Partnership as the Core of How We Work
Sage Presence has been around for 23 years, and from day one, Dean and I have been true 50/50 partners. That partnership mindset has shaped everything we’ve done. And the more I look at the professional services world—especially AEC—the more I believe partnership is the foundational structure underneath it all.
The World Is Built on Collaboration
Firms team up constantly to work on projects. Architect–engineer–contractor combinations, owner–consultant alignments, contractor–subcontractor pairings—every project is a web of collaboration. And at its best, that collaboration behaves like a partnership, even when the legal or contractual relationship doesn’t formally call it one.
Yes, power dynamics still exist. A GC hires a sub. An owner hires a design team. A senior leader hires a junior employee. Hierarchy is real. But increasingly, people want to be treated like partners, not like subordinates.
Generational Shifts Are Changing the Dynamic
We’re in a moment of generational evolution. Many senior professionals came up in systems where authority flowed top-down. Younger professionals came up in a world that values empowerment, voice, psychological safety, and equality.
That creates tension. Seniors may feel juniors haven’t “earned” authority yet. Juniors often assume they have a right to step forward, contribute, and influence. That tension isn’t a problem—it’s a sign of transformation.
The Modern Model: Equal Partnership
It’s similar to how marriages have shifted over the decades. What used to be a hierarchy is now, in most cases, a true partnership. Professional relationships are moving the same direction. People want mutual respect, shared voice, shared investment, and shared ownership of outcomes.
What Does Partnership Mean to You?
I’d love to open this up. How do you see partnerships evolving in your world? What power dynamics are shifting? What does an “equal partnership” even mean in practice? And how does it compare to the way things used to be?
This is a conversation worth having—because the way we define partnership today will shape how we collaborate tomorrow.
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