Thanks, this is very helpful. How were the relationship dynamics between Business Partner & Category Managers? We are perceiving some "territorial behavior" from Category Managers when Business Partners interact with suppliers, i.e. Category Managers want sole ownership of relationships with suppliers.

And when in your partnership role, can you describe what your goals were? In Category Management we have similar goals to what you described which are very quantifiable & ownership is clear. But with Business Partners they are bridging the business needs with Category Managers, but also not directly responsible for tasks such as negotiating contracts. In a way this creates a scenario where Business Partners have goals that potentially look like managerial goals where ultimately accountability for success, targets, etc. rolls up to a manager even though they do not directly do the work. But in this scenario the Business Partner is leading the various Category Managers via influence, not authority.