The EP3.dk Partnership employs a coaching model and is a relationship in which all partners (whether individuals or groups), value both their own and the other’s well-being. It is a relationship of essential equality based on our humanness, even when there are different roles, skills or other resources and degrees of power in a given situation. It also means we have mutual responsibilities toward each other.
Partnership implies a relationship in which each partner contributes their resources and power for the good of both or for a common purpose.
If I am sick, I’ll visit a physician (doctor, GP) who has knowledge and skills that I don’t have. I enter into a partnership in which each of us brings ourselves and our resources. In this context, I bring my money (or health insurance) in exchange for her services. But it also means that I bring my intelligence, my observations of symptoms and/or other conditions related to my illness, my willingness to take part in my healthcare, the examination, and follow her prescription (e.g. medicine, changing habits, diet, etc.). I have partnered with the doctor with the mutual goal of improving my health and well-being. Some of these resources we each bring are core values that characterize our relationship as an ethical partnership.
An ethical partnership requires each person or group in the relationship to act and speak with integrity to several ethical core values:
Each partner takes ownership of what they bring into the relationship (e.g. feelings, words, actions and resources). It’s not just the absence of a negative input, but the responsibility of contributing positive inputs that strengthen and build the quality of the relationship.
Accountability means that we are honest with ourselves and one another about our contributions to both the problems and the solutions. Accountability requires a deeper level of transparency . . . to let the other(s) see what we are doing (or not doing) and reporting about our successes and failures.
Respect is honoring the dignity and equality of everyone. It involves communicating with each other and behaving towards one another only in ways that demonstrate the value of the other.
Care and value for the well-being of all, equally
We must also develop a consciousness, an awareness, of how our own behavior and words, policies and procedures, impact the ‘other.’ To do that, we each must listen and take into consideration the concerns and the impact of our actions on others.
This means sharing benefits and burdens in a way that does not intentionally exploit or place excessive burdens on others for personal gain.
Integrity means consistently operating (e.g. speaking, acting, behaving) in congruence with our core values. Integrity is honesty of being. Part of the definition of integrity is that it is complete and unreduced. Partially matching one’s core values indicates a compromise of integrity. Yet at the same time, full integrity is an unachievable perfection; an ideal. We will all fall short of consistently acting with integrity every day in every relationship. Part of integrity is honestly expressing this limitation but continuously striving towards the ideal.
Collaboration means to work together for the well-being of all. If we collectively pool our experience and resources, we can accomplish much more than one person or group on their own.