I read an article today that reminded me both, of the progress e have already made, and the progress we are continuing to make around the world. That article was on a new partnership between Juniper Networks and the largest internet service provider in Nepal, WorldLink. You can read that article here.
Here is a breakdown of the players and partnership and what needs to happen to make it a success worthy of its potential.
Juniper
The Juniper team feels good about being a part of making progress but they mostly feel like this is just business as usual. Sure, providing faster and far-reaching internet to a developing country is nice, but when you've already had high-speed and reliable access to the internet for decades yourself, it isn't particularly exciting to you. Mentally they understand this is a big deal and it matters to people, but emotionally they aren't really captivated or engaged. They are indifferent and it's just another job to them.
WorldLink
WorldLink is very focused on making this initiative happen. They are incredibly excited about the deal and what it means for the country, and they are just as serious about getting down to the actual work and making this into a reality. They are a team that has fun but works hard and is dedicated to getting meaningful results for their country.
Partnership Dynamic
The WorldLink team is really excited about this project and the Juniper team is going to have to get on board and raise their level of emotional engagement. This is a big deal and it is important for Juniper to not dampen WorldLink's enthusiasm with their own indifference.
Juniper needs to find a reason for why this matters to them or is exciting. They are not doing WorldLink complete justice otherwise. Juniper needs to get closer to the individuals on the WorldLink team, build human and personal connections and let WorldLink's enthusiasm rub off on them.
Virtual joint team meetings together over video conferencing could go a long way. Maybe one that includes coffee and/or snacks on both sides to make the meeting feel more special, and that leaves room for socializing so people relax more.
Also, having each member from Juniper pair up with a member from WorldLink to work together 1-1 will build connections, provided Juniper is interested in getting to know their WorldLink counterpart as a person and not just as someone they work with. It is important that Juniper not undervalue what this project really means.