Running a partnership in the IT&T space often brings diverse skillsets, differing thought processes and alternative approaches together. On a good day, this mix supports dynamic problem-solving, innovative thinking and productive challenge. On a bad day, it can create conflict, disharmony, and a lack of clear direction. The attraction that pulls a diverse set of characters and skills together can eventually repel them.
What if you could find a way to have more of the good days?
Resetting the dynamic in your partnership doesn’t happen by itself, it takes deliberate and focused action. Taking some time out of the day-to-day to align with your partners will reap significant benefits both financially and personally.
We have supported IT&T partners from start-ups through to established businesses to rediscover the positive aspects of their partnership. Shifting them from discord and blame through to recognising a mutual exchange of value from each other.
Case Study: Resetting expectations in an IT&T partnership
The partners of a growing technology partnership that had been operating for just over 3 years were experiencing increasing levels of conflict. Feedback from the wider leadership team indicated the agreed leadership behaviours weren’t being displayed by the partners themselves. There was a habit of interrogation in meetings where the partners would deep dive into the detail leading to a culture of blame. This caused the leaders to become protective and defensive, stifling creation and innovation and impacting business growth.
We facilitated a workshop with the partners to unearth their expectations of themselves, of each other and of the key leadership roles in the business. This revealed a number of gaps where the partners had expectations that either had not been clearly communicated or were not reasonable to meet at that point in the organisation’s maturity.
This enabled the partners to reset their own expectations and responsibilities and provide clear, achievable expectations for the wider leadership team.
The result was a more collaborative and open leadership team displaying consistent behaviours. The business realised the benefit of the skills and talents of the entire team which improved the overall team dynamic and productivity. Employee engagement lifted and customer satisfaction improved.