10 rules for sustainability partnerships
TRANSCRIPT
RULES FOR SUSTAINABILITY PARTNERSHIPS10
”THE ISSUES WE FACE ARE SO BIG AND THE TARGETS ARE SO CHALLENGING THAT WE CANNOT DO IT ALONE. WHEN YOU LOOK AT ANY ISSUE, SUCH AS FOOD OR WATER SCARCITY, IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT NO INDIVIDUAL INSTITUTION, GOVERNMENT OR COMPANY CAN PROVIDE THE SOLUTION.“
PAUL POLMAN, CEO, UNILEVER
AROUND 50% OF PARTNERSHIPS ARE NOT SUCCESSFUL
1. PARTNER WITH PURPOSE Partnerships should make you able to achieve something you can’t achieve on your own. Partnerships should never be the parking lot for difficult CSR-agendas better solved alone.
2. FIND THE SWEET SPOT Senior leadership support might give you a heads start - but unless you find a sweet spot for the participating managers you will fail. Make sure to find a sweet spot/overlap between core strategic priorities of the partners.
3. SET FEW BUT AMBITIOUS GOALS Many stakeholders often result in cluttered goals and reporting. Set few but ambitious goals that will aspire people for change.
4. CONTRIBUTE WITH MORE THAN MONEY No partnership can run on money alone. Only by leaning in you will harvest the real benefits of a partnership.
5. PASSION IS KEY
You can prepare, plan and make strategies, but in the end it always comes down to people. A partnership needs people who would die in a ditch for what the partnership is trying to achieve.
6. DEDICATE THE RIGHT PEOPLE If a partnerships is strategic, staff it like it like it is strategic - with people from relevant business units - not just the CSR department!
7. GET BEYOND THE USUAL SUSPECTS Unconventional partners will bring new perspectives and spur innovation. Watch out for the usual suspects when forming partnerships.
8. BE A CATALYST Some of most effective partnerships are the ones that map, connect and embrace existing initiatives - rather than conquer them. This is especially true when it comes to systemic challenges.
9. BE FLEXIBLE IN DEFINING SUCCESS Even a focused partnership with few and clear goal will produce unexpected value for partners. Be open for surprises and calibrate your measures of success.
10. SHARE THE LOVE You can achieve amazing things together if you are able to step back and let other people step into the limelight.
