The best advice for your effective partnership

This month we’ve been exploring the key ingredients of effective partnerships. In this edition, three professionals in the BeyondMe movement give their advice for keeping your eye on the end goal.

Our contributors

Harry is a Forensic Accountant for RGL Forensics and is currently working with the Human Rights organisation, Reprieve. Read about what Harry and his team is working on here.

Emily is a Forensic Data Analyst at PwC and recently finished a partnership with the charity, Minority Rights Group. Her BeyondMe Team supported them by creating a more strategic and systematic approach to partnership management.

Corey is a Tax Analyst from Deloitte and recently finished her partnership with South London Cares, a community network of young professionals and older neighbours hanging out and helping one another in our rapidly changing city.

So what are the key signs that a partnership is going really well?

H “Good communication is a really good sign. It shows that both sides are engaged, there’s momentum in the project and it means that there is a clear desire to move forward together.”

E”When the relationship is two way. So although we are providing a service to the charity, they were keen to offer opportunities for us to learn by sharing their news, hosting events to share documentaries and welcoming us to visit worldwide locations of the charity if we were travelling.”

C”Frequent, open and honest communication.”

We know that partnerships go through tough times, how should they deal with failure?

H”Quickly and honestly. The faster you realise you are on the wrong path, the less time you waste, the less harm is done and the quicker you can get back on track. It’s also important to address the core reasons why something failed to make sure mistakes aren’t repeated.”

E”Being open and honest, we were unable to meet some deliverables due to team availability but we were open and offered alternative options rather than trying to avoid the area.”

C”I think groups should talk about it openly with each other and with the charity if they are open to it. And try again either with the same charity or with a different one.”

From your experience working in both a professional and voluntary capacity, how does that customer-supplier relationship differ in both contexts?

H”Instead of an organisation prioritising making money, voluntary partnerships involve organisations driven by values and missions. This means that there can be a lot more avenues and outcomes when working in a voluntary partnership that can all be seen as successful.”

E”It’s a more personal, more bespoke service in a voluntary partnership.”

C”We speak more candidly with each other. With this mutual respect for each other, we know we have to be honest and confront any issues head on and quickly so we can achieve the task ahead.”

And to finish off, what is the best piece of advice you’ve had to help build effective partnerships?

H”Identify a clear objective that your partner wants to achieve. A useful general measuring stick is whether this overall objective can be broken down into ‘SMART’ goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). If so, you’ve found a good problem for your team to solve. If not, it might be worthwhile to reassess what the problem you are trying to solve and make sure it is well defined and clear.”

E”Build a rapport with the client. As we were volunteering we took the time to organise socials and get to know members of the charity on a more personal level.”

C”Find a committed team, establish a clear vision, have weekly meetings and understand what it is your charity actually needs from your BeyondMe team.”

A huge thank you to Harry, Emily and Corey for taking their time to share their thoughts. They exemplify the spirit of partnership, combining resources, and acting collectively to support charities through long-term relationships.

Make a more meaningful contribution to society’s toughest challenges→www.BeyondMe.org