Article Abstract
In the second installment of a
two-part series -see first part below-, the author follows up his advice for client-side researchers
selecting new research partners and discusses how to bring the supplier into
the fold and manage and monitor the relationship.
In my first article (see below), I shared the selection process
I used to bring on new research partners during my time as a corporate
researcher. But selecting the right partner is only half of the battle! The
onboarding process is a one-time-only chance to motivate your new business
partner. I've always believed that having motivated, challenged and happy
partner teams makes a big difference.
I'm sure on the
supplier side, clients have reputations and I always wanted my account to be
one that the most talented people want to work on. So I would use the
onboarding process to show the partner company that we were excited to work
with them and were asking for - and expecting - a full contribution of their
expertise.
Intelligent but naïve force
Careful
consideration should be given to how the onboarding is done, what information
is shared and who will be involved. We are enveloped in our categories and
brands all the time and, as discussed earlier, the partner is coming in to the
situation as an intelligent - but naïve - force. Often, observations the
partner has early in the relationship can help you see your business situation
in a fresh way.
Of course, prior to the onboarding you can ask the partner firm what questions
they have and what they would like to see. If the new partner is going to work
with existing partners, it's a good idea to have representatives of the other
firms there as well, if it makes sense and can be done efficiently.
The ingredients of a quality onboarding include:
- · Meeting all the critical stakeholders. This can be done during the onboarding meetings and socially, if schedules permit. Bonus points for including senior-level stakeholders.
- · Providing industry, business and brand background. Don't forget to define industry jargon and acronyms!
- · Crystallizing business issues and challenges you'll face. Most companies have a lot of data and information that could be shared but focusing on the most relevant information is a good place to start.
- · Defining success for the work and the relationship. Most of my partners were proactive in asking my team this, as it is critical to the health and success of the relationship but make sure you're clear on what success is. During the session you can define partner evaluation criteria and frequency of evaluation.
- · Sharing the company's cultural values (e.g., communication style, decision-making process, timing of requests, how a work day is defined, etc.).
- · Holding an initial work-plan development session. Spell out a few choice wins to focus on in the first 90 days.
- · Having fun! This is the beginning of a new relationship. There is no baggage and the two entities should work on becoming a team.
On track for success
Once the work has
begun and the partner has all of the necessary information to move forward with
the project, there are ongoing performance- and relationship-monitoring
practices, such as formal reviews, that can ensure the work and the partnership
are on track for success.
Formal check-in at 90 days
At 90 days, you
will have worked together long enough to do a progress evaluation. If there are
things that need improvement, it is early enough to course-correct. If at all
possible, this formal check-in should be done outside of the client environment
and as a standalone meeting. In my experience, it is less effective to have a
check-in as part of a larger series of meetings. It should be a discrete event
- not an agenda item.
As always, the more specific the discussion, the better. Generalities don't add
a lot of value and can confuse issues. The most senior people on both sides
should be the main participants. Here are a few things to discuss:
- · Is the work going as planned? What are the surprises (good and bad)?
- · Is the client giving the partner what they need?
- · Is the partner staying within budget?
- · Is scope manageable or creeping?
- · Are the wins being achieved?
Six-month formal review
The focus of this
meeting should be to follow up on the 90-day topics. After a full six months,
both sides should have a clear idea of what is working and what is not, as well
as what is changing in the environment that will impact the rest of the year.
Based on the discussion at this stage, the annual review should not contain any
surprises for either side.
Annual review
This review should
be a formal, in-person review and the client should prepare a thoughtful,
written evaluation. The evaluation should be crafted against the key criteria
identified in the onboarding sessions. At this stage I recommend soliciting
perspectives from the stakeholder groups. The focus of the evaluation should be
on how to continually improve the work and the value the program brings to the
organization. After all, this is the ultimate - and shared - goal of both
parties.
A large undertaking
Certainly the
selection and onboarding of a new partner is a large undertaking that requires
time and effort, but your investment of both commodities into making the
process go smoothly will deliver a high ROI.
By Scott Aaron, who is a principal at Insights for Innovation, a Cincinnati research company. He can be reached at scott.aaron@gmail.com. This article appeared in the June 10, 2013, edition of Quirk's e-newsletter.
Article ID: 20130625-1
