Leadership - sometimes it's about letting go of control

Recently I wrote a blog about there being strength in numbers and at the time I was thinking more about women linking up and supporting one another.

This week, I am looking at the big picture and how organizations, rather than individuals,  can work together and partner up to make it a win-win for both.

I am on this path because Company of Women has just joined up with the Holistic Chamber of Commerce in Vancouver.  Now that may seem a long way off from our Ontario-based organization, but for several months I have been debating whether to expand our health practitioners network to Vancouver.

When I was out there a couple of years ago, I met with some of the movers and shakers about actually starting a chapter of Company of Women in Vancouver.  Their advice?  That there were more than enough women’s groups, and another one wasn’t needed.  And I suspect what they didn’t say was and not one from out east, from Toronto.

So I let that idea go, but one leader did suggest I look at replicating our Health Practitioners Network and so I have been been working with someone in Vancouver who was equally keen and we were gingerly building our plans.

However, last week I was introduced to the new Vancouver chapter of the Holistic Chamber of Commerce, and as I talked with their energetic president, it became clear to me that there was little point in reinventing the wheel and far better to get behind their efforts to recruit health practitioners and offer programming to support them.

So that is exactly what we are doing.  When you share similar goals and similar audiences, it makes sense.  Yes, I was hoping to recruit more members in BC, but if I dig deeper on my ‘why,’ the underlying drive was, as it always is, to support women in their businesses.   So we’re not the lead, but really does that matter?  When you let go of your ego, and your need to be front and centre, so much more is achieved.  It is the end result that counts.

I have confidence that this fledgling partnership will blossom and in the end, it will be a win-win for both groups. 

So ask yourself, is there someone I could partner with?  Think about it, because when it works, it is a thing of beauty. 

And when it doesn’t – well check out my other blogs on the topicJ

Related blogs

Collaboration gone wrong: How to get it back on track

  http://www.prowess.org.uk/collaboration-gone-wrong

Partnership?  Date first.

http://www.prowess.org.uk/partnership-date-first

Collaboration vs. Competition

When I worked as a community developer, much of my job was to bring agencies and organizations together to look at combined efforts to resolve community issues.

Much of the time it worked, because while there were sometimes funding or territorial issues, most non-profit organizations shared the same values and tended to look at what was best for the client, rather than getting into who “owned” the client.  Our focus was to take a holistic approach to the family and their problems.

It isn’t quite that simple in the private sector as business owners are always looking at the bottom line and there is an element of WIFM (what is in it for me).  Certainly it needs to be a win-win situation for all the parties involved, but when you take an abundance approach and try to work together, the end result is far-reaching.

I’ve always believed in the value of collaboration because when you pool efforts and talents, you can both be successful, and more to the point, the client benefits.

But it is not always that easy, and sometimes I have leapt into partnerships that have backfired down the road because we hadn’t clarified our end goals or how we would achieve them.  Much of the time, in hindsight, we also didn’t share the same values which is crucial to any business relationship.

That’s why I am so excited about Company of Women’s new partnership with Women in Biz Network.  Not only do Leigh Mitchell, Founder of Women in Biz Network and I share the same values, but we are both driven to helping our members succeed.  And while Leigh and I could get a tad carried away in our altruistic efforts, her partner Fay Chappele keeps us grounded and focused on the bottom line. 

By combining our efforts, we will provide even more services and benefits to our now 400+ members but there is also an opportunity for young entrepreneurs to network and meet up with more seasoned business owners.  We can all learn from each other.   

We also bring different skill sets to the partnership, meaning that between the three of us, we can reach further and potentially achieve success much faster, than if we slogged away on our own.  The key is we respect each other and recognize the expertise that each brings to the table.

Now admittedly we are in the “honeymoon” stage but I have a good vibe about this one and with all the lessons I have learned (the hard way) in the past, I am confident it is going to work, and if it works for us, it most definitely will benefit and work for you.

And talking of you, who could you partner up with?  Is there someone in your sector with whom you could cross-promote? Is there the potential of working together?  Perhaps there is a joint project you could work on as you build trust and become comfortable with each other. When you are both targeting the same client group, it can be more fruitful to combine your efforts.

As Helen Keller said “Alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much.”

Date first

When I worked in the non-profit sector, I had a reputation for bringing people together to collaborate on a project. Agencies didn’t always do so willingly, sometimes there was resistence – mainly because of territorial issues, but bottom line, we were able to find a common ground that made it work. Usually it was because of the clients, and we would pool our resources to better the outcome for them.

I can’t say I have had the same level of success since starting my own business. People are suspicious – always wanting to know what’s in it for them, and questioning why you would want to partner. Were you going to get more out of it? And when I have partnered, it hasn’t always worked out the way I expected.

When I reflect back on my non-profit days, I realize that apart from wanting the best for our clients, the other common factor we shared was our values. We tended to be working in the non-profit sector because we wanted to make a difference. Earning lots of money was never a draw, which is just as well as the salaries were low.

So when I look at the partnerships that haven’t worked, I can see now that part of the reason why, is we didn’t share the same values. We hadn’t taken the time to really get to know one another – to share our values, to discuss our vision of the intended outcome or to agree on goals. If one of you wants to make thousands and the other is happy with a lot less, then problems are bound to arise.

Also when you’re an entrepreneur, one of the reasons you’ve chosen that path is because you want to be in control of your own destiny, so it is not surprising that there are control issues when there are two captains steering the ship, and even more so when there is no real agreement on the end destination!

I’ve written my share of articles on partnerships, and have often joked that I really should read and heed my own advice! Does that mean that I am off partnerships? No. I see real merit in collaboration, in working with like-minded individuals who share a common audience or goal. It actually makes business sense.

But I am more cautious and less likely to get carried away by the excitement of a new idea, a new project. Now I would recommend dating before leaping into a serious business partnership with someone. Work on a mutually beneficial project first, see how it goes and then build on the relationship.