Tip of the Week: Name a single person to take point in a particular partnership
by Caroline Poland
As David La Piana and Bob Harrington discuss in Chapter 6 of Nonprofit Management 101, partnerships are complicated and have many moving parts and players. Establishing one person from each organization to take the lead and be the point person is vital to the success of any collaboration.
This is an important tactic and will help avoid any cross-communication issues or other bumps that may happen along the way. After all, you don’t want too many cooks in your partnership kitchen!
This individual is like a project manager for all intent and purposes. They represent the group effort, and provide parameters to ensure the partnership is meeting its collective goals. They are responsible for being the point person on all communications, and for relaying that information clearly to their own team.
They need to demonstrate adaptable and effective leadership within the partnership, and ensure that all voices are brought to the table, and that each entity is fulfilling their collaborative responsibilities.
It is important to stress, that the point person is not the voice of the entire group, but is responsible for ensuring that all of the voices are heard. This will lend for a much more clear dialogue between you and your partners, and ensure that details and tasks are accomplished. This will build trust with your partners, and lead to more successful, fruitful collaborations.
