Tip of the Week: Name a single person to take point in a particular partnership

by Caroline Poland



As David La Piana and Bob Harrington discuss in Chapter 6 of Nonprofit Management 101, partnerships are complicated and have many moving parts and players. Establishing
one person from each organization to take the lead and be the point
person is vital to the success of any collaboration.



This is an important tactic and will help avoid any cross-communication
issues or other bumps that may happen along the way. After all, you
don?t want too many cooks in your partnership kitchen!



This individual is like a project manager for all intent and purposes.
They represent the group effort, and provide parameters to ensure the
partnership is meeting its collective goals. They are responsible for
being the point person on all communications, and for relaying that
information clearly to their own team.



They need to demonstrate adaptable and effective leadership within the
partnership, and ensure that all voices are brought to the table, and
that each entity is fulfilling their collaborative responsibilities.



It is important to stress, that the point person is not the voice of
the entire group, but is responsible for ensuring that all of the
voices are heard. This will lend for a much more clear dialogue between
you and your partners, and ensure that details and tasks are
accomplished.  This will build trust with your partners, and lead to
more successful, fruitful collaborations.