The two development components—the Stages of Partnership Development and the Stages of Relationship Development—will help you to understand the way partnerships work best and give you the tools to evaluate your relationships and pinpoint where to make changes. The best blueprint, however, is only as good as the user. For the Partnership Continuum model to be successful, you’ll need the skills to read the blueprint and then implement it. Throughout the rest of Part One I will explain each section of the model and show you how to use it both diagnostically (to see how your partnership is doing) and prescriptively (to show what you can do to improve your partnership). I’ll also go into greater detail about the Six Partnering Attributes that make up your Partnering Intelligence. Along the way you’ll find all the assessments and other tools you’ll need to help you assess and increase your PQ.

There is a saying inscribed on a plaque that hangs in my office: “The better I get, the better we get.” For me the sentiment behind those words captures the essence of partnership. Partnership is about helping you get what you want. And the better you know what you want, the better your partners can help you achieve it.