3.A Find and Develop the Right Partners

Collaborations achieve outcomes when all partners have a high stake in the results. Seek out partners who are closely aligned with the vision of the collaboration, share the same values and have the skills necessary to accomplish the goals. Be clear about the distinction between the core partners who will achieve outcomes and be held accountable, and the broader stakeholders who provide input and are kept informed. And don’t take your relationships with core partners for granted. Create an environment where we can have candid conversations about expectations and where everyone can fully participate in setting and renewing the directions.

New partners can help to revitalize and sustain your collaboration efforts. A number of circumstances might prompt the need for new partners. You may have to ask a partner to leave because they aren’t contributing, or are contributing in a negative way. You can also find that the collaboration is missing an important perspective or requires different competencies and resources. Use the same intentional recruitment process as you did at the beginning of the collaboration. Establish clear strategies for integrating new partners smoothly into the collaboration, such as providing orientation sessions and matching them with mentors who can answer questions and offer advice.

Turnover and inconsistent representation from partner organizations can slow or stop a collaboration from advancing. Learn about why it’s occurring; it may signal a lack of commitment or there could be good reasons for it, such as job changes. If there are alternate representatives from one organization, think about strategies that create clear transitions, such as sharing regular updates, decisions and documents. Also ensure the representatives all have the authority from their organization to make timely decisions.