The Art of Networking

Interested in becoming or finding a Partnership Advocate?
Contact Michael McGill for more information: mmcgill@visionSynergy.net

 

The Problem

From the beginning to the end of the Scriptures we see God working to restore unity between all things and calling the Church to join him in this effort—reflecting the unity of the Trinity and working as one body. Yet, too often the Church around the world has a reputation of creating divisions and building silo organizations.

The Vision

We at visionSynergy (vS) have a passion to see the Church of the future known for its unity in both word and deed. As God gives people visions of how to live out his love in a broken world, we want believers to first ask, “Who else is already serving in this way? How might we be able to work together?” and “Do I have the skills to cultivate an effective partnership?” We want to support contemporary young people’s desire and aptitude toward connectedness by equipping them with the skills of how to develop and sustain effective partnerships. Our vision is that the default mode of operation of Christian ministry globally would be that of effective partnership and collaboration.

Do you share this vision? If a group sees the need for building the partnership skills of believers in its city, country, or region and decides a person with aptitude for this task could be freed up from within its ministry or network to serve in this way, visionSynergy would be happy to discuss what we could do to develop this person’s capacity.

visionSynergy recommends that the role description of this Partnership Advocate (PA) include these skills and responsibilities:

1. Seek out groups that desire custom-tailored partnership training
   and training tools offered through the existing training programs of
   organizations, networks, or other groups.
2. Advocate for the use of formal courses on kingdom partnership
   offered for credit at Christian colleges and universities.
3. Provide some partnership awareness and introductory partnership
   training.
4. Consult for a limited number of partnerships when the Partnership
   Advocate is ready to do so.
5. Encourage use of a shared database of partnership trainers,
   trainings, and networks.
6. Link individuals and groups who desire partnership training to
   existing tools, capable trainers, and coaches, particularly when the request is from a group of organizations or networks.
7. Identify new Partnership Advocate candidates and explore their
   potential availability.
8. Connect groups and individuals to existing networks and
   collaborations.
9. Cultivate a community of believers in the Partnership Advocate’s
   region who are also committed to the cause of equipping younger leaders with partnership skills.

visionSynergy can offer the following guidance and support at no cost to a Partnership Advocate:

1. Help develop the Partnership Advocate’s role description and operational strategy for his/her region in a way that synergistically connects with his/her group’s aims and with other Partnership Advocates globally.
2. Provide training for the Partnership Advocate.
3. Mentor the Partnership Advocate.
4. Connect the Partnership Advocate to visionSynergy and other
   partnership training tools, trainers, and events.
5. Help deliver new training resources, tools, and events if the Partnership Advocate identifies new resources, training tools, or training events strategic in increasing the partnership skills of younger leaders.
6. Provide ongoing introductions and referrals to leaders, networks,
   and groups working in the Partnership Advocate’s region.

To ensure that we can properly support the agreed Partnership Advocate, visionSynergy requests the following commitment from participating groups:

1. Develop a clear plan for how the Partnership Advocate and his/her related expenses will be provided. (visionSynergy does not fund Partnership Advocates.)
2. Require that the PA serve for a minimum of 18 months, offering 30% or more of his/her time (may be less for a local PA).
3. Create an agreed Partnership Advocate role description and strategy.
4. Draft a clear plan of how the Partnership Advocate will be locally supported on a day-to-day basis in a team environment.
5. Protect security sensitive information with appropriate measures .
6. Work in unity wherever possible with existing networks.
7. Participate in an annual regional or international partnership
   planning meeting to establish ongoing long-range plans to coordinate and expand a growing partnership movement.
8. Provide regular updates to visionSynergy regarding progress and
   challenges.
9. Collaborate with other Partnership Advocates to share information, resources, strategies, and if helpful, to develop cross-regional cooperative efforts.
10. Direct Partnership Advocate to measure growth by tracking these tabulations:

• Number of groups given training or partnership tools and the level of those trainings or tools
• Number and age range of people trained
• Number of partnerships these trained people establish

Filed under: coaching, collaboration, education, mentoring, partnerships, skills of collaboration on July 20th, 2010