It’s not a question I hear often, but when someone recently asked, I took a moment to reflect. My answer? The same principles apply, but with greater complexity.
When a partnership involves three (or more) parties, the stakes and overhead naturally increase. That’s why it’s critical to ensure the value delivered to everyone justifies the added effort.
Here’s the framework I use to navigate partnerships of any size:
1️⃣ Align on Objectives: What are the goals of each party? Where’s the overlap?
2️⃣ Align on Commercials: How does everyone benefit financially or strategically?
3️⃣ Align on Enablement: What needs to be built, implemented, or supported to ensure success?
4️⃣ Align on Management: How do we nurture the relationship and make sure everyone has skin in the game?
These principles apply across industries, regions, and scales. The only difference? More parties = more complexity, which means the value must grow accordingly.
💡 What about you? How do you handle multi-party partnerships? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to learn from your experiences!
