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Tips on Building a Positive Partnership Relationship

• The key to any successful partnership is enthusiastic interaction. The first step in a partnership should be the building of a relationship between the participants: the principal and the business coordinator, and their staffs.
• Participants should spend time identifying their respective needs and resources. Regular steering committee meetings enable the principal and the business coordinator to plan more effectively for the partnership program. Notes or minutes of these planning meetings serve as reminders and guidelines for the participants so that each person is aware of his/her responsibilities and of the progress being made with the program.
• Tours of the school and the business help both parties become more aware and creative in meeting their needs and utilizing their resources. Steering committee meetings held alternately at each location are productive ways for each partner to learn about the other. Personal interests of the participants can also be incorporated into the business partnership's activities.
• Efforts to involve the business employees and the school faculty should be included early in the planning stage. People have a tendency to support that which they help to plan. Often staff members are aware of resources they may pursue in meeting the needs of the partnership.
• Building a sense of trust and friendship into the partnership cultivates an "esprit de corps" that catapults the partnership into a success realm that is productive and beneficial for all involved.