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Business relationships can be complex. Leaders and managers are regularly confronted by the need to end working relationships with clients, suppliers or service users. It can be challenging for all involved.
Such relationships could end for a variety of reasons. For example:
- your organization now has more specialized or sophisticated needs than your existing provider can offer
- you are able to source the products or services significantly cheaper elsewhere
- the other party has proved unreliable or unable to deliver what you have asked for
- the other party has made a significant mistake that you can’t overlook
Whatever the reason for ending the relationship, it’s important to do so in a professional manner. The following tips can help ensure this is the case:
1. Be Sure This Is the Route You Want to Take
Many of us will have been in a situation where our commitment to a business relationship has been tested - perhaps more than once. It may be tempting to end things in the heat of the moment. But it’s important to give yourself some space, consider the consequences and make sure that ending things is the best course of action under the circumstances.
Does the other party even know there is a problem? It may be clear to you that things aren’t working but without raising your concerns directly with them, you may be denying them the opportunity to improve or change. Also consider any extenuating circumstances that may be affecting the relationship right now but which may be a short-term issue. Chatting through your thoughts and feelings with a trusted colleague can help bring a different perspective and avoid a decision you might later regret.
2. Try to Avoid the Element of Surprise
No one likes to receive news that they had no idea was coming. So try to manage expectations. If things aren’t going well, it can help to ask the other party how they think things are going, as a route into an honest conversation.
Be sensitive to the other party’s situation. If your business forms a significant part of their income, for example, or they are heavily reliant on you in other ways, it’s important to give them as much advance notice as possible that things are likely to end. This will allow them to make necessary preparations or adjustments, and budget for any shortfall in income.
3. Think About the Medium and the Message
As with any difficult conversation, it’s important to give a ‘break up’ conversation some thought and planning beforehand. If possible, try to meet up in person or pick up the phone. Email is less personal (although it may be the only practical option at times). Texting or instant messaging is not the medium for the job. When you have the conversation, stick to the facts of the matter and try not to get caught up in the emotion - yours or theirs.
Once you have had the initial discussion, follow things up in writing to formalize the split, discuss any contractual obligations on either side and any outstanding actions or deliverables that need to be fulfilled. This will help provide clarity for both parties and avoid any misunderstandings.
4. Provide Meaningful Feedback
Whether you’re ending a largely successful working relationship or one that has finished on a sour note, be prepared to be asked for, and to give, candid feedback. This can be a bit of a balancing act. Provide too much critical feedback and you risk upsetting the other person. Be too vague and you’re not helping them to identify any improvements that can be made. Also try to take into account what you know of them as a person when delivering the feedback, e.g. do they seem sensitive, or are they quite up-front? Ask yourself: if I was in their shoes, what feedback would I want to hear and what would be useful to me at this point?
5. Close the Door, Don’t Slam It!
Whatever the reason for ending a working relationship, try where humanly possible to end things on a positive note. Thank the person for the time and effort they have invested and highlight any successes along the way. If you think there may be (as yet unidentified) opportunities to work together in the future, say so. Alternatively, you might suggest, or offer to introduce them to, people in your network who might be interested in what they do.
Even if you know you are unlikely to want to work with a person or their organization again, avoid presenting them with a damning list of reasons why. Remember that people move organizations and you never know when you might meet them or even be required to work with them again. End things badly and they may also have some unflattering things to say about you or your organization on social media! It may help to picture yourself bumping into them at a future conference or networking event. What do you need to do when bringing this working relationship to a close, to ensure such a meeting would be cordial and professional, rather than have you ducking for cover?
