Partnering/Networking - Competency
Definition: Partnering/Networking is the strategic process of building alliances, expanding professional networks, and forming meaningful relationships to create opportunities and drive collaborative success. It involves aligning resources, exchanging information, fostering mutual learning, and engaging in cross-functional activities to streamline workflow while maintaining trust, commitment, and clear communication. Through effective collaboration, organizations and individuals establish common ground, define agreements, resolve conflicts, and ensure oversight in partnerships that maximize shared strengths and industry impact.
360-Feedback Surveys Measuring Partnering/Networking:
Survey 1 (4-point scale; Competency Comments)
Survey 2 (4-point scale; Competency Comments)
Survey 3 (5-point scale; Competency Comments)
Survey 4 (5-point scale; radio buttons)
Survey 5 (4-point scale; words)
Survey 6 (4-point scale; words)
Survey 7 (5-point scale; competency comments; N/A)
Survey 8 (3-point scale; Agree/Disagree words; N/A)
Survey 9 (3-point scale; Strength/Development; N/A)
Survey 10 (Comment boxes only)
Survey 11 (Single rating per competency)
Survey 12 (Slide-bar scale)
Survey 13 (4-point scale; numbers; floating anchors)
Survey 14 (4-point scale; N/A)
Self-Comments: Do you have to complete a self-assessment or performance appraisal? If so, the
self-comments here may help.
What is Partnering/Networking?
Partnering/Networking is a strategic process that enables organizations and individuals to build meaningful connections, foster collaboration, and create mutually beneficial opportunities. Through alliances, industry partnerships, and expanded networks, businesses can strengthen their presence in the market, access new opportunities, and develop critical relationships with key stakeholders. Establishing common goals, exchanging information, and forming relationships within and outside an organization help ensure that partnerships are aligned with strategic objectives, driving collective success.
Beyond relationship-building, partnering and networking involve practical collaboration through resource pooling, complementary services, and cross-functional activities. Organizations leverage partnerships to share expertise, optimize operations, and improve workflow efficiency, ensuring that joint efforts yield the highest possible value. Open communication, mutual learning, and trust play fundamental roles in sustaining effective partnerships, allowing companies to grow together while mitigating risks and challenges through proactive conflict resolution and oversight.
Successful partnerships and networks require clear agreements, defined expectations, and a commitment to long-term collaboration. Understanding the strategic benefits and potential pitfalls of partnerships allows businesses to navigate challenges with agility, ensuring sustainable growth and operational success. By embracing a culture of networking and collaboration, organizations can unlock new business opportunities, foster innovation, and drive industry-wide advancements that position them for continued success in an evolving marketplace. Why are Partnering/Networking skills important?
Partnering and Networking enables companies and individuals to access new opportunities, resources, and markets that they might not reach on their own. Building strong relationships through alliances and collaborations fosters innovation, efficiency, growth, and may yield future benefits if you need to rely on these relationships in the future. These skills help managers leverage diverse strengths, share risks, and create enterprises that drive competitive advantage and business success. What are key aspects of Partnering/Networking?
Key aspects of partnering/networking include:- Building Alliances
- Finding Partners in Industry
- Expanding Your Network
- Forming Relationships
- Finding Common Ground
- Exchanging Information
- Pooling Resources
- Complementary Services
How can I improve Partnering/Networking skills?
- Build Alliances: Actively seek opportunities for cross-functional collaboration and engaging in regular, meaningful communication with key stakeholders. Focus your efforts on understanding and aligning the strategic interests of all parties involved, fostering mutual trust, and leveraging complementary strengths for shared success.
- Partnering with others: Look for opportunities to collaborate with others, such as joint projects and initiatives, and engaging in consistent, meaningful communication with industry peers. Additionally, stay current with industry trends by participating in relevant conferences, seminars, and professional groups to enhance your network and expertise.
- Expand your Network: Try to attend industry events and meetups to broaden your contact base. Be an active participant in professional associations and online forums to stay connected with peers. Foster a culture of collaboration within your team by encouraging colleagues to engage in networking activities and share their insights. Leverage your own personal contacts to gain introductions and create new business opportunities, and make it a habit to follow up with new connections to nurture relationships.
360-Feedback questions that measure Teamwork
Builds AlliancesBuilds Alliances emphasizes internal and external strategic relationships aimed at fostering collaboration and business synergy. This dimension is concerned with forming alliances within a company (across departments and teams) and externally with complementary organizations to strengthen operations and expand opportunities. It involves balancing strategic interests, building long-term trust, and actively supporting the development of mutually beneficial partnerships that enhance business operations
- Creates value within the Company by building networks.
- Builds alliances between departments and teams.
- Supports strategic alliances to combine strengths of both parties.
- Develops alliances with colleagues at other companies.
- Forms strategic partnerships and business alliances to expand opportunities.
- Builds alliances with others in the company.
- Balances the strategic interests of those involved to maintain alliances.
- Forms strategic alliances with firms that specialize in areas that are complementary or help the company.
- Develops networks and builds alliances.
- Forms alliances with complementary organizations to promote business operations.
- Develops internal alliances with others in the department.
Partners in the IndustryPartners in the Industry focuses on external, industry-wide networking and collaboration beyond an individual company's internal alliances. This dimension is about engaging with professionals, industry leaders, government contacts, and associations to stay informed on trends, best practices, and innovations. It also involves attending conferences, joining professional groups, and developing partnerships that drive industry-wide influence, thought leadership, and technological advancements.
- Creates the conditions for partnerships to grow and develop.
- Supports a partnering/networking culture.
- Attends industry conferences and seminars to meet new contacts and learn from industry leaders.
- Develops important government contacts to ensure smooth business operations.
- Reinforces the contacts with other organizations.
- Is an active member of professional associations or professional groups to stay connected with peers.
- Develops partnerships with senior leaders in the company.
- Regularly attends conferences and seminars to meet with others in the industry.
- Partners with other organizations to develop new technologies and processes.
- Nurtures partnerships with key individuals in the industry to stay on top of the latest trends and best practices.
- Develops partnerships with other colleagues in the industry.
- Networks with other professionals in the industry to understand best practices.
Expands NetworkExpands Network is focused on broadening professional and organizational connections by actively seeking new partnerships and networking opportunities. This dimension is about building relationships across different industries, departments, and organizations to create business opportunities, enhance collaboration, and foster professional growth. It involves hosting events, making introductions, leveraging existing networks, and encouraging others to expand their outreach for organizational benefit.
- Seeks opportunities to meet with others.
- Inspires employees to seek out new collaboration opportunities to broaden market reach.
- Hosts forums, colloquiums, and seminars to share information and ideas.
- Expands network of colleagues to include others who may contribute to the department's success.
- Uses networks of personal contacts to gain introductions to others who may have valuable information.
- Identifies partnerships with overseas companies to expand market opportunities.
- Contacts possible partners to seek new opportunities.
- Uses networks to create new business opportunities.
- Hosts industry events or meetups to bring partners and networks together.
- Encourages colleagues to participate in networking opportunities.
- Encourages employees to explore new partnership opportunities to expand market presence.
- Willingly participates on committees and project teams.
Contacts with OthersContacts with Others is more transactional and strategic in nature, emphasizing business-oriented connections that drive organizational growth and collaboration. This dimension focuses on building networks across companies, industries, and departments, facilitating business opportunities, investments, and joint ventures. It often involves developing key business contacts, participating in industry discussions, and strengthening collaborative partnerships that help organizations expand influence and operational success
- Develops key business contacts at other companies.
- Facilitates the formation of collaborative relationships with suppliers and vendors.
- Collaborates with other companies to inject capital in exchange for equity, fostering growth and expansion for the partner organization.
- Seeks opportunities to collaborate across organizational boundaries.
- Forms collaborative relationships with others.
- Develops important industry contacts to facilitate business goals.
- Participates in roundtables or panel discussions to share insights and gain perspectives.
- Invests in other companies to form equity partnerships.
- Strengthens the contacts with other departments.
- Establishes collaborative business relationships to unlock and enhance growth opportunities.
Forms RelationshipsForms Relationships focuses on interpersonal connection and sustained partnership-building within and outside an organization. This dimension is more relationship-driven and centered on peer collaboration, customer engagement, and professional networking beyond immediate business transactions. It includes mentorship, team-building activities, and fostering diverse relationships, ensuring partnerships are long-lasting and built on mutual trust rather than just strategic alignment.
- Forges mutually beneficial relationships between individuals with diverse backgrounds.
- Partners with peers to obtain influence within the Company.
- Supports and encourages relationships that are created by diverse team members.
- Regularly schedules coffee chats or informal meetups to deepen personal connections.
- Organizing team-building activities to strengthen bonds between colleagues.
- Provides or participates in joint ventures or co-development projects.
- Is comfortable working in partnership with colleagues from other departments.
- Develops key business relationships with clients/customers.
- Manages effective partnerships between public, private, and non-profit sectors.
- Utilizes contacts to build and strengthen internal support bases.
- Develops effective peer to peer working relationships.
- Forms strong relationships with customers.
- Maintains a strong track record of networking and partnering.
Common Ground/GoalsCommon Ground/Goals emphasizes deepening partnerships through alignment of interests and objectives. Instead of simply expanding connections, this dimension is concerned with collaboration, shared problem-solving, and ensuring that relationships are built on mutual understanding and common goals. It involves active listening, strategic collaboration, and leveraging complementary strengths to create win-win partnerships that serve all parties involved.
- Capitalizes on partnerships and networks to enhance the Company's bottom line.
- Creates joint initiatives or projects that serve the common interests of all parties.
- Actively listens to understand different perspectives and identify common interests.
- Works in tandem with colleagues to pursue common goals and needs.
- Searches for a common solution to shared problems or issues.
- Finds common ground with a wide range of stakeholders.
- Leverages core competencies of partners to the benefit of both parties.
- Collaborates effectively with team members to achieve shared objectives and meet collective needs.
- Engages in collaborative problem-solving to address shared challenges.
- Effectively develops networks with colleagues that have shared interests.
Exchanges InformationExchanges Information is centered on the flow and accessibility of knowledge, ensuring that ideas, resources, technologies, and best practices are shared across individuals, teams, and organizations. This dimension focuses on reducing barriers to information exchange, creating shared knowledge hubs, and fostering open communication channels that enhance collective learning and innovation. It includes both formal exchanges (such as structured collaboration platforms) and informal networks (like casual discussions that lead to knowledge-sharing).
- Seeks to reduce institutional roadblocks to information sharing.
- Creates a shared knowledge base or resource center accessible to all partners.
- Facilitates inter-departmental collaboration and information sharing.
- Seeks to increase exchanges of information with other companies/colleagues.
- Uses informal networks to share information.
- Creates an environment that supports information exchange.
- Exchanges innovative ideas with a network of colleagues.
- Exchanges ideas, resources, plans, and technologies with colleagues.
- Exchanges innovative ideas with others in the network.
Pools ResourcesPools Resources is centered on shared resource allocation and risk management, where organizations or teams collaborate to combine financial, logistical, or operational assets to optimize efficiency. This dimension is focused on creating strategic partnerships, reducing costs, enhancing supply chain access, and maximizing the availability of essential resources. The emphasis is on leveraging networks to strengthen operational capacity, particularly in situations where resources are limited or shared investments are required to achieve common goals.
- Creates strategic partnerships when resources are limited.
- Engages in partnerships that produce significant results.
- Aligns efforts, processes, and resources with partners to maximize strategic opportunities.
- Is aware of the location/availability of resources within the network.
- Partners with supply chain companies to enhance availability of resources and material.
- Creates joint ventures with others to create new entities to pursue a common goal.
- Engages in partnerships to share risks and resources.
- Develops networks with other companies to reduce costs and improve services.
Complementary ServicesComplementary Services focuses on forming alliances based on specialized expertise and service offerings rather than just resource-sharing. This dimension identifies partnerships where each party brings unique competencies to the table, ensuring that services, technology, or intellectual property enhance mutual capabilities. Rather than pooling the same type of resources, this approach is about combining different strengths to create new opportunities, develop innovative solutions, and improve overall competitiveness.
- Engages with partners that offer complementary services and competencies.
- Works to combine the unique strengths of each partner to develop new products or services.
- Successfully identifies complementary and compatible strategic partners with colleagues in the industry.
- Provides expertise that may be lacking in other partners or other parts of the network.
- Utilizes partners' key strengths to create mutual advantages.
- Shares resources, technology, facilities, or intellectual property to benefit both partners.
- Identifies the right alliance partners with complementary and compatible services and resources.
Cross-Functional ActivitiesCross-Functional Activities goes beyond information exchange to actively engage in collaborative efforts across different functions, teams, and departments. It emphasizes coordinating work across organizational boundaries, leveraging diverse expertise, and optimizing processes to achieve shared goals. This dimension supports strategic problem-solving, interdepartmental cooperation, and the alignment of objectives across different business functions to enhance efficiency and innovation.
- Fosters cross-department collaboration, facilitates information sharing, and establishes common objectives.
- Promotes teamwork across departments, encouraging information exchange, and setting common goals.
- Engages in cross-functional activities by collaborating across boundaries.
- Optimizes processes by leveraging each function's strength.
- Facilitates cross-functional collaboration and information sharing between various stakeholders.
Mutual LearningMutual Learning emphasizes continuous knowledge exchange and skill development between individuals or organizations. It fosters a culture of open collaboration by providing training sessions, workshops, and shared learning environments where employees and partners can build competencies together. The goal is to encourage innovation, promote inclusivity, and ensure lessons from partnerships are widely disseminated to improve collective performance.
- Engages in collaborative training sessions or workshops to build skills across organizations.
- Ensures that lessons learned from the partnership are disseminated and built upon.
- Nurtures a collaborative and inclusive environment that encourages knowledge sharing and continuous learning.
- Promotes a culture of open collaboration, offering ample opportunities and incentives for knowledge sharing and mutual learning.
- Creates opportunities and incentives for employees to learn and share knowledge with others.
CommunicationCommunication revolves around open dialogue, information exchange, and maintaining strong connections between individuals, teams, and industry leaders. It ensures that updates, expectations, and collaborative insights are consistently shared through meetings, virtual discussions, check-ins, and ongoing conversations. The goal is to keep stakeholders informed, aligned, and engaged, fostering a culture of transparency and responsiveness across departments and organizations.
- Maintains communication channels with colleagues in the industry.
- Involves others in communications about any changing process.
- Communicates with others in an open manner.
- Facilitates communication with others in the company.
- Engages in continuous dialogue through regular meetings or virtual meetups.
- Supports communication and collaboration with other leaders in the industry.
- Establishes regular check-ins to ensure alignment and address any emerging issues.
WorkflowWorkflow focuses on the operational and collaborative processes that drive efficiency. Rather than just exchanging information, this dimension ensures that resources, tasks, and strategies are synchronized to optimize performance. It involves cross-functional collaboration, process improvement, supply chain coordination, and strategic resource management, enabling teams to streamline execution and enhance productivity.
- Collaborates with others to accomplish goals and objectives.
- Networks with clients to determine improvements in operations.
- Networks with others in the company to better understand the workflows and operational requirements.
- Synchronizes efforts, processes, and resources with partners to enhance strategic opportunities.
- Plans and engages resources to the partnership effort while monitoring and evaluating progress and achievements.
- Maintains a network of partners and suppliers to facilitate global operations.
- Shares and develops cutting-edge ideas with a network of colleagues, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
- Collaborates with other departments to streamline and improve workflow efficiency.
- Uses new techniques and procedures learned through established networks of professionals.
UnderstandingUnderstanding focuses on awareness, strategic evaluation, and alignment rather than direct knowledge-sharing. This dimension ensures that stakeholders grasp the broader organizational impact of partnerships, assess potential risks and rewards, and conduct evaluations such as SWOT analyses to guide decision-making. Understanding involves highlighting both benefits and challenges, explaining the justification behind collaborations, and ensuring informed, strategic participation in partnerships.
- Seeks an understanding of diverse functions within the Company.
- Promotes the understanding of how the department affects the organization overall.
- Understands the potential risks/rewards of the partnership.
- Can perform a risk assessment to show a balanced view of the partnership's potential outcomes.
- Can easily explain the foundations (justification) for the partnership.
- Understands the potential implications of the partnership.
- Promotes awareness of interests in partnerships and networks.
- Can perform a SWOT analyses (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) of the partnership's potential outcomes.
- Able to highlight both the strategic benefits and potential pitfalls in collaboration.
Trust and Commitment
- Develops a sense of trust in subordinates so they can freely interact and share information with others.
- Builds trust with colleagues at other companies to form partnerships to promote growth.
- Ensures all participants in the network are treated fairly and equitably.
- Strives to cultivate and maintain a partnership based on trust and commitment in relationships.
- Builds trust with colleagues and coworkers.
- Aims to foster and sustain relationships rooted in trust and commitment.
- Develops trust in others to form partnerships and networks.
- Strives to cultivate and sustain trustful and committed relationships with all partners.
- Guarantees equitable and fair treatment for all network participants.
- Facilitates open and honest communication to build trust and mutual respect.
Conflict Resolution
- Participates in conflict resolution to find mutually beneficial solutions.
- Proactively addresses potential conflicts by identifying and resolving problems swiftly.
- Seeks to avoid conflicts by clarifying problems early on and working quickly to resolve those issues.
- Actively prevents conflicts by identifying issues early and resolving them promptly.
Oversight
- Maintains infrastructure to support partnerships and networks.
- Establishes clear expectations at the start of a new partnership.
- Defines a partnering strategy for identifying and selecting a partner.
- Establishes appropriate monitoring of activities in the network.
- Implements effective oversight of network activities.
Agreements
- Enters into licensing agreements to share intellectual property.
- Sustains existing partnerships guided by contracts and agreements.