The first step is to decide what actions we should take to accomplish a task. Breaking down a manufacturing or sales process or a performance procedure into its parts is not hard to do.We also need to plan our relationship. We need to single out the components of the relationship that we agree are important: the nature of the relationship and how we’ll resolve conflicts, make decisions, and communicate. Like the logical steps in accomplishing a task, these preparations can lead to an open, constructive relationship. Whether we’re working on a task or the relationship, we cannot proceed
without a plan.

We carry out our plan.We do the activity.We solve problems, make decisions, and communicate just as we had planned.

Did we follow our plan? Did we end up where we thought we would? Did the relationship work out as planned? The phrase “reality check” is popular in business discussions today—we can get so wrapped up in activity, in the busyness of working hard, that we forget to stand back and see how we’re doing. In this step, we should primarily observe how well we’ve implemented our plan. What new information do we need to consider in the partnership?