‘What a waste of time and energy.’
We’ve all either said or heard someone say that at work, and it usually stems from a fundamental misalignment or miscommunication between stakeholders about what should be considered a priority or about the way things should be done at a basic level. If you’ve had an experience such as this with a business partner, it’s usually an omen of things to come.
Tension is a natural part of growing a business. Without a little bit of the right kind of pain, businesses remain static. But that pain should be related to building skillsets, pushing boundaries, and improving internal processes. It’s the muscle soreness you feel after a challenging run or session at the gym.
Unfortunately, the kind of tension we’re often subjected to at work stems from a less productive place. It’s usually around incompatibility with those we’re working with – either internally or externally. If it’s an internal issue, then that’s governed by the company culture you’ve built over time and the way HR conflicts are resolved. The external side of things is where things get murky.
Do you sacrifice a profitable relationship with a client or supplier simply because they stress your team out?
I’d argue that you should. That is, if you value growing your business via quality of work rather than just volume.
If your business’s financial situation relies on these existing high-stress partnerships, then removing them immediately to avoid stress is an obvious no-go. But building a plan to eventually replace these high-stress partnerships with more productive and fulfilling ones should be your next step.
And that starts with a manifesto. One about what kind of external partners you want to work with. Not based on their industry or specialisation, but rather on what they stand for and what they value in a working relationship. One that you’re confident enough in to make public.
How do you build an effective manifesto?
If you haven’t already, articulate your core beliefs around how you think business should be done. This set of principles will serve as the foundation of your manifesto. They should cover your collective attitude towards the way you feel businesses should treat each other.
For example, at Switch, we believe that business can, and should be a force for good – that focusing on purpose and people inevitably leads to profit. We believe in kindness and empathy as a strategy. We think that true success is measured in the positive impact we have on our people, our clients, our planet, and our bottom line. And we’ve taken concrete actions that align with these beliefs.
As a result of that, we can easily outline the kinds of partnerships we’re looking for. We want to work with people who embody genuine kindness in and outside of work, that strive to revolutionise their industry efficiently and responsibly, that truly prioritise their team’s wellbeing, and that have taken real steps towards embodying these virtues.
We want to work with people who share our beliefs. We want better business.
Every time these beliefs have been aligned, the relationship has been fruitful for both sides – both financially and in terms of internal growth because of the fact that everyone involved is aligned in terms of attitude and priorities. Operating from the get-go on a basis of mutual respect and equal standing makes any relationship near-seamless, and even difficult situations are significantly easier to deal with and overcome.
As a result, we’ve learned that leading with these beliefs in both our external communications and during chemistry meetings with potential partners allows us to attract the right kind of business and more easily detect whether a relationship will turn sour in the long run, and nip it in the bud.
Potential clients and partners are desperate for a value match as well. The right alignment always increases our value proposition and ends up being the major deciding factor for the partner in question when they have other options on the table that, from a technical point of view, tick more boxes.
The bottom line
Running a business this way isn’t easy, and it doesn’t happen overnight. Companies often need to take on work that isn’t perfectly aligned with their values because payroll needs to be met.
Slowly replacing stress-inducing partnerships with ones that complement your values can be financially daunting, but it is worth it in the long run. A happier, less stressed team is more productive, more easily retained, produces better results, and brings innovation. As long as you can back up your talk with the right walk, getting good business will lead to more good business.
