Stronger Through Partnerships

”A strategy has to set the direction and be relatable. That is why we – as we are developing a strategy – must involve the ones who are to realize the strategy and the ones who are going to be affected by it. They are the ones, our citizens, companies, and employees, who will make the strategy come true.”

JETTE RUNCHEL, FORMER CHIEF EXECUTIVE, ALBERTSLUND MUNICIPALITY

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It seems clear by now that the major challenges facing our planet, be they global or local, can only be solved through partnerships and cooperation, also between people that are not usually working together. One of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (no. 17) has even been titled ‘Partnerships for the Goals’, and partnerships have been a high priority for many years in the public sector as well as in private companies.

Engaging in partnerships can be a way to realize your strategy, but success is not guaranteed. Strong strategic partnerships require an equal and open dialogue with external players – and a common purpose that is clear as day. The common strategic direction has to be well-defined, the connection to your company’s strategy has to be clear, and the partnership will be strongest when the players involved are open and have reached a common understanding of the value creation. Therefore, it is absolutely crucial that you establish and develop partnerships that go across sectors and further than your usual partners.

CO-CREATION

In public organizations, it is more often the rule than the exception that citizens, associations, local companies, and educational institutions are invited into the process of realizing the future strategy. Within the private sector, partnerships are widepread within the areas of green transition, technological development, and health. The term ‘co-creation’, which arose when the private sector invited its customers into the process of developing new products, has spread to the public sector. Co-creation is typically defined as a process in which public and private players collaborate to challenge conventional wisdom and practice while defining common problems and designing and implementing new and better solutions.

Co-creation requires a high degree of openness and receptivity towards players that are very different from your usual and obvious partners. But through conversations with players with very different perspectives, surprising and ground-breaking new ideas can arise, and thus cooperation through partnerships across sectors often create better results than you could have achieved by yourself.

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MAKE AN EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND

When partnerships are a part of your strategy realization, it must be clear how your partnerships create value in relation to your business or core task, and as a chief executive you can save a lot of trouble by being very clear as to the value that the collaboration adds to your organization. At the same time, you and your organization must make an effort to understand different ways of thinking, including the fact that your new partners might not be concerned about the same issues as you. Maybe your new partners put their bottom line together in a completely different way than you are used to? Maybe they are more commercial, more focused on the environment, welfare, or other parameters than you are? The secret is to be open towards inputs and innovative inspiration and to give everyone, including people different from yourself, a say such that they will feel ownership and contribute to building a shared foundation.

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STRENGTHEN YOUR CREDIBILITY, BUT BE CAREFUL!

Nowadays, partnerships and co-creation can be a valuable part of an organization or company’s brand, and we frequently encounter chief executives that are very aware of the fact that there is a lot of good publicity to be gained from engaging in the solving of the problems of society. But be careful! If you are not earnest, then partnerships can backfire, and things like ‘green-washing’ where companies claim to be more climate-friendly than they actually are frequent targets of negative attention. The same applies when an organization’s behavior does not meet its own ethical or moral standards.

When partnerships work and are securely situated in your strategy as well as the actual conduct of your organization, it can, on the other hand, provide a lot of good energy and focus to your organization. To be able to make a difference for the world will often make your employees proud and engaged, and the efforts that are directed towards partnerships concerning, say, equality of health or the green transition are strengthening the credibility of your organization and providing you with a strong purpose-driven vision.