alignment

This Is the Time for Partnership

There’s a lot of uncertainty in the market right now. Big headlines. Big layoffs. Big tariffs. Inflation is squeezing margins. Prices are rising. Forecasts are increasingly unpredictable.

In moments like these, it’s tempting to retreat—to double down on short-term cost control and prioritize immediate wins over long-term strategy. But if there’s one lesson we should carry forward from the challenges of COVID, it’s the importance of resilience.

And I’ve found that resilience isn’t just about weathering the storm—it’s about how well we work with others when the pressure is on. That’s why partnership matters more than ever.

Throughout my career, I’ve focused on catalyzing communication, trust, and forward-looking planning between end users, suppliers, distributors, and internal teams. That collaborative space—where challenges are addressed head-on instead of passed down the line—is where real, lasting value is built.

But here’s the thing: these relationships can’t just be reactive. True resilience is built before the storm hits.

Partnership and collaboration should be embedded in day-to-day business practices—not reserved for times of adversity. When trust, alignment, and open communication are part of your operating rhythm, adaptability becomes much easier when challenges arise.

One of the biggest shifts I’ve seen recently is around brand loyalty.  Early in my career, I questioned pricing strategies that leaned too heavily on customer dependency. I remember being told, “Once it’s specified, changing it takes an act of Congress.” And at the time, that was true—customers grumbled, but paid the increases. It felt arrogant.

But things changed.

During tariff hikes and post-COVID volatility, some suppliers introduced “temporary” surcharges that quietly became permanent. Some suppliers used the moment to boost margins –at the cost of trust. Even as raw material costs dropped, prices stayed high—then came the usual 3–4% annual increase layered on top. Customers felt it more than ever. 

Whether my role is with a distributor or manufacturer, I’ve always advocated for the customer—working both sides of the equation to plan ahead through forecasting, blanket orders, shared inventory, and transparency. The goal isn’t just to lower costs—it is to improve operations, support continuous improvement, increase resilience, build perspective, and build strong, supportive partnerships.

That work helped us mutually adapt to market volatility.

The biggest change I’ve seen over the past 22 years is customers themselves. Burned by shortages and price hikes, many are now far more open to change—even if it takes time.

Those alternative equipment samples I gave away years ago for testing? They’re now displacing legacy products at lower prices, with better features. Today, loyalty hinges on the value a supplier brings—and how they show up when it matters most.  Suppliers unwilling to collaborate, especially in adversity, are increasingly being replaced.

We can’t navigate this landscape alone.  We need to lean on each other—suppliers, customers, and cross-functional teams—to share insight, mitigate risk, and plan proactively.

The companies that thrive in uncertainty aren’t the ones that tighten their grip. They’re the ones that build trust—long before it’s tested. True partnership is a daily practice, not just a crisis response.

Let’s keep listening. Let’s keep aligning. Let’s build resilience—together.

This post was inspired by dialogue on Michael Worden’s recent post on the topic, join the discussion!

The Power of Vulnerability and Transparency in Building Strong Relationships

In both business and life, relationships are what matter most to me. Over time, I’ve learned that the best relationships are built on transparency and integrity—two qualities that enable individuals to reach a place of vulnerability. When we embrace vulnerability, we open ourselves to sharing openly, building trust, and aligning both personally and professionally.

Approaching interactions with honesty and mindfulness makes daily exchanges smoother. There’s no guessing about what the other person is thinking and no need to tiptoe around the “right” thing to say for fear of upsetting someone.

However, achieving this level of clarity and ease doesn’t happen overnight. It requires intention, consistent effort, and mutual agreement. It also means ensuring you have the right people in the right roles.

I remember when I became upset with a partner over something as simple as dirty dishes. Instead of washing them, he kept adding to the growing pile in the sink. I pointed out the pile, but he didn’t clean it, assuming I would take care of it. The unspoken expectation left me feeling taken for granted—like a maid. In frustration, I decided to let it go and see how long it would continue. Every day, the pile grew, and so did my frustration and sadness. After a week, I exploded. He was completely caught off guard. “Why didn’t you just tell me you wanted me to do them?” he asked. To me, it seemed obvious. I had pointed out the pile, after all.

Through a candid conversation, I realized it wasn’t a deliberate act of negligence on his part. The dishes simply weren’t a priority for him. He had always relied on me to take care of them, and he didn’t realize how his assumptions were affecting me negatively.

At the time, I was reading The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni, one of my favorite reads. It helped me see things in a new light. In it, Lencioni discusses the importance of vulnerability in fostering organizational health. One quote stood out to me:

“At the heart of vulnerability lies the willingness of people to abandon their pride and their fear, to sacrifice their egos for the collective good of the team. While this can be a little threatening and uncomfortable at first, ultimately it becomes liberating for people who are tired of spending time and energy overthinking their actions and managing interpersonal politics at work.”

This idea made me reconsider my approach to communication, both at home and at work. I realized that vulnerability—openly expressing my needs and frustrations—is essential for building trust and understanding.

I became more deliberate and mindful in my communication. At work, I shared Lencioni’s books with the leadership team, and we began discussing them in our monthly meetings. I also brought relevant passages into my team meetings, using them as conversation starters for exercises designed to strengthen trust.

One of these exercises sparked an important conversation within my team. One employee, feeling exposed, shared how uncomfortable it made her when a colleague copied me on emails. She felt it suggested she was doing something wrong. The other employee was surprised by this perception (so was I). “I’m just dealing with the same issue you are and have been reporting it to Britni,” he explained. “I was just keeping her in the loop so she could see that the problem wasn’t limited to my account.”

This conversation marked a turning point. Slowly, we began sharing more perspectives and building stronger bonds. We started to understand each other’s intentions, strengths, and weaknesses. As a result, we anticipated each other’s expectations and concerns more easily. Our communication became smoother and more efficient, and problems were resolved more quickly without emotional tension.

For instance, instead of immediately copying me on an email, the employees would first discuss the matter and agree on whether to involve me, ensuring ownership and mutual buy-in. Rather than letting frustrations fester, we began asking more questions like, “What made you say that?” or “Can you elaborate?”

As I worked through Lencioni’s framework, I found that vulnerability and honesty became powerful tools in fostering alignment in my strategic planning, employee development, and customer engagement processes. These principles also influenced my personal relationships. For example, instead of letting my frustration over the dirty dishes build up, I simply ask, “Can you please do the dishes today?” My partner responds by washing them.However, while I believe everyone should work toward fostering these qualities in their partnerships, teams, and relationships with customers, I also recognize that it doesn’t always come together. As I mentioned earlier, it requires intention, consistent modeling, practice, and mutual agreement. Not everyone is willing to put in the effort. Sometimes, people need to be moved around or removed from the bus. And sometimes, you realize you’re simply on the wrong bus, and you need to know it’s time to get off.