Relational Coordination Toolbox

The Power of Relationships for Creating Positive Change

Relational coordination is a powerful method for working better together to create value for leaders, co-workers and customers. It is a complement to lean and other improvement methods, and a well-validated method in healthcare and other sectors.

How can we deliberately intervene to change both organizational structures and relational dynamics in order to produce sustainable, cost-effective, high-quality outcomes?  To address these questions, Professor Jody Hoffer Gittell worked with Amy Edmondson, Edgar Schein, Tony Suchman and other colleagues from many fields of research and practice to develop the Relational Model of Organizational Change. 

The Relational Coordination Toolbox below offers frameworks, interventions and assessment tools to help organizations build relationships of psychological safety, shared goals, shared knowledge and mutual respect across differences.

The Relational Model of Organizational Change

The Power of Difference

Differences associated with professional and social identities bring a broad array of perspectives, life experiences, values, know-how, approaches to problem solving and more.  These differences are an enormous resource for innovation and adaptation. The unique view of any one person may stimulate a whole new solution.  If not managed well, however, these same differences become sources of conflict, tension and power struggles about whose views are ‘right’ and whose perspectives will prevail. 

Which way things go depends upon the group members’ communication skills; do they make it safe enough for people to share their unique views and are they able to listen with enough open-mindedness to consider new ideas? 

The Relational Coordination Toolbox below includes frameworks, assessment tools and intervention tools developed by Wale Olaleye, Tony Suchman and Jody Hoffer Gittell to help organizations leverage the power of difference.

Learn about RAD project leaders, sites and curriculum here.

 The Relating Across Difference Model of Change

Relational Coordination Toolbox

Frameworks and Models

Assessment Tools

Intervention Tools       relational interventions      work process interventions      structural interventions

FRAMEWORKS AND MODELS

Relational Coordination what is it? video - THE POWER OF A SIMPLE IDea (jody hoffer Gittell) chapter - new directions for relational coordination theory (Jody HOffer Gittell) article - revisiting relational coordination : a systematic review (rendelle bolton et al) presentation - relational coordination in the community (Jody Hoffer gittell)

Relational Leadership what is it? chapter - relational leadership (Jody Hoffer gittell) article - team-based leadership training intervention (anders gron et al)ARTICLE - IMPACTS OF AN INTERPROFESSIONaL RELATIONAL LEADERSHIP training ON WELL-BEING (samuel edwards et al) article - an antidote to what's ailing healthcare workers - a new/old way of relational leadership (brian park et al)

Relating Across Difference what is it? Relational approach to Diversity equity and inclusion article - fumbling across difference (sandra cha et al) article - workforce diversity, relational coordination and firm performance (hun whee lee & eun kim) Video - Dangers of a single story (Chimamande idichie) video - how love can help repair social inequality (Chloe Valdary)

Relational Model of Change & the Six Stages of Change What are they? background research foundations chapter - relational interventions (jody hoffer gittell) chapter - Work Process Interventions (jody hoffer gittell) chapter - structural interventioNs (jody hoffer gittell) video - transforming relationships for high performance (Jody Hoffer Gittell)

ASSESSMENT TOOLS

Relational Mapping What is it? article - Seeeing the whole together through relational mapping (lauren hajjar et al) Worksheet VIDEO - relational mapping

RC Survey What is it? history and validation article - how to use rc survey when teammates don't connect (Tony suchman) Online platform  - RC survey

Organizational Structures Assessment Tool (OSAT) What is it? presentation Worksheet ONLINE platorm - Org structures assessment tool

INTERVENTION TOOLS

Relational Interventions What are they? chapter - Relational Interventions  (Jody HOffer Gittell)

Psychological Safety what is it? VIDEO -  BUILDING a PSYCHOLOGICALLY SAFE WORKPLACe (Amy edmondson)

Humble Inquiry What is it?Video - humble inquiry, the gentle art of asking instead of telling  (edgar schein)

Relational Legacy What is it?

Cone in a Box What is it?

Managing Conflict Around Differences What is it?

Relational Repair What is it? video role play - relational repair

PEARLS What are they?

Building Shared Goals What is it?

Building Shared Knowledge with Conversations of Interdependence What is it?article - when teammates don't connect  (Tony suchman)

Building Shared Knowledge with Conversations of Identity What is it?

Building Mutual Respect what is it?

Work Process Interventions What are they? chapter - Work process interventions (Jody hoffer gittell) article - barriers to quality improvement (neil baker, tony suchman & diane rawlins) article - theoretical foundations for lean (john mcmackin & patrick flood)

Structural Interventions  what are they? Chapter - structural interventions (Jody hoffer gittell) relational job design selecting for teamwork training for teamwork Shared accountability Shared rewards Shared conflict resolution Shared meetings and huddles Shared protocols

The Relational Model of Organizational Change