Partnership problems? Get to know the people involved

I hear continuing rumblings about the challenges inherent in the UK Government's Changeup programme, where the aim is to create infrastructure support for nonprofit organisations, involving a lot of collaborations at national, regional and local level. The Home Office Active Communities Directorate is insisting that each area of support - like governance, volunteering, technology - should have only one lead consortium in order to get funding. That's already caused difficulties with one of the support 'hubs', and there's been more general criticism  of the model. Suddenly partnership - and how to make it work - is becoming fashionable yet again.

The other day I was discussing with one of the organisations involved how to think about partnerships, and how best to equip staff to deal with the challenges involved. I suggested that it may be useful to think about three elements or aspects of partnerships: * Their delivery of outcomes that could not be achieved by the partners on their own. * The mechanisms of procedures and structures by which that is achieved. * The foundation of relationships among the organisations and people involved that make this possible A lot of the guides and toolkits around on partnerships focus on the middle level of procedures and structures - as I did in The Guide to Development Trusts and Partnerships -  while also emphasising the need for shared purpose towards the desired outcomes. There's usually a focus on business plans, communication strategies and constitutions plus the need to develop appropriate skills for those involved. However, the problems usually arise at the two other levels. First, it can be pretty difficult to get agreement on the purpose and outcomes of a joint initiative in the community and voluntary sector because of territorial competition (turf wars), the genuine differences in aims, the constant need to please funders as well as beneficiaries, and the short-term nature of funding.  The second problem arises in part from the first. Because the arrangements are potentially fragile, the development of high levels of trust between those involved is particularly important, and it is essential to develop ways of doing things that work for everyone. One of the routes into this is to help people understand each other better, and appreciate that people have different personality types and communication styles. The BBC has some useful material online about personality and individuality including a personality test. It's here that I have found a gap between people's experience of partnership working, and what they think is appropriate in staff training and support. The briefest of conversations about partnerships usually leads to agreement that appropriate procedures and structures are essential - but that what makes them work or not is the people. It's not so much skills - though those are important - as attitude and style. The same applies to organisations. Some have an open  and collaborative culture that makes it easier to form  partnerships, some use every excuse to push their logos up everyone's nose. Addressing these 'people issues' involves taking a good look at yourself and your organisation, as well as others, so it can be pretty challenging stuff. I'm more sensitive to these issues than a few years back, because my wife Ann Holmes works in the field so I get some free tutorials - and personality typing. More on that another time. Meanwhile  I'll be listening out for further rumblings on the Changeup front, while sympathising with those trying to make it work at national level, caught as they between a tough Government line and discontent among the smaller organisations. I would be interested to hear from anyone involved in work on organisational culture and personality type in the nonprofit field. I sense that it may be more widely recognised as an issue in the corporate training world, and nonprofits might do well to look at lessons there on how to deal with apparently arrogant, controlling partners. Getting to know people involves more than formal partnership meetings, and learning about different styles and attitudes means going beyond the usual skills training.  NCVO briefing document on Changeup  Third Sector Magazine reports Changeup system under attack Latest from Third Sector magazine on the ICT hub problems Briefing from NACVS including article on hubs Earlier - Remembering people make partnerships

Comments

[Jack Vinson]

This is great. It's so easy to forget that we are dealing with other people who have hopes and dreams (and fears), just like us. It never ceases to amaze me that when I stop thinking of you as my adversary and try to get to know you, that virtual walls seem to vanish.

Thanks!