Relational Coordination Collaborative Logo

Welcoming You

At a time when positive change is urgently needed around the world, we welcome you to join the Relational Coordination Collaborative.   We are an open inclusive global community of researchers and change leaders working across multiple sectors to build relationships of shared goals, shared knowledge and mutual respect to achieve high performance and positive change.  Founded in 2011, we are a membership organization based at The Heller School at Brandeis University.

Relational coordination is a mutually reinforcing process of communicating and relating for the purpose of task integration - a significant driver of desired outcomes when work is interdependent, uncertain and time constrained. 

The power of a simple idea (video)

Relational Coordination and the Starling’s Secret (video)

Relational coordination has been tested by researchers in over 73 industry contexts in the healthcare, education, human services and commercial sectors, and in over 36 countries in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.  See here for a systematic review of findings by Rendelle Bolton and co-authors. 

Relational coordination is highly measurable and practical,  inspiring tools such as the RC Survey (RCS), the Organizational Structures Assessment Tool (OSAT) and Relational Mapping.  Check out the RC Toolbox here.   And become a member here.

Highlights

Roundtable 2026 - November 12-14 in Oslo Norway

In today’s turbulent world, systems change is an ongoing requirement.  Systems are made up of interdependent stakeholders acting at multiple levels, from direct service delivery to policy making. These stakeholders are linked by relationships, for better or worse.  At the 16th Annual Roundtable, we will explore how to create and study systems change by building relationships of shared goals, shared knowledge and mutual respect at each level of the system.

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER HERE

Relational Work, Gender and Power - May 14, 3-4:00 ET

Why, if connection is the basic site of growth and human development, have conventional models so emphasized separation, independence, and individuation? And why, if relational skills and attributes are key to the growth-fostering and learning process for all humans have they been historically devalued and disassociated with power and leadership?”  Join Joyce Fletcher and Darren McLean to explore strategies to empower relational work.

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER HERE

RC SURVEY

The RC Survey is a validated tool to make relationships visible, developed by Jody Hoffer Gittell in the context of the flight departure process, and now used in many industry contexts around the world.  The RC Survey is a highly flexible tool that predicts a wide range of performance and well-being outcomes, and is used both for research and for improving outcomes.  To support your use of the survey, our partner Relational Coordination Analytics offers measurement, analytics, consulting, training and credentialing.

LEARN MORE HERE

How RC Transforms Organizations

In Healthcare

"Our RC work seems to have improved and sustained employee engagement... RC gets at the patient in a very employee-centered way. In the short time we've been using it, people feel inherently more valued and more important. It shows the providers how much everyone does."

-VP of Nursing, Primary Healthcare Organization

In Communities

"We haven't had a tool before for measuring this. One thing is talking about networks; now we can see it."

- Director of Social Health and Employment, Varde Municipality, Denmark

In Education

"Before it was very much about your measures and your data, and no one able to see them but the individual teacher.  Now it's - we're all responsible for all these students and we all own the data.  It's not about pitting people against each other."

- Assistant Superintendent, North Reading School District