Lessons Learned from a Workshop on Relationship Building

Openness and trust are key elements to sustaining any successful client-supplier relationship. When the relationship is transitioning from being arms-length to evolving into a true partnership, it is critical to establish a shared understanding of not only the current state, but also of the expected future state. A workshop organized and facilitated by a neutral party, with the senior leadership of both organizations provides an ideal means for articulating implicit assumptions and surfacing hidden challenges such that an actionable vision can be created. Using a recent workshop held with both EuroTel and IndiaCo, the key elements of the workshop are discussed, along with the lessons learned. Moreover, this workshop provides further insight into the mechanics of the evolution and governance of outsourcing relationships.