Give & Give

Some thoughts on partnership, and eliminating the word ‘take.’

I was thinking about the idea of partnership today and what it really means — in business, in relationships, and in life.. Some people like to explain partnership as a ‘give and take’ relationship. You give something, and you take something.

I prefer to think of partnership as a Give & Give relationship. You give something, and the other party gives something. It may seem like a small and insignificant difference, but notice that it eliminates the use of a truly ugly word: take.

Look at it this way: in order for me to give, the other party has to play their part. They have to receive what I’m giving them. In order for them to give, I, too, have to receive.

Semantics? Sure. But it’s also a mindset. If you’re trying to take something from the other person you’re supposedly partnering with, you’re approaching the idea of partnership all wrong. You can go to the grocery store, give them $3, and take a dozen eggs from the fridge, but you haven’t entered into a partnership with the supermarket. You’ve just transacted.

In a partnership, both sides should be focused not on what they can take, or ‘get,’ but on what value they can give to the other. Not only will this help strengthen the relationship, but you’ll know if you’ve chosen your partner wisely. If what you give and what they give naturally have the same value, that’s a great partnership to be involved in. If, however, they’re more focused on getting the most out of you for the least amount of money/time/effort, that says something.

Finding someone you can give to knowing that they’ll give the same back isn’t easy, but to me, THAT’S partnership. And when you find it, you’ll know it.