The Partnership Business

Business partnership is a new way of working for many in OD and HR and it can feel both exciting and challenging. I’ve found through experience that the nature of this relationship and what it looks like, who does what, what makes it work well in practice etc. is influenced by a range of factors beyond formal job descriptions. These include implicit expectations of one-another (‘this is the part I believe I/you should play); historical experience (‘this is how we’ve always done it in the past’); interests, preferences and skills of each person (‘this is what I can/would like to contribute’); capacities of each person to deliver (‘this is what I have time/expertise to do’); quality of relationship (‘you understand me/I can trust you’).

Confusion, frustration or misunderstanding can arise if different parties carry different implicit assumptions or expectations about one-anothers’ roles, responsibilities etc. The models or paradigms sketched out below are intended therefore as tools to help surface similarities and differences by asking, ‘is this how you see my/your role?’, ‘which aspects of this work best for us?’, ‘what should we each do more of, less of or differently?’, ‘what would make the biggest improvements in the future?’ etc. The models are not mutually exclusive and the OD/HR professional may need to flow between models depending on circumstances - and contract accordingly.

Model 1: Internal consultant (performance coach)

OD/HR role: consultant, coach, mentor to leader. Focus: develop leader’s capacity to achieve his or her goals. Relational modality: ‘transformational’. Features: listens, questions, challenges, advises.

"You [leader] are responsible for good people leadership, management and development in your part of the organisation. Partnership means bringing my [OD/HR] knowledge and expertise to bear alongside yours to help you make wise decisions and to succeed. I will help you identify key issues that you would do well to bear in mind and, as appropriate, offer you challenge, guidance and advice. Unless there are legal, ethical or policy issues that are compelling or prohibitive, the final decision will ordinarily be yours as line-leader/manager. I bring three key contributions to the table: my consulting, coaching and mentoring capabilities; my expertise in the OD/HR field (e.g. change leadership and performance development); my knowledge and relationships within and outside of the organisation. I have three interrelated goals in mind: to help you understand and address the issues, challenges and opportunities you face; to ensure a wise and successful outcome for the organisation; to build your capacity to understand and deal with similar issues in the future."

Model 2: Co-leader (joint stakeholder)

OD/HR role: joint leader/stakeholder with leader. Focus: ensure OD/HR and leader achieve shared or complementary goals. Relational modality: ‘transfunctional’. Features: listens, proposes, negotiates, decides.

"We [leader and OD/HR] hold shared responsibility for good people leadership, management and development in your part of the organisation. Partnership means pooling our knowledge and expertise to achieve a better outcome than either of us could achieve on our own. We will each bring our own agenda and contribution to the table: e.g. personal style, vision and values; roles and responsibilities; group/team goals; knowledge of key issues; professional experience and expertise; proposals for the way forward. We will draw on these to learn from each other and agree the way forward. We will take shared ownership of issues and actions as joint stakeholders. I have three interrelated goals in mind: to work with you to understand and address the issues, challenges and opportunities we both face; to find mutual solutions that satisfy our respective goals and responsibilities; to ensure a wise and successful outcome for the organisation."

Model 3: Service provider (task supporter)

OD/HR role: service provider for leader. Focus: resource leader to achieve his or her goals. Relational modality: ‘transactional’. Features: listens, offers, informs, provides.

"You [leader] are responsible for good people leadership, management and development in your part of the organisation. Partnership means providing you with practical support by doing tasks that you don’t have the time or technical expertise to do (e.g. recruitment processes, drawing up contracts). My [OD/HR] role is to supplement your work and thereby release you to focus on other tasks. The focus of our relationship is on achieving people-related tasks that you identify as priority in a timely and efficient manner. I will provide you with technical information and advice where it is appropriate (e.g. in areas of policy or procedure) and be willing to intervene directly in situations where you believe my expertise could be most usefully deployed (e.g. personal development, mediating conflict). I have two goals in mind: to ensure that people-related tasks are accomplished according to policy and good practice; that you are released to work on higher priorities."