Ten Steps to Reinvigorating a Partnership Gone Bad

"It's always easier to get into something than it is to get out of it.”

Nonprofit partnerships are wonderful when they work as intended. Great partnerships can help amplify your story, augment your capacity, accelerate impact, and much more.

But what about when they do not go as planned? Even when both parties have done their due diligence before signing on the dotted line, there are times that partnerships require renegotiating or unplanned, early closure.

Here are some steps that you can take if you find yourself in a partnership that is not evolving the way you anticipated:

(1)  Assess with your team whether the partnership still has potential that is worth the additional investment of time and resources. If not, respect the partnership by formally closing the door, even if there is no legal requirement to do so. While the conversation may be a bit awkward, it eliminates greater awkwardness down the road. 

(2) If the partnership still has perceived value, initiate a meeting with your partner. Given that at least 55 percent of communication is non-verbal, face-to-face or even via Zoom is preferable, if at all possible.

(3) Begin with and confirm the premise that both parties still want and are committed to the partnership being a win-win.

(4) Clearly articulate your concerns using “I” statements — using “you” statements puts the other party on the defensive and is often counterproductive to your ultimate goal of creating a workable situation. For example, “I am concerned that we are operating with a different sense of urgency with XYZ deliverable.” is far more effective than, “You are not operating at the same level of urgency.”

(5)  Come from a genuine point of curiosity. The more you understand, the better you can address the situation. “How do you feel about the pace of how we are achieving this milestone?” is much more likely to garner an informative and constructive response than "Why are you so far behind meeting this deliverable?”.

(6)  Be ready — and receptive — to feedback from the other party. They may have their own frustrations or concerns. Before responding to the frustration, make sure that you can empathize with their perspective to the point that they feel understood.

(7)  Come prepared with your concerns — and also specific solutions. “It would really help me if we could touch base weekly at a specific time to mark progress. Another thing that would help is to know proactively if you might miss an agreed-upon deadline. I can then prepare my team to adjust our production schedule.”

(8)  Ask your partner about specific things that would help them.

(9) And importantly, capture your understanding in a follow-up e-mail, to give both parties a chance to reconfirm their agreement.

(10)  Establish clear checkpoints and follow-up with each other. If there is not enough constructive traction, then it may be time to agree to let go of the relationship.

While it may feel easier to let a not-so-great partnership to slowly fade, it's actually better in the long run to lead with a professional, proactive approach to addressing issues in a constructive way.

What steps have you taken when a nonprofit partnership has not gone the way that you intended?