Response to Question 1: Part 1:
I’d like to take a step back and focus on critical tenets of relationship and partnership building: communication and negotiation. Businesses and organizations are made of people, and we must ensure that we have strong skills in both these areas because all partnerships give and take. Some tools I use to hone these skills are the Think Fast, Talk Smart podcast from Standford and attending negotiation classes or reading posts on it, when possible, to refresh these skills taught in university. Business Fights Poverty had a similar online written panel on communication among businesses, and I would recommend that as well. I think this is especially critical because of power imbalances. Companies, especially those lower in the value chain, feel nervous about sharing their challenges and what they would instead do with their funders and partners.