On my mind of late is community engagement partnerships and relationships. Conversations with colleagues and some other experiences have made me realise the things I hadn't planned for or acknowledged, namely (yup, it's thread)...

The well-known challenge of them being formed for professional reasons but also unavoidably, I think, inherently personal. I am not convinced they work without a degree of emotional investment, which then puts you in a bit of a vulnerable position when it comes to boundaries

And the biggy, the Exit Strategy. Individual people may change when partnerships are still be needed for ongoing work. Should we be talking the Exit Strategy at a project's very inception, business style https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/business/trends-and-insights/articles/why-every-partnerships-should-have-an-exit-strategy/? (I think @JoHoltan has written on this?)

The power dynamics fluctuate. It is not as simple as which organisation is biggest with the most money. Sometimes the elephant desperately needs that mouse. Over the past few months, fluctuations have seemed rapid and at least 2 of my partnerships have flipped semi-permanently

When do you make it formal, and should you? A chat with @uerskine yesterday made me realise that this really is like couples - no one right answer. Some remain rock solid for decades precisely because there is nothing formal in place. For others, it's the only way to progress

And in thinking about the above, I return to the stories of band arguments, splits and walk-outs. Bands are also where the professional, emotional and personal collide. Reading this thread http://ibreathemusic.com/forums/showthread.php?12815-Your-most-common-band-arguments&p=111151, I can think of so many work-linked analogies!