this isn't working

It took me 37 issues to realize I’ve been doing this completely wrong.

This newsletter started with partner programs.
What makes them work. Why they break down.
It broke down biases, offered frameworks, gave prompts.
It worked, until it didn’t.

Because the problem was never just about partner programs.
It was about behavior. Always was.

Not co-selling. Not certification tiers.
People.

The way we show up for others.
The way we don’t.
The way we stall, comply, appease, ghost, blame, rationalize, protect, withdraw, repeat.

Partnerships, external, internal, interpersonal – are where human behavior shows up loudest.
And that’s where we’re going next.

Still science. Still sharp.
But now we’re talking about partnerships as the mirror, not just the job function.

Why we default to the familiar, even when it’s failing.
Why trust erodes before performance ever does.
Why we overcompensate when we feel unseen.
Why “strategic alignment” is often code for emotional disconnection.

If you’ve been here for partner strategy, that’s not going away.
But it’s no longer the only conversation I care to have.

This is Partner Science 2.0.
Still behavior. Still evidence-based. But now: full context.
Because the patterns don’t stop when you leave the meeting.

I hope you’ll stick around.

Cheers!
Ann

Next week: why doing more is the safest way to never feel enough. A closer look at the over functioning loop, how it earns praise, hides fear, and slowly erases you.