DIXON Partnering Solutions
6
Q1
Are we ready to partner? What do we mean by partnering?
Do we have the right mindset?
Partnering is common language within many organisations
The way you ‘think’ about working with other individuals,
across all sectors. However, in our experience very few have
organisations and sectors is crucial to developing the right
had conversations about ‘what partnering’ really means for
foundation of relationships that will enable the creative and
their organisation and ‘how’ they should go about it.
innovative solutions you are seeking.
It’s like jumping into a major construction project without
You need a different mindset that involves:
doing any planning about what you want to build or how
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you are going to do it!
> Looking outside your own organisation for opportunities to collaborate and partner
• Partnering is a very general term which can mean many
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things to many people. In fact, it has become so generalised that it has almost become meaningless.
> Developing an understanding and level of confidence in working with complex systems
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> Keeping an open mind and not jumping to
Add to this that everyone comes to a partnering situation
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solutions too early
from different experiences and often have widely varying
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expectations and understanding of just what partnering is
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> Co-creating and co-designing solutions together
in their context.
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with others
• Getting an agreed understanding of what partnering is
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for your organisation and what you expect to gain from it should be a crucial first step in preparing to partner.
> Being open, honest and transparent in all your communications
• •
> Letting go of your own priorities and creating freedom to explore shared priorities and objectives
• •
> Valuing diversity as a catalyst for change, and
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> Being prepared to have the tough conversations and take risks.
• Having the right mindset around partnering is so fundamental that without it we will keep doing what we have always done; unintentionally (or intentionally) undermining efforts to do things in new ways and achieve elusive outcomes, transformational change or innovation.
