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Qualities of a great business support partner

When I first engage with a new business, the first thing I notice is, the business owner, or MD, does not really understand what it is they are looking for. Sure, they have identified they need support, but how that transpires into a right fit, right brief, is often less understood.
Strategic planning can be a powerful process to guide your business or nonprofit toward new goals and prepare your team for effective change. In order to accomplish this, however, you need to choose the right business support partner. Here are four essential qualities to look for as you choose your next business support partner:
1. Knowledge and Expertise
The partner you select should be confident, competent, and experienced. This can be demonstrated through an extensive portfolio of successful engagements, and a strong educational background in strategy and communication. Above all, your partner should be an expert in strategic planning and implementation methodology. With deep domain expertise to draw on, your strategic business support partner will be able to relate quickly to your employees and inspire confidence and trust in your team from the start. Without that trust, your employees will have trouble adapting to any new strategies your partner proposes, which can ultimately make any strategy seem ineffective.
2. Facilitation Skills
A business support partner is focused on guiding your business through a process that leads to success. Therefore, your partner should have solid facilitation skills. Facilitation is more complex and critical to your planning process than you may realise. An effective facilitator is able to rapidly identify personality types and comfort levels within your team, so that they may adjust the discussion flow to ensure that all perspectives are heard. 

At the same, the facilitator should know when to sit back and let your employees sort things out, rather than taking matters into their own hands. Your partner’s leadership skills are also important, but must be balanced so that the partner does not appear overwhelming or overbearing. Outside of meetings, a well-prepared facilitator will be capable of tailoring questions and dialogue with each stakeholder in order to bring out the best in that person, while also increasing their confidence in the value and relevance of the process. In short, facilitation is what powers the motivation for change your team will need to implement an effective strategy.
3. Experience in Other Industries
While it’s important for your consultant to have empathy with your industry, it’s really important for them to have experience in other industries. As a partner, they should understand what types of strategies work for a range of industries, even those outside of yours. With such expertise, they will be able to synthesise proven concepts from one sector to another. These creative ideas can help energise your planning process. In addition, while your partner should be able to speak your language, what you can’t afford is a partner who will just tell you what you already know. A business support partner with experience in multiple industries demonstrates versatility and curiosity - both prerequisites for your success.
4. Has Walked In Your Shoes
The best partner's are those who know from personal experience what you’re going through. They should understand firsthand what it means to build a business, lead a nonprofit, drive change, and implement strategy. A business support partner who hasn’t implemented a strategy on his or her own cannot effectively guide you toward practical and workable recommendations - guidance you will need in order to achieve success. 

This means that your consultant should possess strong C-Level experience either as the CEO, or  executive director, with direct P&L responsibilities. A business support partner with this background can sit with you over coffee before and after the process to discuss the real world challenges, obstacles, and opportunities associated with the strategic plan. As a result, he or she can advise you as a peer from a perspective of practical know-how.

These four qualities provide you with a framework for learning how to evaluate, select and effectively work with the right business support partner for your business. Understanding the aptitudes of a successful partner will also give you a strong foundation and balanced perspective, from which you can launch a successful  strategic planning process for your business.

Rosia Bay, offer unique experience in developing strategic plans with results,  fixing business in need of help, and executive  coaching.



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