There’s something not really in tune with the meaning we commonly give to the word “partnership.” That is, the commonly understood definition that partners must be balanced, on the same level, rather than one above or below the other.

Partnership is certainly not what Phaedrus was alluding to in his fable, “The Wolf and the Lamb.”

In manufacturing, many a buyer—I’ll say based on poor knowledge or understanding—compels all its suppliers to register to some management standard or other, regardless of the individual performance of each supplier. It’s a common, but quite shortsighted, interpretation of “partnership.”

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