In February 2018, I was invited to share my thoughts in the print magazine “BIT. Business & Information Technology.”
One of the questions the journalist asked me was: what does business partnership mean to me? I answered briefly but succinctly:
“Only when partners respect and trust each other, work smoothly together — the project takes off.”
This phrase made it into the article. And the article made it into the online edition and the PDF version of the magazine.
Why BIT?
It’s a monthly business publication for those who want to effectively manage their business and themselves using information technology. Analytics, forecasts, trends. The audience: IT directors, company leaders, people who make decisions about implementing IT projects. Those who build and maintain enterprise IT infrastructure.
What was the article about?
About partnership in the Russian IT business. Experts discussed whether distrust between companies hinders the development of cooperation, what are the successful and unsuccessful examples of alliances, whether the problem of distrust can be solved, and how.
My position:
I disagreed that distrust is a total mental problem of Russians. In my experience, trust appears where both companies are invested in the success of the project. And if there is potential and interested clients, it’s better to go together rather than knock on the same doors from different sides.
I gave the example of KYOCERA Document Solutions: “…we have no direct sales in Russia, we work only through distributors and dealers. And thanks to mutual trust and respect, within six years we became market leaders. We openly discuss any issues with our partners — this helps us grow and develop together.”
What did this publication give me?
The realization that my views on business are of interest to the professional community. That I can talk about partnership not only from a marketing perspective, but also from the perspective of strategy, development, and human relationships.
And, by the way, the book by KYOCERA founder Kazuo Inamori on the company’s philosophical principles is truly a desk companion. Especially the chapter on trust. It teaches that sincerity and openness within a team help see problems clearly and create a harmonious work environment. And this principle works excellently in partnerships between companies as well.
The article is still in the BIT archives. And I still believe that real business is about respect and trust. Without them, not a single project — no matter how great — will take off.
