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Kimble/Zetty
4201 Monterey Oaks, #1618
Austin, TX 78749
512-892-3304

info@kimble-zetty.com
kz@austin.rr.com

Kimble-Zetty.com
Partnering-Solutions.com
Open-Space-Technology.com

Partnering is a proven approach to team building and
collaborative project planning that enhances team
performance and project management effectiveness by:
  establishing a clearly focused vision, and shared
      goals and objectives.
  developing a deeper appreciation of team member
      values, needs, strengths and differences.
  analyzing the driving forces, constraints and
      critical path of the project.
  developing creative approaches to problem solving.
  mapping clear channels of internal and external
      team communication.
  strengthening consensus building and issue
      resolution skills.
  designing practical "action plans" that build in
      accountability and follow-through.
  establishing clear guidelines for evaluating both
      project performance and the Partnering relationship.

Partnering is a flexibly structured process that typically
begins with an initial 1-2 day Partnering workshop,
scheduled in advance of the project start-up.  Additional
informal Partnering sessions are conducted on an
as-needed basis throughout the course of the project.
At the project's conclusion, a final Partnering session
is frequently held to evaluate and celebrate the project's
success.  

Because of its versatility as a project management
strategy, the Partnering process may be applied within
teams, between teams, with customers and/or across
organizational boundaries.

Potential Partnering Applications
  Launch new strategic alliances 
  Launch new projects during programming, design and construction 
  Kick-off construction with combined Partnering/Pre-construction
      meetings 
  Proactively address project issues and challenges in incremental
      "look ahead" meetings 
  Review progress and plan ahead at project "milestone" meetings 
  Address and resolve conflict when/as needed
  Coordinate commissioning 
  Review "lessons learned" at project close-out
  Partner internally to focus on "in-house" project coordination
      and information sharing issues, challenges and lessons learned

Benefits of Partnering
  Enhanced communication and collaboration
  Improvements in:
      - Team performance
      - Project safety
      - Decision-making
      - Schedule management and time savings
      - Cost control and budgetary savings
  Increased opportunities for innovation and
      value engineering
  More creative and effective problem-solving
  Increased productivity
  Better quality projects, products and services
  Reductions in:
      - Accidents
      - Punchlists and rework
      - Change orders
      - Paperwork
      - Conflict, claims and litigation

Our Partnering Facilitation Goals
  Tailoring the Partnering program design to meet
      the project planning and management needs of all
      the key stakeholders.
  Coaching for and encouraging open communication
      and collaboration between and among all the
      stakeholding groups.
  Maintaining a strong "results-oriented" focus to
      insure the development of practical, job-specific
      Action Plans; clear Issue Resolution Ladders; and
      well-defined Communication and Responsibility 
      Matrices.
  Maintaining a client-centered flexibility and focus
      that will allow "real-time" responsiveness to
      stakeholder needs and concerns during the
      Partnering sessions.
  Designing in a high level of participation and
      experiential learning for all workshop participants.
  Fostering an appreciation of Partnering as more
      than just an event, i.e., encouraging the recognition
      that Partnering is an on-going process and strategy
      for working together collaboratively.

Partnering Preassessment and Planning
We believe that every Partnering relationship is unique,
and we tailor all of our Partnering program and workshop
designs to the specific needs, issues and concerns of
all the stakeholding groups involved in the Partnering
process.

In addition, we place a strong emphasis on conducting
preassessment interviews and/or planning sessions
with the key partners involved in the project (either
in person or over the phone) in advance of the Partnering
meeting.  This enables us to provide our clients with
Partnering sessions customized to the unique needs of
the project team.

In addition to providing us with a better understanding
of background issues and stakeholder needs, these
preassessment interviews can also facilitate the
creation of greater trust and buy-in for the Partnering
process among the participants in advance of the
Partnering session.

Basic Elements of Partnering

The Spirit of Partnering
"The basic principle of Partnering is simple:  you have
to assume that the other parties are honest and intend
to do a good job.  You have to believe that the only
way you can have an effective team is to create win-win
relationships that begin with respect...Partnering is
a strategy for success.  In over three years'
experience we have:
    (1) virtually eliminated time growth, 
    (2) substantially reduced cost growth,
    (3) experienced no new litigation, 
    (4) reduced paperwork by 2/3,
    (5) gained new respect for our
          industry partners, and 
    (6) we are HAVING FUN!"
		Colonel Charles E. Cowan, Director
		Arizona Department of Transportation

"To partner is to act on our awareness of our
interdependence.  To partner is to serve, support,
and inspire the unleashing of everyone's full
potential.  It is based on a belief that others
are inherently able and that we serve each other
best when we view ourselves as partners in the
discovery of both our abilities.  In so doing,
we foster our own and others' growth and development.
To partner is to act on our awareness of mutuality,
to learn from each other and learn together.  
To partner is to work together to serve self and
others in pursuit of something greater than ourselves."

"Partnership is based on trust and integrity....
To partner is to know we are safe enough to
experiment...and to view trial and error as the
road to invention....To partner is to honor the
wisdom in the system, to learn from what works
and what does not work....To partner is to build
personal power and to value relationships more
than structure.  To partner is to hope and to dare."  
			Jill Janov
			The Inventive Organization:
			Hope and Daring at Work