Grooming Investment Calculator
A quantitative framework to calculate the minimum relationship investment (grooming period) required before value extraction in a coalition.
A quantitative framework to calculate the minimum relationship investment (grooming period) required before value extraction in a coalition. Based on coalition complexity factors, it determines required timeline and activities for trust-building.
When to Use Grooming Investment Calculator
Use when planning a coalition to determine how much time and resources to invest in relationship building before making major joint decisions or extracting value from the partnership.
How to Apply
Assess Coalition Complexity
Score four factors on specified scales to calculate total complexity (range 3-40): Geographic distance (1-8), Cultural difference (1-10), Size differential (1-10), Previous relationship (0-10).
Questions to Ask
- Geographic: Same country (1), Same continent (3), Cross-continent (5), Global (8)?
- Cultural: Same industry (1), Adjacent (3), Different (6), Opposite (10)?
- Size: Within 30% (1), 2-3× (4), 5-10× (7), >10× (10)?
- History: Prior collaboration (0), No history (5), Competitive history (10)?
Outputs
- Total Complexity Score (3-40)
Calculate Required Grooming Period
Minimum grooming period (months) = Complexity Score / 2. Examples: Score 10 = 5 months, Score 20 = 10 months, Score 30 = 15 months, Score 40 = 20 months.
Outputs
- Minimum grooming period in months
Define Grooming Activities
Allocate time across three phases: Phase 1 Listening (30-40%): Executive exchanges, joint task forces, cultural immersion. Phase 2 Relationship Building (40-50%): Small joint projects, social events, problem-solving together. Phase 3 Trust Testing (10-20%): Pilot integration, share sensitive information, joint mid-stakes decisions.
Outputs
- Activity plan by phase with timeline
Calculate Total Investment
Sum: Executive time (senior executives × % time × months), Manager time (managers × % time × months), Pilot costs (real resource commitment for trust testing). Renault-Nissan example: 7 person-years executive + 20 person-years manager + $100M pilots = $125M total.
Outputs
- Total grooming investment in dollars
- Expected ROI calculation