The client who asked for more

Photo from ‘A Fish Called Wanda’ (1988)

What happens when the ground shifts beneath a long-standing business relationship? When the familiar patterns that once felt secure suddenly feel insufficient?

A few years ago, I got involved in a profound transition that began with what felt like a threat. The largest customer of one of our clients issued a challenge that seemed to shake the foundation of their partnership: "We need more value than annual premium adjustments and claims handling. We need you to anticipate the fundamental changes in how we operate."

The stakes were real. Competitors circled, offering lower rates. The customer was ready to increase deductibles to cut costs dramatically. What had been a comfortable, predictable relationship was suddenly moving into uncharted territory.

When comfort starts to chafe

Our client—a medium-sized captive insurer specializing in public-sector insurance—had built its expertise over years of steady, reliable service. They knew their domain inside out: risk management, claims processing, regulatory compliance.

Their customer was transitioning from a government organization to a privatized entity, suddenly needing to find their way in a market they had no experience with. The familiar way of working together, which had always served them well, started to chafe.

What emerged in our exploration together: both organizations were being challenged to something neither had experienced before—a genuine strategic partnership.

Beneath the surface

The challenge wasn't about insurance products or pricing. It was about complex change—both organizations learning to deal with forces they couldn't control, finding new ways of working.

We started by listening to what was going on. In one-on-one conversations with stakeholders, a pattern emerged that felt familiar yet surprising: the relationship had settled into the comfortable predictability of a long marriage. Effective for daily operations, but lacking the vitality needed for what lay ahead.

The collaboration revolved around a few key players. Their interactions were smooth but had become routine. There was competence, but the energy for new possibilities was gone.

Making space

We didn't impose a solution. We created conditions for something new to emerge.

We broadened the conversation. New voices at the table—people with different perspectives, different energy, different questions. The familiar dynamic shifted. Where there had been predictable exchanges, curiosity emerged.

We started small experiments. Instead of discussing partnership in theory, we began co-creating small projects. This allowed both organizations to experience what working together differently might feel like.

We honored existing expertise while staying open to what could grow through the partnership.

What unfolded was better than expected: solutions emerged that neither organization could have created alone. Financial benefits materialized. Most meaningful: our client was invited to board-level conversations about operational risk—a level of partnership that had been unimaginable just before.

What this taught us

This collaboration taught us something fundamental about partnership and complex change.

The most valuable thing we offer is our willingness to venture into unknown territory alongside our clients. Our knowledge, experience, and networks become truly powerful when we deploy them as resources for a shared journey of discovery.

Midcorp organizations have a unique gift: the agility to transcend boundaries. We don't need to have all the answers in-house. Our networks, our willingness to connect clients with others who can help them, our capacity to coordinate rather than control—these are valuable sources.

The courage to invest in our clients' transitions, even when it takes us outside our comfort zone, creates deeper relationships than transactional exchange. We become indispensable partners when we're willing to face uncertainty alongside our clients.

An invitation

This partnership emerged because both organizations were willing to let go of their need for control—and discover what was possible.

The most valuable partnerships don't come from planning. They come from the courage to step into the unknown, trusting that the capacity for meaningful change already exists within the relationship.