Alliance Roles

The business world is rapidly changing. To succeed, we have to rely more and more on strong partnerships for the achievements of our companies. Fruitful collaborations need a clear understanding of the alliance roles that play a part in forming a partnership. If roles are not clear, it can have a negative effect on the partnership and slow down the joint effort. So, what can the alliance director, VP of alliances, or the entire team do to create clear-cut roles in the collaboration? This article I will give you some guidance to get started.

How clear are the alliance roles in your partnership?

Do you have a clear view on what your role and responsibilities are within your team, or in your alliance? And does the chief alliance officer, your counterparts, and colleagues, have the same ideas about your roles and responsibilities?

It seems easy, yet when talking about roles and responsibilities we often enter the world of assumptions. We think we know our role and responsibilities, and we think we know those of our colleagues. However, we often don’t verify those thoughts. And we also don’t really communicate about those roles and responsibilities.

Using a mapping tool to crystalize alliance roles

As head of alliances or alliance manager you can use many tools to improve your partnerships. One of these tools is the functional mapping tool. This is a simple but powerful tool that will help you identify and create clarity in the roles and responsibilities in both your own and your partner’s organizations. You use it to map out the functional relationships between organizations. It will help you define day-to-day interactions, and map escalation paths where peers meet peers to resolve issues or guide strategy for the alliance.

Reading Material

Do you want to know more about functional mapping, alliance roles and the part an alliance manager can play? The following blogs are highly recommended to gain more insight.