Training Modules

In-person training

These modules were created for delivery to a group of strategic alliance/relationship managers over a two-day period, in a highly-interactive manner (12-13 hours of class time; ~325 slides).

Transforming Business Relationships: Introduction and Setting Context (module 00; 1.5 hours, including module 01)

  • Summarizes the challenges in strategic business relationships (alliances).
  • Outlines and sets context for 2 days of in-person training.
  • Contains case study of HP/SAP strategic alliance (module 01).

HP/SAP Strategic Alliance: A Practical Journey to Deepen Relationship (module 01; ~0.5 hours)

  • Presents lessons learned and insights gained from the HP/SAP strategic alliance (valued at over $200M/year).
  • Simultaneously a personal and professional journey into the heart of relationship itself.

Business Relationships (module 02; 1 hour)

  • Nothing happens outside of relationship; it is the place of all value-creation and value-exchange.
  • Q: Why do business relationships fail? A: Because businesses do not value relationship as an asset.

Your Role and Personal Identity (module 03; 1.5 hours)

  • Attitude and mindset are critically important for personal success; more important than skills and knowledge combined.
  • Clarity of role and value to the organization becomes empowering; be a creator of value.
  • Our work is like nothing else in the world of business; it is about changing attitude and mindset in order to deepen relationship (as within, so without).

Fundamental Principles that Deepen Relationship (module 04; 0.5 hours)

  • Q: What are the fundamental principles in relationships (business and personal)? A: Spiritual ideas.
  • Practical spirituality is important in the work of being a value creator; and it deepens and improves relationship (with self, others; and, between companies).
  • There are 5 principles (ideas) and practices (behaviors) that can be discussed in the world of business, and they are helpful in the deepening of relationship.

Calling for Trust via Healthy Confrontation (module 05; 0.5 hours)

  • Confrontation (not conflict) is about co-facing issues in the relationship; it calls for trust; trust will come.
  • Using “clean talk” to talk about emotionally-charged issues – the dysfunctional drama.
  • Share perspectives – it’s the only way to clearly see the challenges, and clear the air; it will create a more collaborative atmosphere.

Hear the Voice-of-the-Collective – in alliances and ecosystems – a.k.a., the 2-Slide MethodologyTM (module 06; 2 hours)

  • Listen and hear what is being spoken by and from the interconnected web of relationship itself.
  • The collective voice: describes problems along with solutions, sees long-term opportunity and vision.
  • The spirit in the collective sees things that no one individual is capable of seeing – not even executives or the strategic relationship/alliance manager.

The Empowerment of self-Obsolescence (module 07; 1 hour)

  • Given we are creators of value, it is important to have a clear relationship with the attributes of deity (creators): omnipotence (power), omnipresence (presence), omniscience (knowledge), and omnibenevolence (goodness).
  • By proactively giving freely of our greatest wisdom and best insights, we gain informal power (often exceeding formal power) and virtual presence (we are proactively included in what others are doing); this is accomplished via our intrinsic goodness (being of service to all, always and everywhere).
  • The ideas we freely share (give away) are first gathered via the 2-Slide MethodologyTM (module 06).

Being an Illuminating Mirror (module 08; 0.5 hours)

  • Understand the power in immediate and sincere expressions of gratitude and appreciation; how they deepen relationships.
  • Inspiration is contagious and it is attractive.
  • Shine your light onto another, see their perfection and beauty, reflect it back to them, celebrate.

Healthy Atmosphere for Negotiating (module 09; 1 hour)

  • We are always negotiating (or we should be) – having important conversations.
  • It begins with you – listen deeply, make things as simple as possible (no simpler), lovingly confront, and trust relationship itself.
  • Be soft on people, and tough on issues.
  • Be willing to stay in-the-between – between people, between companies, and between ideas – be the bridge.

Crucibles for On-Going Transformation (module 10; 1 hour)

  • Our most intimate relationships (in business those are strategic relationships/alliances) are where we can see the need for change (transformation), and where transformation can occur.
  • These relationships offer us gifts of transformation: deepened relationships (where all value-creation and value-exchange occur), leadership is redefined, more creative atmospheres, calling for trust via confrontation, productive community, overcoming scarcity and fear, being transformational agents of change.
  • These relationships will transform business, and change the world.

Developing Self AND Relationship (module 11; 1 hour)

  • Develop self by focusing on improving attitude and mindset, which is based on identity.
  • Develop relationship by focusing on the intangibles, which lead to tangible results.
  • Develop both by focusing where no one else can or will focus – changing attitudes in order to deepen relationship, via practical spiritual principles and practices.

Dialogue: the Heart of Relationship (module 12; 1 hour)

  • Discusses the meaning and importance of deep, rich dialogue (more than mere conversation).
  • Presents examples of dialogue, in terms of breadth (types) and depth, including inner dialogue (between mind and heart); critically important for the deepening of relationship.
  • “Clean talk” is overviewed, a process for discussing emotionally-charged issues (e.g., dysfunctional drama).

_______________

On-line training

These modules were created with content mostly derived from in-person training (above), modified based on unique client situations (e.g., a few new slides). These presentations are more current than the in-person modules (listed above).

Strategic Alliances: Creative Relationships (1 hour) – video presentation (13:06 – a quick overview)

  • Strategic relationships/alliances create value (co-development); they are about much more than just value-exchange (co-marketing, co-selling).
  • Value gets unlocked by dealing with both the tangible and especially the intangible issues (e.g., trust, openness and even love) – the intangibles enables tangible results.
  • Summarizes the process of, and power, in the 2-Slide MethodologyTM (module 06) via real-world examples from HP/Microsoft, and HP/SAP strategic alliances (module 01).
  • Backup slides cover: transactional vs relationship perspectives, SRM role, achieving personal and relationship success, ideas and behaviors that deepen relationship, the divine nature of relationship itself, deep dialogue, and love.