I saw an article published today that inspired me to talk about partnerships between corporations.
Travelport and IBM are working together to build a first ever AI platform to help businesses manage travel spend. You can find the article here.
As with any partnership, big or small, there are a lot of factors coming into play. Let's take a look at how each side views the situation and what the dynamics of the two together are.
Travelport
Travelport feels good about the project but also a little apprehensive about how they are going to get this out there. They think it will work and provide value, but they're just not sure how to make an end product that's useful. How can they specifically utilize this technology and collaboration, and maximize it?
This is still a new technology so they are also apprehensive about IBMs ability to really deliver. AI is still quite complex. There are a lot of factors and details involved - and they wonder, can there be too many factors and details?
So they like the idea, they think it will work and provide value, they're just not sure about the best way to go about making it all work.
IBM
IBM feel good as well, and they are excited and ready to make it work. They know that there are still things to figure out to really maximize the value, but all projects and businesses and new technologies have their challenges and IBM believes they can overcome them and provide something that really performs.
They will need to pull up the morale of the Travelport team to get them to believe and be positive so that the two companies can succeed together.
Dynamics
The IBM team will be able to infect the Travelport team with their enthusiasm and posivity because the Travelport team is close enough to believing this can work already. Travelport just needs a little encouragement.
It's the beginning of a project. Yes, some people can feel the stress of all the work that is to come. But with Travelport, they are far more excited about the potentials than anything else.
This is something that will take months and even years to refine. But that doesn't mean it will take years to get results. Travelport will be able to get value from this within months. And the value will only increase as the teams get better at refining and honing in on the parameters.
Issues will be more around the personalities/cultures of the teams on each side. IBM will need to work on how they communicate so that Travelport can really hear them.
Just being enthusiastic isn't enough to get someone else (the recipient) enthusiastic if they're just not in the mood. Speaking to the recipient in a way that resonates with them and in their tone is what will do the trick.
If someone is more serious and you are over-the-top excited, the serious individual tends to see you as all talk and fluff. You shouldn't cut off your enthusiasm completely, but tone it down so you are closer to their style, and SHOW them the project will succeed so they know your words hold weight.
But don't just show them the capabilities. They have already seen that before the deal was closed. Seeing more of that is like getting fluff because it seems like you have nothing else to show for yourself. Show them what they can do by actually doing and more real-time. For example, start taking their real data and churning out a real analysis.
That specificity and truth will get the more serious side riled up with excitement. Once you break that serious barrier and get them to excitement, you have a connection and a stellar partner to work to success with.
I decided to pull a few soul trees oracle cards to provide any additional guidance.
Travelport got the card of The Beginning. This is a new beginning for Travelport. And with that comes apprehension around upcoming struggles, but also excitement at where things can go.
IBM got the card of Action. Action definitely needs to be taken to make this initiative work, but in this case this isn't something IBM hasn't done before. This is something they are well versed and practiced in, it's almost second nature to them. So much so that it almost doesn't even feel like action or work.
The two companies as a partnership got the card of Communication. Communication is what makes or breaks most relationships, it is the foundation for how successful it can be. It is crucial that IBM prioritize this and get it right.