Hardwiring Accountability

From my experience, most strategic alliances and teaming done in the OD/OE space are temporary coalitions and suffer from a lack of commitment to building a company and brand that creates a durable and sustaining organization. In addition, two downsides of strategic alliances are equity and governance issues. Who owns the intellectual property of the alliance? What equity is being build that can eventually be sold? How are important decisions made in service of growing the entity so that lasting value is being built. Not just per diem or “subject matter” experts bank accounts being enhanced? 

What most independents yearn for, in my opinion, is to be part of a team and have colleagues with whom they are not competing with to be able to learn, share, coach and be coached and grow professionally. It is fairly easy to go out secure work and have a job. It is more challenging to be part of an organization and be committed to growing it and being rewarded from its ongoing success.

Most sole practitioners need more lead development. While it remains a reality that we as professionals are primarily responsible for generating our own business, it is important to explore business models and structures where incentives exist to refer business to others and to team-up in the delivery of work. A community where it’s to every team member’s mutual advantage to support the other in both business development and practice development.

After years of trying strategic alliances these models have come up short as a solution for long term teaming in the OD/OE space. In my opinion and experience, without real commitment and skin-in-the-game, strategic alliances are a shallow model for teaming in the long run. Check out our alternative to strategic alliances: Knowing Point Partnership.