Loom

Form follows function applies to the structure of the Strategic Relationship you choose to enter into, ranging from a Partnership or Alliance to a Merger, Acquisition, or Joint Venture. The same principle applies to the roles people fulfill in making the relationship work. Roles follow function. Consider two of the most important roles in a Strategic Relationship: the Executive Sponsor and the Strategic Relationship Manager. An Executive Sponsor is not defined by a job title.

You said yes. Your company is now committed to a Strategic Relationship, and you are the Executive Sponsor. So what exactly are you supposed to do now? The first part of the Executive Sponsor role happened before the relationship began. You were the person with the authority to commit your organization to the relationship, to say “yes” to its existence. But once the Strategic Relationship exists, being the person who said yes is no longer enough. Once the relationship exists,