Experience the Benefits of True Teamwork

Source: Partner Insights

The following includes excerpts, reproduced with permission, from an article by August Aquila.

Everyone knows that partner unity is one of the keys to success – better client service, less employee turnover, superior profitability.

The problem that many firms face is this – they don't know how to create partner unity.

Unity is NOT:

• All partners are clones of each other.
• All partners have the same skill sets.
• All partners are at the same stage of their lives.
• All partners agree on how the firm should be managed.
• All partners are “best” friends.

Unity IS:

• Agreement on the firm's mission, vision, and core value.
• Genuine openness with one another – authentic trust.
• Willingness to engage in passionate debate of ideas.
• Holding each other accountable.
• Focusing on accomplishing key firm objectives.

Five steps to partner unity:

1. Have a real mission, vision, and core values that are lived in the firm.
2. Partners create an open environment with one another:
   • ask each other for help
   • admit mistakes
   • focus on important issues not on politics
   • look forward to working together as a group.
3. Partner groups that have unity aren't afraid to put critical issues on their agendas.
4. Accountability. Any and all partners are willing to call their peers on performance or behavior that is hurting the team. In this environment, underperformers feel pressure to improve.
5. Focus on results and not merely on activities. Many partners are very busy during the year but produce few results. Obviously, a pay-for-performance program is a key to helping the firm focus on results.

For the complete article, read “Achieving Partner Unity.”

From Partner Insights, Aquila Global Advisors, LLC, September 30, 2010, http://www.aquilaadvisors.com.