Some of our favorite projects include those where most people don’t even know we’re involved. That was the case when H2M, a Fargo marketing agency, needed an extra hand to work on an advertising campaign.

H2M had to identify locations where out-of-town videographers could film backdrops for a federal credit union commercial.

When H2M asked Reach Partners to take on this part of the project, we had about a month to find 20 diverse locations that could each host a video team for 30 to 45 minutes. In addition, H2M asked us to schedule the locations to limit travel time between each site.

Anita started calling – both places where she knew people and places where she didn’t. She soon had a list of locations and the times each site could be used.

Then the work started.

“The schedule was a big puzzle where I had to start inserting pieces and then move them around,” Anita says.

Within six working days, she handed H2M a schedule and secured permissions from each location. In addition, she had traveled to each site and took photographs so the out-of-town videographers had some visual information ahead of time.

“We were completely in the background with this project,” Anita says. “The H2M client didn’t even know we were involved.”

Check out the commercials:

Every company gets to the point where it needs to hire an outside vendor or consultant.
 
Maybe you’ve hired someone to assist with marketing materials or accounting needs. Maybe you’ve contracted with someone to help you determine future staffing opportunities or to complete a one-off project.
 
At Reach Partners, we often step in when a business’s internal team is too busy to complete a job or an organization needs our expertise in planning and problem-solving.
 
We’ve been asked to determine the best way to move 18,000 people from numerous parking lots to an event site in less than three hours. Our clients have hired us to launch a seminar series in three states and to keep a coalition of experts on task.
 
Every single time, we see ourselves as partners – not just vendors or consultants, but actual partners.
 
Huh? What’s the difference?
 
For us, being a partner means we’re a seamless extension of another team. We bring value and structure to a process, but we don’t take it over. Our favorite successes are when a client’s clients or colleagues don’t even know we’re part of the process.
 
So, how do you know when you’ve hired an actual partner – and not just somebody who completes the job?

1. They share a new bag o’ tricks. A project partner brings new energy and a new perspective to your work. One benefit of hiring a partner is that – for a period of time – you’ve expanded your team. As valuable as your everyday employees are, an outside partner can ignore office politics and the noise of daily work life to get a project done creatively.
   
   
2. They bring focus. A partner has laser focus on the scope of the project and what needs to be delivered. They are a no-excuses-let’s-get-this-done team member who only has eyes for the project and can put the brakes on getting pulled into another sideline project. 
   
   
3. They understand who owns the project. At the end of the day, it’s your project. Good partners take pride in helping you achieve your goals, but understand that it is your project, not theirs. It’s about you, your relationships, your team, your outcome and needs. A partner doesn’t steal the thunder.
   
   
4. They listen. A successful partner will work alongside your staff and use the processes you’ve set in place. (Beware: because they’re good partners, they’ll also recommend changes if they think there’s a better way to do something.) A partner will pay attention and actively listen to uncover the insights and untapped potential that will help your project succeed.
   
   
5. They’ll help you reach your goals and more. A partner delivers more than you expect. Sure, they complete what was agreed upon, but do it in such a way that it felt like more. They make the work feel effortless and fun. You bask in the compliments and can pat yourself on the back for choosing great partners.

 
Enjoy your partnerships!

 We are fortunate to work with so many great partners, which is why we are thrilled to share some of the exciting projects we’re doing with them.

The Fargo Project is one of those.

Working with The Fargo Project has been so much fun. It combines project management with public art, conservation, collaboration, community development and more – all areas that we are passionate about.

A little background:

In 2010 the City of Fargo partnered with the renowned ecological artist Jackie Brookner.

She interviewed community members and identified stormwater ponds as natural resources that could be transformed by involving the surrounding community in creative placemaking.

The pilot project at Rabanus Park (in southwest Fargo) also was initiated to demonstrate how local governments could actively involve residents in the planning and design process of projects.

Brookner, who lived in New York state, facilitated the initial planning and collaboration. After Brookner’s death in 2015, local leaders managed the project as it moved into the construction phase.

However, the team needed assistance to coordinate communication among its various stakeholders and partners, which grew to more than 50. The leadership team also needed help with event and volunteer coordination.

Reach Partners filled this role.

“Clear communication is crucial when a project is moving forward and there are lots of different stakeholders and participants,” says Nicole Crutchfield, city of Fargo.

“Thanks to Reach Partners, everybody on the planning team and advisory committee understands what’s happening and when. Rachel has become integral with the overall project management structure, helping the team strategize and achieve project outcomes. We’ve also been able to keep our other partners and the general public creatively engaged as the project progresses.”

Our work with The Fargo Project is ongoing – and we love every minute of it.

Check out its good work by clicking below or – even better – visit the site in person!

We’re excited to announce that Rachel will be one of the featured speakers for this month’s Group Think. The topic is walls.

She and Dr. Fauzia Haider, board of directors on the Center for Interfaith Projects, will start the conversation. It will then quickly open up to a Q&A and table conversation.

“We hope that people will share their personal stories with walls and bring those experiences into a global context,” Rachel says. “One of the challenges with walls is they’re two-sided. Nothing in life has only two sides.”

To prepare for this month’s Group Think, reflect on these questions:

• What walls – physical or psychological – have you experienced and how have they affected you?
  
• What walls have you created? Why?
• How do walls protect you?
• What walls define our community? Who do these walls benefit? Who do they harm?
• What walls should we dismantle? Maintain?
• Who has responsibility for bridging divisions?

Join the discussion:

5:15 p.m. Monday, March 6.
Sons of Norway Troll Lounge
722 2nd Ave. N., Fargo

Reserve your seat.