Partnership is a word that currently gets banded about and is possibly one of the most abused words in our sector. It is currently held up as the answer to all community issues and challenges, yet it’s often difficult to achieve. So we have to ask what are the benefits? What are the barriers? And how can we make it work?
When reflecting on partnerships, I find it useful to reflect on my relationships in my own personal life.
• How would my partner, friends and family react if I made all the decisions?
• How would they react if I didn’t show any respect?
• What is I was over bearing, envious and or jealous?
• How would people treat me if I didn’t trust them?
• What if I was selfish and didn’t share?
• What would happen if I was always on the take and never giving back?
• What if I didn’t socialise with them and only call when I need something?
• What If I gossiped and backstabbed them?
• What if I asked for a report of their latest life experiences every five minutes and issue threats if they didn’t provide?
• What would happen if I made plans for a night out or holiday without consulting them about their involvement /availability?
• What would happen if took the credit for their personal achievements?
• What would happen if I told them what they could and couldn’t do?
• What if I was always right they were always wrong?
• What would happen if I asked them to do something I wasn’t prepared to do myself?
• What if I was out for night and I gave one friend more attention than the others?
The answer is simple; I would be a divorced, lonely single man, with no friends, and not even have the respect of my own family.
You get the picture, we all know that partnerships, friendships and love from our family bring much joy and mutual benefits, when the relationship is based on a shared trust and mutual respect, but they all have their cown hallenges, as we build those relationships.
Benefits of partnerships in community work
In context of this discussion, partners work together to achieve outcomes for the community.
It usually when residents and agencies (both government and non-government) share skills, expertise and other resources, to achieve some sort of improvement the areain which they work. To enable this, they need a shared vision and a way of working together which will enable positive change.
This could be for either a long-term formal structure such as a collaborative community plan, or a shorter-term agreement EG organising a community event together.
Why bother?
• You gaining access to skills of others
• Mutual support, encouragement and enthusiasm
• Shared perspective and seeing through other’s eyes
• Value for money through sharing of resources and pooling of funding
• Reaching wider audience that you may have on your own esteem
• Increased community ownership and pride of project outcomes
• Increased sustainability
• Higher chance of success in bring about positive change and tangible outcomes
What are the barriers to effective partnerships?
• A history of conflict among key interests leading to entrenched views
• One partner manipulates or dominates the other (intentional or not)
• Lack of clear purpose and direction
• Unrealistic expectations
• Differences of styles / frameworks of working.
• Poor communication.
• Unequal and unacceptable balance of power and control.
• Key interests missing from the partnership.
• Hidden agendas perceived or real
• Financial
• Time commitments of core service demands vs. partnership work
• Suspicion and lack of trust
• Fear of losing identity
• Unacceptable inequalities of power
• Poor communication
• Lack of leadership, clear roles
• Confused style of working
• The time it takes to build trust and new relationship
• Taking credit for others work
What are signs of successful partnership?
• Agreement that a partnership is required
• Mutual respect and trust between different interests which is genuine and not tokenistic
• The leadership of a respected individual or individuals.
• Commitment of key aims developed through a clear and transparent process.
• The development of a shared vision of what might be achieved where everyone has sense of ownership.
• Investment of time to build the partnership both formally and informally
• Shared authority in decision making.
• Finding compatible ways of working, and remaining flexible.
• Good communication, perhaps aided by a facilitator.
• Commitment to achieving consensus and results
• An outcome for the community which is tangible
In Summery
The best partnerships between community and agencies of all sectors, is when the partners are acting in a supportive manner, acting jointly and equitable together, reaching decisions together for the benefit of the collective community.
If you’re involved in a partnership, you have to be clear on why and what the end result is that you’re looking for. You have to ensure you have as an equal influence, as everyone else sitting at the table and that your just not their as a tokenistic representative. Build up your report with individuals in the partnerships, get to know them, understand they way they think and help them understand your perspective to.
Don’t rely solely on the formal mechanisms to achieve this, and remember to always put yourself in the other person shoes. Be honest, genuine, respectful and transparent in all your dealings.
If everyone commits to these simple basics; partnerships are bound to flourish, there will be disagreements, there will be issues that need to be talked through, but in equality and respect for diversity, much more can be achieved.
• Respect people’s styles and cultures
• Use different ways to communicate
• Go away together - away days
• Do things together – projects, job swaps, socialise
• Expect to learn from each other, be open minded
• Balance competition and collaboration
• Depersonalize issues
• Take time
• Be positive! Have some fun!
As I started, remember we are all people, different and unique individuals, however we all have our own needs and aspirations. The way you deal with people in your close relationships, is the same set of principles and values required in your professional dealings, if your partnership is to be a successful one.
If you don’t approach partnerships with these values, you’re kidding yourself on and setting yourself up for failure.
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