Deliverable
A reviewed shared proposition and responsibility map.
Current priorities / Partnerships
Give a promising partnership a shared reason to proceed.
Connect the right sponsors, establish what each side contributes and coordinate the next commitment that can test whether the partnership deserves investment.
How the outcome takes shape
Your organisationA defined contributionA responsible owner
The partnerA complementary contributionA responsible owner
A shared problemOne bounded joint test
Scope · commitments · decision criteria
Evidence from joint work informs the next decision.
Define what the parties could accomplish together
Start with the customer, operating or strategic problem that a partnership could address. Clarify your organisation's contribution, what it needs from another party, the proposed boundary of cooperation and the evidence available. A relationship between chief executives can open discussion; the proposed work still needs operating ownership.
Existing people may include commercial peers, former collaborators and partner executives. Missing relationships may include a counterpart sponsor, product leader, distribution owner or operating decision maker. The first worthwhile conversation is: “Is there a problem both organisations want to solve, and what would each of us need to contribute for a small, useful test?”
Conversion / Existing relationships
Turn executive access into a mutual proposition
Start with people who recognise the shared context or have had a genuine prior exchange with you.
Formal partner evaluation, contracting and pilot governance sit at C4. The organisations own commercial decisions and specialist review. StepUp provides research, preparation and coordination alongside the executive office and partnership owner, with clear handoffs to operating teams.
C1Prioritise existing relationships
Confirm relevant counterpart relationships, collaboration history and authority to approach; prepare a partnership context brief.
C2Open the right conversation
Reconnect around the shared problem and a plausible contribution from each party; prepare a focused discussion agenda.
C3Establish mutual fit
Test strategic relevance, operating contribution, incentives, timing, constraints and decision routes; record a shared proposition or stop decision.
C4Progress the opportunity
Coordinate agreed diligence, pilot design, commercial terms and approvals with the responsible teams; track completed joint commitments.
C5Sustain the relationship
Honour commitments and agreed operating reviews, including after a pilot ends or a partnership does not proceed.
Building / Missing relationships
Build the relationships needed to make it work
Build the missing relationships through a relevant contribution, a legitimate introduction or an appropriate direct approach.
A new person introduced by an existing contact starts in Building. The relationship with the introducer remains in Conversion.
B1Map missing relationships
Identify counterpart sponsors and operating leaders needed to assess or carry out the proposition; record the gap each would address.
B2Prepare a credible route
Develop an authorised introduction or useful contribution grounded in the parties' specific relevance to each other.
B3Open contact
Make the agreed introduction or approach with enough context for an informed response.
B4Establish a two-way relationship
Develop reciprocal discussion of priorities and constraints; agree whether and how the relationship should continue.
Continue from the evidence you have
An executive sponsor's introduction may satisfy B2 and B3 together. If the first substantive exchange also establishes a particular partnership's mutual fit, B4 and C3 can be recorded together. Otherwise continue at the first unmet Conversion step, based on the outcome-specific conversation, opportunity fit and agreed continuation. A current agreed record and a live outcome-specific exchange can satisfy C1 and C2. Visibility, repeated contact and elapsed time do not establish a partnership case.
B4 establishes a two-way relationship. C3 tests a particular opportunity. Continue at the first unmet Conversion step with one relationship owner; there is no repeated onboarding.
Progress / Evidence
Distinguish cooperation from a signed announcement
Reciprocal progress
Both parties name owners and agree the scope and decision criteria for a pilot.
Final result
An agreed partnership enters its defined operating scope. Pilot completion, signed terms, launch and subsequent commercial value should each be reported accurately; an announcement alone does not demonstrate delivery.
One coordinated programme
Put one owner behind the shared next step
Corporate partnership work follows the organisation's permissions and reporting. Personal board, career or portfolio interests require separate authorisation and visibility boundaries. A single relationship owner coordinates contact with each person across authorised objectives, including existing account and partnership teams.
The executive provides judgement and makes commitments. StepUp prepares the conversation and maintains follow-through so neither party has to interpret competing approaches.
You
Set the priorities. Bring your judgement to the conversations and decisions that need your involvement.
Your office
Your chief of staff or nominated owner validates context, coordinates existing teams and exercises delegated approvals.
StepUp.One
Research, drafting, conversation preparation, coordination and agreed reporting around the relationships in scope.
Test one partnership proposition
Review the shared problem, each party's contribution, existing sponsors and missing operating relationships. Agree the first useful discussion and the evidence that would justify the next commitment.
- The shared problem and each organisation’s contribution
- Existing sponsors and missing operating owners
- A bounded joint test and decision criteria
- One useful discussion with clear permissions
Arrange an executive briefingFor you or your chief of staff.