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How to Cultivate Employment Partnerships

Nance Schick · Mar 24, 2025 ·

Employment is a partnership. It’s time we ditch the outdated model that conjures up a one-sided transaction where the employer has all the control. That hasn’t been the case in a very long time. Labor unions and employment laws have balanced the power in many ways. Additionally, workers are more educated, both formally and informally. They want to work for employers with visions, missions, and goals they can align with their own.

In this month’s Third Ear Thursday Live Q&A Webinar, Jeanette Seibly and I dove deep into the concept of mutually beneficial goals–and commitments. Here are the highlights of our discussion.



Hiring to Do More Than Fill a Role

Jeanette agree on a crucial point: employment isn’t a one-way street. It’s an ever-evolving relationship that must be nurtured, developed, and maintained. The more collaborative the workplace culture, the more likely the partnership is to achieve its goals.

We’re talking about a fundamental shift in mindset. It’s about creating an environment where everyone wins, including clients or customers and the communities around the business.


Aligning Goals from the Outset

Forget vague cliches. They might make nice memes that get likes and reshares from strangers, but that doesn’t mean your employees or boss will also buy in. You need to align real goals, like business objectives and employee aspirations. These must intersect beyond salary and benefits.


Photo of two professionals stacking building blocks on a table


Using Assessments Effectively

Assessments can be valuable for the people taking them to better understand their default behaviors. They can also help employers identify where to invest training efforts. But we need to be careful not to box people in. Use them to open conversations, shine light on potential, and understand each other.


The Heartbeat of Partnership

Communication isn’t just about sending emails or engaging in conversations. It’s about connecting to other people in ways that help you understand what motivates or limits them–so you can support them, not diminish their potential. Feedback in these environments is a gift and often makes the workplace more successful for everyone.


Layoffs and Miscommunication

There will always be conflict. Layoffs happen. People miscommunicate and make mistakes. It’s how we handle them that defines us. Kindness and respect aren’t optional at these times; they’re non-negotiable. As I often say, listen for the hurts you can heal, and heal the ones you can. Take responsibility, apologize (completely), and make amends as necessary. You can’t change the past, but you can pave the way for a better future.


Photo of magnifying glass on blue background with white shapes representing people and one red person shape


Cultural Fit and Adaptability

In our globalized world, cultural differences are a reality. Adaptability isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a survival skill. You need to understand and respect different perspectives, not pretend they don’t exist or try to silence them. This is how you discover new solutions to age-old problems.


Continuous Development

Good employers invest in their people. They see potential and nurture it. It’s not just about training; it’s about development. It’s about creating a culture where everyone can grow and thrive. That’s employment partnership.


Want to share how you create employment partnerships? 

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Keep Improving

  • Master Your Employment Partnerships from Job Post to Termination
  • How to Create Mutually Beneficial Partnerships at Work
  • You Have to Create the Partnership You Want

How To, Workplace Dispute Resolution employment partnership, small business success, thriving at work

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The Seven Choices

Forgive Yourself Acknowledge Yourself Forgive the World Free the Emotions Clear Your Mind Assume Nothing Listen with Your Heart

The Five Actions

Define the Conflict Identify the Interests Play with the Possibilities Create the Future Stay on PARR

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