Are your partnerships driving value or just draining your time?

If you’ve been in business long enough, you’ve probably said yes to a partnership that looked good on paper but never quite delivered. Maybe you liked the people. Maybe you believed in the potential. Maybe you just didn’t want to say no.

And then months go by.
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You’re giving time, energy, resources, and introductions without much coming back.

Sound familiar? You’re not alone.
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Partnerships are one of the most misunderstood and underleveraged parts of business growth. They can be powerful when they’re clear and aligned. But when they’re vague or one-sided, they become a drain.

Let’s fix that.

Start by Asking the Hard Question

Is this partnership creating value for both sides?

Not just activity. Not just good vibes. Not just brand alignment. Actual value.

That could mean leads. Revenue. Co-marketing wins. Market access. Relationship expansion. It doesn’t need to be transactional, but it does need to be tangible.

I once worked with a company that teamed up with a partner for a breakout session at a dental conference. My client promoted the session, handled logistics, showed up prepared, and helped drive attendance. The partner showed up late, skipped the pre-call, and did little to engage the room. After the event, they disappeared. No follow-up. No recap. No shared outreach or next steps.

From the outside, it looked like a great collaboration. Internally, it was frustrating, one-sided, and completely unsupported.

When we broke it down, it became clear, there was no shared goal. No structure. Just assumed value. And assumed value rarely holds up.

What Mutual Really Looks Like

Mutual value does not mean everything is 50-50. It means both sides are contributing to the outcome, and both sides are benefiting in ways that matter to them.

Ask yourself:

         • Do we both understand what success looks like?
         • Are we both showing up consistently?
         • Are we clear on who owns what and why?
         • Have we seen any meaningful results?

If the answer is no, it’s time to realign or rethink the relationship.

Realignment Starts With Clarity

Before you pull the plug on a partnership, try this:

        • Schedule a direct conversation.
        • Revisit what you originally set out to do.
        • Share where you are and what you need moving forward.  
        • Ask what’s working for them and what’s not.

This is not about blame. It’s about clarity.

Most partnerships fail not because of bad intentions, but because there’s no plan, no accountability, and no honest check-ins.

Here are a few things to clarify:

       • What are we each trying to achieve? 
       • What is the communication cadence?
       • What does success look like in the next 90 days?
       • How will we measure what’s working?

Sometimes one honest conversation can bring a stale partnership back to life. Other times, it confirms what you already know: it’s time to move on.

Either way, you’re no longer guessing.

If It’s Time to Exit, Do It Well

Not every partnership is meant to last. And that’s okay.

What matters is how you close the loop.

Be clear. Be respectful. Acknowledge what worked and why it’s no longer aligned. If the door should stay open, say that. But don’t stay in a partnership just because it once had potential. Your time and energy are too valuable.

Protect your focus. You can’t scale if you’re constantly investing in things that don’t return anything back.

Build Better Partnerships Going Forward

The best partnerships start with intention, not assumption.

That means asking hard questions up front:

• What are we building together?
• Who is this for?
• What are we each bringing to the table?
• How will we track results?

Treat your partnerships like you would any growth initiative - with structure, strategy, and shared accountability.

When done right, partnerships can open doors you couldn’t access on your own. They can fast-track brand trust, expand reach, and drive serious business.

But only when both sides are clear on the value and committed to showing up.

Final Thought

If a partnership feels off, there’s probably a reason.
Check in. Get honest. Reset or walk away.

Because the best growth doesn’t come from being everywhere.
It comes from being aligned with people, plans, and partnerships that actually move the needle.

- V2