The topic of partnerships is often raised during our courses. Strategic alliances are becoming increasingly popular as businesses are expected to deliver a broader scope of service to their clients. Any association formed for mutual benefit requires of both parties that they develop an effective partnership. Too little time is spent defining what makes a partnership successful and how to measure its success. The closer partners become, for example in professional services firms, the more important it becomes to clarify how the value of partners is determined. Without such clarity, partnership politics come into play and this can cause irreversible damage to any alliance. Is a partner judged purely based on revenue or does the assessment include other contributions, for example to knowledge development, cooperation with internal and external stakeholders and greater client loyalty?

Janet Poot