text: Considerations to Achieve Unity of Effort
  STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
  3-54. Because successful partnerships depend on civil-military relationships, effective Soldiers take time to
  build relationships before engaging in shared planning for operations. Military personnel can facilitate
  effective interactions with partner agencies by understanding roles and responsibilities, developing
  alliances, fostering positive relationships, managing conflict, and building common ground and shared
  purpose. By engaging successfully with other partners, military leaders set the conditions for mission
  accomplishment.
  Understanding Roles and Responsibilities
  3-55. Army leaders allow time to understand roles and responsibilities, build relationships, and align
  missions with interagency goals. This time helps avoid unnecessary obstacles to collaboration, productivity,
  and cohesion. In situations where leaders have not received guidance on roles and responsibilities, they can
  minimize confusion and enhance effectiveness by building their understanding of roles and responsibilities.
  3-56. During the conduct of operations focused on stability, Army leaders work collaboratively with other
  organizations to define the most appropriate and essential roles for civilian and military agencies.
  Collaboration begins during planning and continues through preparation, execution, and assessment. Where
  security issues do not prevent nonmilitary organizations from helping the local populace, Soldiers prepare
  to play a supporting role in operations focused on stability. Military participants also prepare to work in
  informal or formal, integrated civil-military groups led by representatives from other agencies. Civilian
  partners often serve as decisionmakers rather than advisors to military partners, and Soldiers may not have
  the authority to direct civilian partners toward a particular action.
  3-57. Military members of interagency groups must remember that a military force alone cannot build
  long-term security and development. Within operations focused on stability, military leaders must act
  cooperatively rather than competitively, building strategic relationships to achieve coordinated goals.
  Organizations can increase collaboration by providing their representatives with a clear understanding of
  their organization’s functions and authority within the larger civil-military partnership. Regular interaction
  with interagency partners also contributes to an increased understanding of roles and mission requirements.
  3-58. Key strategies for understanding roles and responsibilities include—
  * Engaging civilian counterparts early to gain an understanding of their roles and mission
  requirements.
  * Defining clear-cut responsibilities for civilian and military partners to ensure mission success.
  * If possible, collaboratively determining roles and responsibilities for a particular task at the onset
  of consensus building. Each stakeholder participates in shaping his or her involvement.
  * When possible, avoiding the provision of aid as a military responsibility. Attempts to define
  roles and responsibilities should seek creative ways for Army forces to enable provision of aid,
  rather than delivering aid directly.
  * Considering military partners as enablers; working to help, inform, support, plan, and build
  capacity for others.
  * For new members to interagency partnerships, identifying roles through research and
  communication with contacts experienced in civil-military partnerships.
  * Conducting Army interactions with partners from other organizations collaboratively. This
  means Army commanders ensure they and their subordinates adopt a collaborative, whole-of-
  government approach.
  Developing Alliances
  3-59. To facilitate effective interagency collaboration, Soldiers develop networks and establish alliances
  with appropriate agencies. Sharing knowledge, skills, and learning opportunities is an effective strategy for
  building and maintaining alliances. Military team members can also facilitate effective partnerships by
  placing common goals above individual needs. As an example, military leaders demonstrate humility and a
  desire to work together by prioritizing mission goals over personal credit or professional achievement.