Chapter 7
Partner
In our increasingly connected world, the ability to partner is essential. It is a foundational skill that advances collaboration, synergy, and expanded results. You know the benefits of having good partnering skills, yet you may not apply them as consistently as you would like. This chapter explores partnering traits and the most common barriers to making them part of daily life. It also provides practical suggestions for strengthening your partnering muscle.
The word partner has several definitions, including either of two persons dancing together. The dancing metaphor conjures up images of give and take, synchronization, graceful movement, and being in tune and in step with one another. It is very apt for trust-based relationships, where you have to both lead and follow, interchangeably.
In this chapter, we use the word partner as a verb—it is an act, not a person or thing. Dancing together well is the ultimate goal.
Partnering Traits
When you partner well (see Figure 7.1), you:
- Maintain a mind-set of collaboration, not competition. This means thinking about your interests as intertwined with others’ and staying focused on reaching a solution that works for all concerned.
- Work from a position of equal status. You are appropriately respectful of hierarchy but not distracted by it. You are committed to a sense of fairness and balance in the relationship.
- Lead and follow. You are willing and able to switch between the two, depending on what would be of greatest ...
