In a recent Boston Globe article ("Alliances Usually Fail Study Says" Jeffrey Krasner, 5/3/01) the author states, "More than ever, companies are entering into strategic alliances to meet their goals. But as many as three-quarters of these alliances fall apart, representing billions of dollars in unrealized economic gain." Krasner goes on to say that these failures occur because of the relationships between the companies.

What about the alliances in our work lives? Much of the frustration we experience in our work is often due to those "other guys" who don't play by the rules or share our high sense of urgency. If only "they" were out of our lives, things would be great. No matter how intelligent or competent we are, none of us succeeds without the support of many key alliances.

What causes alliances to break down? Alliances break down due to a variety of factors, including: commitments not met, personality differences, points of view not respected and win/lose behaviors. Sometimes an excellent alliance can be dealt a serious blow by a minor event or misunderstanding. Several years ago, I witnessed a situation involving an individual who worked long hours, over many months, to successfully complete a difficult assignment. His manager offered to take him and his wife to dinner to celebrate the success. The special evening never happened and the employee became quite disappointed. His trust in his boss was never the same. You might say that these sort of things occur all the time and the manager probably had good intentions. However, he failed to realize that the employee placed a high value on such a reward. Unmet commitments, even small ones, can erode the quality of alliances.

"The Alliance Renewal Meeting" I'm often motivated to write about issues that are currently important to me. Dealing with difficult alliances is, at times, as difficult for me as it is for most people. However, I can't encourage you to act in one way and duck the tough issues myself. When faced with the reality of my own reluctance to "step up to the plate," my words come back as a reminder to "practice what I preach." There are some approaches that I find very helpful and also benefit my clients. First of all, alliances which have deteriorated will not improve without some sort of dialogue. Complaining to others about a colleague, customer, supplier or department will resolve nothing. What is required, is the courageous act of sitting down with the person and discussing ways to improve the alliance. These "Alliance Renewal Meetings" often have the potential to be loaded with emotion, risk and personal exposure. In every case, the key to success is preparation. People who take the time to plan will have a very high rate of success. I have found the following steps to be helpful in preparing for these important meetings.

1. Think about how you will describe the state of your relationship and the value of getting back on the right track.

2. Be prepared to speak about your own contribution to the situation.

3. Listen and don't interrupt.

4. Identify what you need from this person to make the alliance work?

5. What does this individual need from you? Revisit this question in your meeting.

6. What are the common objectives you share? What do you agree upon?

7. Make a promise to yourself, that no matter what happens, you will focus on problems and not the person.

8. Be prepared to suggest formal or informal ways to continue these discussions.

If this is a particularly difficult situation, review your plan with a coach, HR professional or trusted colleague. Make a decision to improve the quality of a key alliance today!

Copyright 2006, Mark J. Campbell. All rights reserved.
Permission to reprint this article is granted, provided you let me know where it is being printed, the copyright is not removed, and the following text accompanies each article:

"Mark Campbell partners with organizations for leadership development. For a complimentary subscription to his newsletter, "Management Challenges," go to www.mjcampbellassoc.com."

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