By Fred Sarkari

When I moved to the Okanagan in 2009, I was overwhelmed with an incredible sense of community. I was fortunate enough to meet the right people who understood the power of creating longterm relationships, which in turn, led to powerful partnerships in business.

Partnerships are the key to the growth of our community and to that of our individual businesses.

As a community we must make ourselves accountable for our own success by supporting more events that bring together the businesses and community members for more than just an exchange of business cards, but that offer a chance to really connect as individuals over the course of a day or evening events.  These events, and the community spirit and connections built from them, will not only grow us as individuals and businesses, but as a whole community together, for everyone’s benefit.

True partnerships that are successful for both parties, are not about what I can get from you – but how we can both help each other succeed. This type of trusting relationship takes time to cultivate. Business and relationship building will never be successful if my focus is on how many networking events I attend, or how many cards I’ve collected – it is about truly connecting with individuals and becoming part of the community I want to build my business in.

In order for us to grow and succeed at our individual businesses, we need to start thinking like the businesses we want to create. That level of growth and success will only be achieved by partnering up with one another.

Now, the question is “What do we look for in ourselves and one another to build successful partnerships?” 

My Top Four Partnership Must Haves 

1. Value, Value & Value:  
When I say value, I am not referring to the value you can squeeze out of others.  I’m talking about the other kind of values. Your values in business and life (which should be the same) must be consistent between you and the partnerships you are creating.  Creating partnerships through values will forge lifetime relationships.

2. Trust:  
Let’s just assume that trusting the person in a partnership is an obvious must have (truly, it’s amazing how many people create partnerships with people they do not trust with the hope of what they think they can gain from them).  The trust I’m referring to is the trust in the skills we each bring to the table.  We have to be willing to trust our partner’s skill sets.  Let them do what they do best so we can focus on what we do best. What is the point of a partnership if we have a need for ultimate control?

3. Mutual Like & Respect:
Any partnership means spending a lot of time together.  Keep life simple, spend time with people you like and respect.  Without those two elements your mind will never be open to the other person’s knowledge and abilities.

4. Accountability & Integrity:  
Look for signs of accountability and integrity.  Everyone can shine when things are going their way.  You want to know the true essence of a person, see how they make decisions in situations where they have more to lose than gain while maintaining the integrity of their name or brand.  

True partnerships are not made with people simply based on their skill set, contacts or resources that you can benefit from.  A true lifetime partnership, whether professional or personal, is created on the foundation of one’s own values, integrity and accountability for who they are, what they believe and the actions they exhibit.    

Fred Sarkari is a bestselling author and speaker.  His event, Power In Partners, is Okanagan’s premier business event. www.PowerInPartners.com