PARTNERSHIPS: Perils, Pitfalls, and Transformation

PARTNERSHIPS:  Perils, Pitfalls, and Transformation

Session #305 --- Joint Ventures 2003

Virginia Farley and Delia Clark

Conservation Study Institute, NPS

PARTNERSHIP PITFALLS

1.  LACK OF FULL DISCLOSURE AND/OR HIDDEN AGENDAS

2.  UNEVEN RISK AMONG PARTNER GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS

3. DIFFERENT NEEDS, EXPECTATIONS, OR OUTCOMES DESIRED 

4.  PARTNERS COMING FROM DIFFERENT PLAYING FIELDS (politics)

5.   INADEQUATE TIME INVESTED FOR THE NECESSARY CARE AND FEEDING OF THE PARTNERSHIP (insufficient process and communication)

6.  FEAR OF LOSS OF CONTROL

7.  DYSFUNCTIONAL BEHAVIOR (blame, egos)

8.  REAL OR IMAGINED PERCEPTIONS WHICH INTERFERE WITH THE PROCESS

9.  DIFFERENT LEVELS OF INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT

10.  UNEVEN LEVEL OF INTEREST, COMMITMENT, PASSION, ATTACHMENT, ETC.  (incl. different views of long term obligations, different perceptions of what is “good enough” work)

11.  THE WRONG TYPE OF PARTNERSHIP STRUCTURE CHOSEN

12.  DYSFUNCTIONAL OR NON-EXISTENT SYSTEMS (Partnership making it up as they go – totally new territory, urgency of project leading to stress among partners, leading to conflicts or other problems)

13. CHANGING PLAYERS MIDSTREAM

14.  PARTNERSHIPS CREATED FOR THE WRONG REASONS

15.  CONFLICT OF INTEREST

16.  INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS ISSUES