Page 160 - Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles

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Partnering
CHA P T E R 8

“ In the past a leader was a boss. Today’s
leaders must be partners with their people.”
—Ken Blanchard

he concept of partnering transcends teamwork
and implies a degree of autonomy, discretion,
Tequality, openness, power, and ownership that
blurs traditional management-employee boundaries. Part-
ners are not simply loyal team members; they are co-stewards
of the organization’s mission and vision, and they must readily
take responsibility for its vitality. Building collaborative work-
ing relationships with employees creates the ultimate engaged
employee—the employee who treats the business as though he
or she owns it. In addition to partnerships among team mem-
bers and their supervisor, such relations can bridge across
departments and functional business units that readily share
their resources and create synergies. The real power of an orga-
nization exists in fostering partnerships among employees at all
levels.
Organizations also form external partnerships with custom-
ers, vendors, unions, government agencies, industry associations,
and more. Such alliances provide additional resources, enhanced
opportunities, and increased stability. Leaders who develop and
foster mutually advantageous internal and external partnerships