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.