1. Ensuring Inclusivity: One has to ensure that every partner’s input is valued, regardless of seniority or portfolio. 2. Structured Discussions with Clear Agendas: Ensure meetings are structured with a clear agenda. Communicate topics in advance, allowing partners time to gather thoughts, data, or insights they want to discuss. 3. Encourage Diverse Viewpoints Through Breakout Sessions for highly complex decisions. 4. For major decisions, once all perspectives have been discussed, use a structured voting process to finalize. 5. After a decision is made, hold a follow-up discussion to review the decision-making process itself.

Invite the quietest person in the room to speak second! There will always be someone who speaks up first, but making sure that you invite the more reserved people to contribute is super important! That might be the youngest person, that might be the newest person, or it might be someone brand new to the industry - but at the end of the day they were hired because they were smart and had a different perspective. A perspective that can add value to the partnership decision if included!

This is what worked for me: - Foremost is alignment on overall goals and medium and long-term vision between core stakeholders. - Secondly interpret the levers which any strategic alliance can impact directly from the core goals. - Explain to the cross functional stakeholders on the same - Finally the cost benefit analysis of the partnership: let every critical stakeholder critique and analyze that to be sure that some of the core goals are met through that. This process might need some explaining as well

Foremost step is to create a psychologically safe space for all. This should be followed by outlining roles of all stakeholders and utilizing structured facilitation methods, such as round-robin participation or time-bound contributions, to ensure no single voice overshadows the rest. Sharing regular synthesis of key points to validate participant contributions and demonstrating how stakeholder input influenced the final outcome also ensures trust and transparency. This inclusive approach ensures equitable decision-making, and strengthens partnerships by integrating diverse viewpoints into strategic decisions with the cover of trust and confidence.

The folks deciding on partnerships and strategic alliances are usually not the ones actively involved in executing the partnership once the deal has been signed. Without proper execution - the biggest of partnerships will flop. A couple of steps I would look at is: 1. Identify all the stakeholders - especially execution level folks and see that they are on the same page. Listen specifically for any objections and address them 2. In a partnership decision - there will mostly be a bigger company and a smaller one. For the partnership to be a success - it has to be a priority on both sides. So if I was from the smaller company, I would make sure to drive the program from my side relentlessly with the right champions on the other side

Chaque partie est entendue si le climat le permet car la communication est positive, les interactions sont bienveillantes et donc efficaces pour oser que chaque individu se positionne en fonction de sa motivation et des intérêts communs à collaborer. L'intérêt commun est la clé chaque voix a été entendue quand chaque individu peut s'identifier dans la prise de décision ainsi il sera prêt à contribuer et recevoir les feedbacks pour garantir une amélioration continue de ce partenariat : win/win

Navigating critical partnership decisions are stressful, but what’s worked for me? Start by making sure everyone feels heard. Creating a space where open communication is truly encouraged. I try to ensure everyone has a chance to speak by setting up structured discussions and giving each person time to share their thoughts. I also make it a point to really listen, sometimes even using tools like surveys for anonymous feedback if people are more comfortable that way. It’s about making sure every voice counts, and that leads to better, more collaborative decisions.

Dans la construction d’un partenariat stratégique, l’objectif commun doit être au cœur de chaque décision. Il est essentiel de passer du temps à le définir et comprendre finement les attentes, besoins et contraintes de chaque partie prenante. Ensuite, la clarté de la communication est primordiale. Des canaux transparents et une structure de gouvernance partagée permettent d’instaurer une prise de décision inclusive. Chaque voix doit avoir l’opportunité de s’exprimer, avec un système de feedback qui assure un suivi des idées et des propositions. Enfin, pour que chaque partie prenante se sente valorisée, il est essentiel de célébrer les succès communs et d’apprendre ensemble des erreurs.

To ensure that all voices or points of view are expressed and heard, the preparation phase is important to me. Define an agenda and communicate the topics in advance to the stakeholders, so that they can get to grips with them, identify the issues or prepare their contributions. The meeting is not the place to discover the subjects to be dealt with. During the meeting it is then imperative to encourage listening to the different contributions, points of view and proposed solutions. A decision-making process should also be agreed for each topic. Finally, I think it's important to provide regular progress reports or reminders of decisions taken collectively, before tackling new subjects on the agenda.

In my experience, creating structured opportunities for input ensures all voices are heard. One thing I have found helpful is using a roundtable format during critical discussions. At EasyWeGo, when we expanded our taxi booking services in India, we involved all stakeholders, from internal teams to external partners. Each person had the chance to speak, ensuring diverse perspectives were considered. - Use structured platforms for input - Rotate speakers for equal participation - Summarize key insights before deciding This method ensured everyone contributed, and it surfaced valuable ideas we might have missed otherwise. It not only balanced power but also led to better-informed decisions, fostering trust among partners.