Daniel Rickett, in his book, “Building Strategic Relationships” (2008 www.STEMPress.org) shares:
“The most enduring partnerships are complementary. A complementary partnership is the association of two or more autonomous bodies who, having formed a trusting relationship, share complementary gifts and abilities to fulfill a common goal. A complementary partnership, then, is a relationship of shared commitment and interdependency.”
Rickett goes on to share that a complementary partnership requires at least three preconditions:
#1) The partnering organizations must be autonomous
#2) The partnering organizations must be compatible in doctrinal beliefs and values
#3) Each partner must have complementary strengths and resources
Often we enter into partnerships, even into strategic partnerships without exploring these 3 critical areas.
Evaluate the partnerships you are involved in. Can you answer these 3 preconditions? If not, go back and work a little harder on defining what your partnership looks like.