Willingness to partner

"The benefits of working with others are recognised; may include shared services, partnership to join-up public services, commercial partnerships"

Working with partners is like a marriage. Like marriages they are good when they are good and disastrous when they go wrong. Each party needs to know what they are getting into, what each other's expectations are, and above all be committed to making it work. ‘Marry in haste, repent at leisure’. Getting it right in the first place is strongly advised.

Selecting the right partner is crucial. Often those most closely involved are least able to spot fundamental incompatibility. Then you need a common vision. Setting the vision is often helped by an outside party moderating the process – that way the process begins in the way it has to continue: fairly.