The Productivity Pro Weekly Newsletter - December 12, 2012

Published: Wed, 12/12/12

Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro
"In this new wave of technology, you can't do it all yourself. You have to form alliances." -- Carlos Slim Helú, Mexican business magnate (and wealthiest person on Earth as of 2012)
How Can Partnerships Create Leverage?

While individual effort serves as the foundation of all human activities, true accomplishment requires partnership. The trick here lies in figuring out how to cooperate in such a way that 1 + 1 = 3 or more. We call such leverage points synergy, wherein the whole exceeds the sum of its parts. 

So before you take on a prospective business partner, ask yourself these questions first:

 How Can Partnerships Create Leverage?
 
How well do our strategic priorities align?
1. How Well Do Our Strategic Priorities Align? Aligning strategy within one organization is hard enough, much less between two. The better your missions match up, the more likely you'll be able to leverage off each other. But don't expect a slam-dunk; other factors may stifle synergy.  For example, PETA and the ASPCA have similar end goals, but their tactics differ drastically---so they probably wouldn't make good strategic partners.
 
Do we both have strengths we can leverage?
2. Do We Both Have Strengths We Can Leverage? Don't dismiss an organization out of hand just because it's bigger or smaller than yours. If prospective partners had to be equal in size, we'd have no A-Rods or Oprahs. Instead, look for what you can each bring to the table that maximizes everyone's productivity and profits. Sometimes individuals can successfully partner with organizations consisting of thousands of employees, because each side wants what the other side has. 
 
Are we in direct competition
3. Are We In Direct Competition? If you offer complementary products/solutions that fit hand-in-glove or function in non-overlapping geographic areas, you can leverage a business partnership effectively. Otherwise, it's extremely difficult. You can join the same industry groups, but you can't expect to partner well with organizations competing for identical resources.

Read The Rest of the Article
Webinar on December 21, 2012: Become a Productive, Indispensable Assistant

Laura Stack can't live without Becca Fletcher! You'll learn what Becca has done over the past 4+ years of employment at The Productivity Pro, Inc. to become Laura's indispensable right-hand gal. Laura calls Becca "The Productivity Protégé," but who is teaching whom? Becca has been with Laura longer than any other employee in our 20-year history. You'll actually hear from both Becca and Laura in this webinar! This webinar is perfect for all admins, support professionals, corporate administrative assistants groups, and IAAP chapters.

Order Now

 Become a Productive, Indispensable Assistant
The 2013 No-Kidding-Get-Your-Life-In-Order Retreat

Due to a special plea from a reader, I am hosting a New Year's productivity workflow makeover on Friday, February 1, 2013. Eight people will come to my home office in Denver, CO, to revamp their organization, email, and time management systems. To assure everyone will get one-to-one hands-on instruction, this opportunity is limited to the first 8 people who register. No exceptions.

Learn more about this special opportunity

 2013 Productivity Workflow Makeover
Laura in the News
Hotlinks
Thanks for reading! Make it a productive day.™