ABSTRACT
Alliance Best Practice (ABP) suggests that the competencies of a good Strategic Alliance Manager (SAM) are linked to the Common Success Factors (CSFs) of successful strategic alliances. ABP defines external management skills as the ability to implement a range of CSFs in business-to-business relationships, and capability as the ability to recognise which skill is relevant at which time for which type of relationship. This chapter examines the CSFs and the skills required for the four different types of business-to-business collaborative relationship: transactional, enhanced, collaborative and partnership. The main skill of collaborative negotiation lies in negotiating the best possible commercial terms while avoiding damaging the relationship. Many alliance professionals believe that collaboration and partnering is based on personal contact and regular interaction with key stakeholders in the partner organization. The ability to design, implement and manage an issue escalation process suited to the size and complexity of the relationship, with regard to the number of identified key stakeholders.
