Survey Questions: Partnering/Networking
Definition: Partnering and networking are essential for fostering collaboration, where employees build alliances, expand networks, and form relationships that create opportunities for growth and shared success. Through communication, mutual learning, and exchanges of information, colleagues work across departments and industries to pool resources, pursue common goals, and develop complementary services that drive efficiency and innovation. With a foundation of trust, commitment, and conflict resolution, organizations facilitate cross-functional activities, ensure oversight, and strengthen partnerships that contribute to long-term success.
Builds AlliancesBuilds Alliances focuses on strategically forming partnerships and networks that enhance business operations, strengthen internal cooperation, and expand opportunities. This dimension highlights fostering long-term alliances within departments, across companies, and with complementary organizations to create value and drive mutual success. It prioritizes structured, strategic relationships, ensuring that collaborations serve long-term business goals and organizational synergy.
- My manager balances the strategic interests of those involved to maintain important alliances.
- I feel comfortable developing networks and building alliances.
- Employees in our department develop internal alliances with others in the department.
- Our department creates value within the Company by building networks with other departments and organizations.
- My manager supports strategic alliances to combine strengths of both parties.
- We develop alliances with colleagues at other companies.
- We are encouraged to build alliances with others in the company.
- I feel that our company forms strategic alliances with firms that specialize in areas that are complementary or help the company.
- Our team builds alliances between departments and other teams.
- Leadership in our company forms alliances with complementary organizations to promote business operations.
- We form strategic partnerships and business alliances to expand opportunities.
Partners in the IndustryPartners in the Industry focuses on developing meaningful, long-term partnerships with industry professionals, organizations, and associations to enhance business operations and best practices. This dimension highlights attending industry conferences, fostering connections with senior leaders, collaborating on technology and innovation, and nurturing key contacts within the sector. It prioritizes structured partnerships and industry engagement, ensuring that business relationships drive mutual success and sustained collaboration.
- I am encouraged to develop partnerships with other colleagues in the industry.
- I partner with other organizations to develop new technologies and processes.
- I am an active member of professional associations or professional groups to stay connected with peers.
- I have the freedom to develop partnerships with senior leaders in the company.
- I have attended industry conferences and seminars to meet new contacts and learn from industry leaders.
- My manager develops important government contacts to ensure smooth business operations.
- Our department creates the conditions for partnerships to grow and develop.
- I regularly attend conferences and seminars to meet with others in the industry.
- My manager nurtures partnerships with key individuals in the industry to stay on top of the latest trends and best practices.
- My manager supports a partnering/networking culture.
- Our department networks with other professionals in the industry to understand best practices.
Expands NetworkExpands Network emphasizes actively seeking new connections, broadening outreach, and identifying fresh opportunities for business growth and collaboration. This dimension centers on participating in networking events, leveraging personal contacts, facilitating forums and seminars, and encouraging employees to explore new partnerships. It prioritizes relationship-building and proactive outreach, ensuring that professionals continuously grow their network to unlock new business potential.
- Our department has identified partnerships with overseas companies to expand market opportunities.
- Our company hosts industry events or meetups to bring partners and networks together.
- My manager contacts possible partners to seek new opportunities.
- My manager encourages colleagues to participate in networking opportunities.
- Our department hosts forums, colloquiums, and seminars to share information and ideas.
- My manager uses networks of personal contacts to gain introductions to others who may have valuable information.
- Our department uses networks to create new business opportunities.
- My colleagues willingly participate on committees and project teams.
- My manager expands the network of colleagues to include others who may contribute to our department's success.
- Our department inspires employees to seek out new collaboration opportunities to broaden market reach.
- Our department encourages employees to explore new partnership opportunities to expand market presence.
- I seek opportunities to meet with others.
Contacts with OthersContacts with Others emphasizes establishing and maintaining professional connections that facilitate collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and business development. This dimension centers on engaging with industry contacts, forming relationships across organizational boundaries, participating in networking opportunities, and collaborating with external stakeholders. It prioritizes relationship-building and professional outreach, ensuring that connections are actively cultivated to unlock business growth.
- Employees are encouraged to strengthen the contacts with other departments.
- I can establish collaborative business relationships to unlock and enhance growth opportunities.
- I have developed key business contacts at other companies.
- My manager develops important industry contacts to facilitate business goals.
- Our company invests in other companies to form equity partnerships.
- Colleagues here form collaborative relationships with others.
- Our company collaborates with other companies to inject capital in exchange for equity, fostering growth and expansion for the partner organization.
- Our department participates in roundtables or panel discussions to share insights and gain perspectives.
- My manager seeks opportunities to collaborate across organizational boundaries.
- Our department facilitates the formation of collaborative relationships with suppliers and vendors.
Forms RelationshipsForms Relationships focuses on creating and maintaining strong interpersonal and business relationships across teams, industries, and sectors to foster collaboration. This dimension highlights developing partnerships, engaging with colleagues, supporting diverse connections, organizing team-building activities, and forming beneficial networks with customers and stakeholders. It prioritizes relationship-building and networking, ensuring individuals and teams have a strong foundation for collaboration.
- Colleagues forge mutually beneficial relationships between individuals with diverse backgrounds.
- Our team regularly schedules coffee chats or informal meetups to deepen personal connections.
- Our department provides or participates in joint ventures or co-development projects.
- Our department supports and encourages relationships that are created by diverse team members.
- My manager develops key business relationships with clients/customers.
- My manager maintains a strong track record of networking and partnering.
- I am comfortable working in partnership with colleagues from other departments.
- People in our department develop effective peer to peer working relationships.
- I am able to form strong relationships with customers.
- Our department organizes team-building activities to strengthen bonds between colleagues.
- Our department manages effective partnerships between public, private, and non-profit sectors.
- My manager effectively partners with peers to obtain influence within the Company.
Common Ground/GoalsCommon Ground/Goals emphasizes aligning interests, objectives, and problem-solving efforts to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. This dimension centers on shared goals, active listening, collaborative problem-solving, leveraging core competencies, and working toward common solutions. It prioritizes goal alignment and collective strategy, ensuring partnerships are based on shared interests rather than just relationship-building.
- Our department creates joint initiatives or projects that serve the common interests of all parties.
- Our team leader collaborates effectively with team members to achieve shared objectives and meet collective needs.
- Our department leverages core competencies of partners to the benefit of both parties.
- I capitalize on partnerships and networks to enhance the Company's bottom line.
- Senior leadership finds common ground with a wide range of stakeholders.
- Colleagues works in tandem with other to pursue common goals and needs.
- I engage in collaborative problem-solving to address shared challenges.
- I actively listen to and understand different perspectives to identify common interests.
- I can effectively develop networks with colleagues that have shared interests.
- I can search for a common solution to shared problems or issues.
Exchanges InformationExchanges Information focuses on facilitating the free flow of knowledge, insights, and ideas across departments, companies, and networks to drive innovation and problem-solving. This dimension highlights inter-departmental collaboration, reducing barriers to communication, creating shared knowledge bases, and ensuring that relevant expertise is accessible across teams. It prioritizes knowledge-sharing and transparency, making sure information is readily available for strategic decision-making.
- My manager seeks to reduce institutional roadblocks to information sharing.
- I seek to increase exchanges of information with other companies/colleagues.
- Our department exchanges innovative ideas with others in the peer network.
- Our team creates a shared knowledge base or resource center accessible to all partners.
- Our department facilitates inter-departmental collaboration and information sharing.
- Our department creates an environment that supports information exchange.
- In our department coworkers exchange innovative ideas with a network of colleagues.
- My manager exchanges ideas, resources, plans, and technologies with colleagues.
- In our department we use informal networks to share information.
Pools ResourcesPools Resources emphasizes leveraging partnerships and networks to combine financial, operational, and logistical resources for mutual benefit and efficiency. This dimension centers on aligning efforts, forming joint ventures, collaborating on supply chain strategies, and ensuring partnerships maximize available resources. It prioritizes strategic asset allocation and optimization, ensuring organizations make the most of collective resources to reduce costs and enhance services.
- Our department partners with supply chain companies to enhance availability of resources and material.
- Our company engages in partnerships to share risks and resources.
- I am aware of the location/availability of resources within the network.
- Senior leadership develops networks with other companies to reduce costs and improve services.
- My manager aligns efforts, processes, and resources with partners to maximize strategic opportunities.
- My manager creates strategic partnerships when resources are limited.
- Our department creates joint ventures with others to create new entities to pursue a common goal.
- We engage in partnerships that produce significant results.
Complementary ServicesComplementary Services focuses on building strategic partnerships with external organizations or teams that offer complementary expertise, technology, or resources to create mutual advantages. This dimension highlights identifying compatible partners, sharing intellectual property, leveraging strengths across companies, and fostering innovation through collaboration. It prioritizes external partnerships and synergy, ensuring businesses combine their strengths for shared success.
- Our team engages with partners that offer complimentary services and competencies.
- My manager successfully identifies complementary and compatible strategic partners with colleagues in the industry.
- Our leadership utilizes partners' key strengths to create mutual advantages.
- Our department identifies the right alliance partners with complementary and compatible services and resources.
- Our division provides expertise that may be lacking in other partners or other parts of the network.
- I can work to combine the unique strengths of each partner to develop new products or services.
- Our department shares resources, technology, facilities, or intellectual property to benefit both partners.
Cross-Functional ActivitiesCross-Functional Activities emphasizes internal collaboration among departments and teams to optimize processes, facilitate teamwork, and align organizational objectives. This dimension centers on interdepartmental cooperation, knowledge-sharing, problem-solving across boundaries, and leveraging diverse functional expertise. It prioritizes internal integration and teamwork, ensuring that different business units work together effectively.
- My manager fosters cross-department collaboration, facilitates information sharing, and establishes common objectives.
- Our department engages in cross-functional activities by collaborating across boundaries.
- Our department optimizes processes by leveraging each function's strength.
- Leadership promotes teamwork across departments, encouraging information exchange, and setting common goals.
- Colleagues facilitate cross-functional collaboration and information sharing between various stakeholders.
Mutual LearningMutual Learning focuses on creating environments and opportunities for continuous knowledge exchange, training, and shared skill-building among partners. This dimension highlights fostering open collaboration, organizing workshops, promoting inclusivity in knowledge-sharing, and ensuring lessons from partnerships are leveraged for collective growth. It prioritizes development and learning, ensuring individuals and teams benefit from shared expertise.
- Our company promotes a culture of open collaboration, offering ample opportunities and incentives for knowledge sharing and mutual learning.
- Our department nurtures a collaborative and inclusive environment that encourages knowledge sharing and continuous learning.
- My manager engages in collaborative training sessions or workshops to build skills across organizations.
- My manager creates opportunities and incentives for employees to learn and share knowledge with others.
- Our team ensures that lessons learned from the partnership are disseminated and built upon.
CommunicationCommunication focuses on facilitating open, ongoing dialogue and ensuring information flows effectively between individuals, teams, and organizations. This dimension highlights maintaining regular check-ins, promoting transparent discussions, supporting collaboration across departments, and fostering clarity in interactions. It prioritizes effective exchange of ideas and alignment, ensuring individuals stay connected and informed.
- Colleagues communicate with others in an open manner.
- The supervisor establishes regular check-ins to ensure alignment and address any emerging issues.
- Our department facilitates communication with others in the company.
- My manager supports communication channels with colleagues in the industry.
- Team members engage in continuous dialogue through regular meetings or virtual meetups.
- Senior leaders here support communication and collaboration with other leaders in the industry.
- I involve others in communications about any changing process.
Workflow
- Our department collaborates with other departments to streamline and improve workflow efficiency.
- The supervisor networks with others in the company to better understand the workflows and operational requirements.
- I am able to use new techniques and procedures learned through established networks of professionals.
- My manager synchronizes efforts, processes, and resources with partners to enhance strategic opportunities.
- My manager willingly collaborates with others to accomplish goals and objectives.
- I maintain a network of partners and suppliers to facilitate global operations.
- My colleagues network with clients to determine improvements in operations.
UnderstandingUnderstanding emphasizes analyzing, assessing, and comprehending the deeper implications of partnerships, risks, and strategic alignments. This dimension centers on fostering curiosity, performing SWOT analyses, assessing risks and rewards, and ensuring leadership can explain and justify collaborations effectively. It prioritizes critical awareness and strategic assessment, ensuring organizations make informed decisions based on comprehensive insights.
- My manager promotes awareness of interests in partnerships and networks.
- This department's leader understands the potential implications of the partnership.
- I know how to perform a SWOT analyses (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) of the partnership's potential outcomes.
- The department chair promotes an understanding of how the department affects the organization overall.
- Senior leadership understands the potential risks/rewards of the partnership.
- Senior leadership can easily explain the foundations (justification) for the partnership.
- Employees are curious and seek an understanding of diverse functions within the Company.
- Our team leader is able to highlight both the strategic benefits and potential pitfalls in collaboration.
- I can perform a risk assessment to show a balanced view of the partnership's potential outcomes.
Trust and CommitmentTrust and Commitment emphasizes building strong, lasting relationships by fostering credibility, mutual respect, and fairness in partnerships. This dimension centers on establishing trust, ensuring equitable treatment, reinforcing integrity within networks, and strengthening long-term commitments among collaborators. It prioritizes relationship depth and reliability, making sure partnerships are rooted in trust rather than just information sharing.
- Employee in our department build trust with colleagues at other companies to form partnerships to promote growth.
- The supervisor guarantees equitable and fair treatment for all network participants.
- I ensure that all participants in the network are treated fairly and equitably.
- My manager develops trust in others to form partnerships and networks.
- Our manager develops a sense of trust in subordinates so they can freely interact and share information with others.
- I facilitate open and honest communication to build trust and mutual respect.
- My manager builds trust with colleagues and coworkers.
Conflict Resolution
- Employees participate in conflict resolution to find mutually beneficial solutions.
- My manager actively prevents conflicts by identifying issues early and resolving them promptly.
- My colleagues seek to avoid conflicts by clarifying problems early on and working quickly to resolve those issues.
- The supervisor proactively addresses potential conflicts by identifying and resolving problems swiftly.
Oversight
- Our department has established appropriate monitoring of activities in the network.
- My manager implements effective oversight of network activities.
- Our department maintains the infrastructure needed to support partnerships and networks.
- Senior leadership establishes clear expectations at the start of a new partnership.