (North) we have MINDSET.
At the bottom (South) we have LEADERSHIP.
At the left (West) we have TOOLSET.
At the right (East) we have SKILLSET.
This compass will guide your quest as you ask, “In which direction do I need to move?”
MINDSET: Testing the mental models, cultural attitudes, and ambient beliefs (often subtle or even invisible) that exist within the partnership.
SKILLSET: Establishing the competencies needed within the partner group to keep the partnership running smoothly.
LEADERSHIP: Selecting and supporting courageous leaders so they can bring out the best in themselves and others, regardless of the challenges.
TOOLSET: Ensuring the fit-for-purpose processes are co-selected and well executed to help the partnership achieve its objectives.
Once the cardinal directions have been placed on the compass, the top four values behind any successful partnership must be integrated, too. By placing the values between the cardinal points, together they form a compass that provides guidance AND fundamental touchstones to get you where you want to go.
Mindset + Toolset combine to ensure partners embrace diversity, because it unlocks new value
Mindset + Skillset to ensure equity for inclusivity and respect
Leadership + Skillset blend to build transparent openness for accountability and trust
Leadership + Toolset combine for mutual benefit that drives commitment
By blending foundational elements with strong values, you get strengths and aspirations for partners to live by, solidifying the partners’ relationships.
I hereby introduce you to the JS Daw & Associates Partnership Compass.
