How to cultivate an ownership mindset in vendors and partners

Change Leaders gain an edge by cultivating an ownership mindset in the vendors and partners they work with.

An ownership mindset improves our ability to fine-tune execution and delivery processes and achieve the required outcomes.

This learning path builds on that by answering the question: how do you share and cultivate an ownership mindset with those you work with?

When you have completed this learning path, use this S3T Worksheet to help you put this learning into practice.

Here's what they didn't tell you

You'll need to cultivate an ownership mindset in multiple parties:

• The team that reports to you.
• The partners or vendors who don't report directly to you, but are obligated by contracts or other agreements.
• The individuals or teams who don't report to you, and aren't bound by contractual agreements, but whose contributions are still critical to the outcome. These may be subject matter experts, academic partners, board members, or other stakeholders whose expertise or support is needed.

Cultivating an ownership mindset in all 3 of these groups is a bigger challenge than what is usually presented in leadership learning materials that talk about ownership mindset. These materials usually focus only on cultivating an ownership mindset in your direct reports.

So why would you want to go the extra mile and take on the added challenge of cultivating an ownership mindset in these other parties?

Here's why: if these other parties aren't equally aware and committed to owning their role in the outcome, their lack of ownership will have a negative impact on your team's morale and ultimately their ability to deliver. The entire initiative and its outcome will be diminished.

The following points will help you learn how to cultivate an ownership mindset in your vendors and partners.

Why an ownership mindset matters in vendors and partners

It's logical to ask, why cultivate an ownership mindset in partners and vendors when you have a contract that tells them what they have to do?

Unfortunately, a contract alone doesn't guarantee success. You can likely point to situations where vendors fulfilled the letter of the contract, but the end results were far from satisfactory.

When vendors and partners work and engage with an ownership mindset, they are more likely to:

• Connect the dots and anticipate what is needed, vs. waiting to be told.
• Notice issues and opportunities - they're more awake to what is going on, vs. going through the motions.
• Take initiative, remove roadblocks and solve tough problems in a timely manner.  
• Be relevant: likely to be focused on the right things at the right times.
• Communicate in a more meaningful proactive way that allows you and the vendor to navigate challenges together vs burning time on root cause and "where things went wrong" exercises.

They are also less likely to dump issues on others or ignore festering situations that increase risks and costs.

How to Cultivate an Ownership Mindset in your Vendors and Partners

It had been a long meeting. The vendors didn't understand why we were so adamant about certain provisions in our agreement. Our team couldn't understand why the vendors were hesitating. Finally, the painful meeting came to a close and no one felt like anything had been accomplished. By all indicators, we were at a stalemate. This wasn't going to work out. And it was a shame.

We let everyone off the call, and I asked the vendor if I could talk afterward for a few minutes.

I thanked them for being patient with us. I told them I was glad they were bringing fresh perspectives, and that I thought it was very important for us to find a way to work together. They'd be good for us.

But, I said to them, there's something you need to understand.

What's that, they wanted to know.

I told them, Our customers mean the world to us. You have to understand we eat sleep, breathe, and live to take care of them.

I went on to explain how the provisions in our contract, as inconvenient or challenging as they may seem, are actually there to protect our customers. And I said, When you see us being stubborn and unreasonable, it's because we're scared. We're afraid something will happen that will negatively impact our customers. If anything ever happened to them, we'd never forgive ourselves, I told them.

Long story short, they came around and agreed to our terms. It wasn't easy for them, but they agreed to the terms anyway. Why? Because they were starting to care about our customers too. By agreeing to the difficult provisions of our agreement they were taking a small step toward owning the mission.  

Here are the 4 top ways to kindle an ownership mindset in your vendors and partners:

1. Make sure they understand your mission and the desired outcome in very specific terms. Let them know they can play a key role in accomplishing this outcome. This signals that this working relationship will be more than just transactional...it could be impactful. That's rare and it catches people's attention.
2. Build on that by translating your goals and mission into human impact. Spend time emphasizing the human aspect of the work...how people are being or will be impacted positively by what you're doing and how you're doing it.
3. Let them see and know how deeply you care. When you show that you care about something or someone, it impacts others. It motivates others to care too. Caring is contagious (the opposite is too).  Your vendors and partners need to know what you care about the most.
4. Be consistent in messaging and modeling your passion for your customers and mission in your daily behaviors. Your vendors and partners need to consistently see how much you and your company care about the people impacted - whether they are your customers, patients or members.  

Ultimately your goal is to encourage and nudge your vendors and partners to go beyond being simply transactional, to being purpose-driven - like you are. Let them see the opportunity they have to be part of something that has a clear positive impact.

They have a business to run, and...

None of this negates the fact that your vendors have to maintain financial viability. But it can and should bring an added dimension to their thinking when they are working and making decisions with you.

Ultimately an ownership mindset is good for both you and the vendor. You're in effect offering them the chance to develop a deep affinity with your firm - the kind of deep affinity that ensures long-term relationships and long-term success.

Vendor-client relationships - especially where technology is involved - thrive on two things: clarity and affinity. When you and your vendor are clear about the goal and you both have a common affinity for the positive impact that the goal is intended to achieve, you're both in a better position to succeed.

Yes, your vendor has a business to run, and here's the reality: your vendor's business will run longer and better with more impact if they're deeply engaged with the mission of their clients.

The secret superpower of an ownership mindset

Here's something to understand - about the position that your vendors are in:

Sadly for many vendors, the opportunity to have a clear positive impact is rare. Why? Because they largely have to do what their clients tell them to do.

The need for impact is everywhere. But if you are a vendor, your ability to address those needs and actually have a positive impact, depends heavily on the mindset and focus of your clients.

SO if you're on the client side, if you focus on doing something meaningful with clear positive impacts to individuals and communities, the smartest people and teams will prefer to work with you instead of others.

This is true for vendors and for any partner or stakeholder. Let your passion be evident, and it will start to kindle an ownership mindset and deeper level of commitment in those around you. People want to be part of something good and impactful.

Worksheet: Now that you have completed this learning path, use this S3T Worksheet to help you put this learning into practice. When you have reviewed and used the worksheet you are ready to move on to the next learning segments.

Congratulations! You have just completed the set of learning segments focused on activating Change Leadership at the Organizational Level.

Start learning how to activating change at the Industry or Macro Level by clicking here: Building and sustaining effective coalitions

Large-scale changes usually cannot be achieved by a single person or group. They usually require the combined resources and support of a coalition of multiple groups.