Here’s the scenario:
I am the general manager of a sandbox. In this role I get to decide who can come in and who I don’t want. It is new, but my playmates were actively seeking such a sandbox and it quickly becomes a place filled with people who want to come and play.
I decide to open my sandbox to playmates for free; but, I will have some maintenance expenses so I am charging the toy providers a small fee. After all, they are the ones who want to encourage the use of their toys by my playmates so that when they leave my sandbox, they will want to go and buy the same toys since they are so much fun.
Now, I had one toy provider (the pail) approach me early – even before I finished building my sandbox. They asked for certain things and after I talked it over with some of my playmates we thought it was a good idea. After we publicized this, hoping to draw some attention, other toy makers (the shovel and the truck) decided that it wasn’t fair that they got the first spot; and, as some do, simply took their toys away from the sandbox.
So, now I have a sandbox, with some toys in it, and my playmates are happy. But, it’s pretty obvious to everyone that the major toys – the shovel and the truck – are not playing with us. I’ve gotten questions.
When it first happened, I told the shovel and the truck that it was simply the pail asked for what corner they wanted to own first, and they got it. In fact, I was able and willing to give the shovel and truck the corners they wanted as well. But, they were upset thinking that the pail’s corner was the biggest.
In reality, everyone could have won here. There is room. The pail, shovel and truck all could offer their toys to my playmates. A decision has not yet been made on a favorite toy in this sandbox. It’s still new and growing.
Looking in from the outside, take this into a business context. Think about your partners. How do you respond when partners put “demands” on your relationships? Do the rules change when the partner is more “strategic?” I have no answers, I tried. But, I need your help. What would you tell the shovel and truck? Would you tell the pail, thanks, but I have to change our agreement so you could accommodate the shovel and truck. Or, would you tell the shovel and truck, pound sand?
