The Heller School for Social Policy and Management
Relational Coordination Collaborative

Workshops & Courses

Facilitating change with relational coordination principles requires skill.  Edgar Schein and Tony Suchman wrote in 2011: 

"Such work requires the involvement of skilled coaches/consultants with experience in group dynamics, systems work, conflict resolution, and the teaching of emotional self-management. For all these reasons, we urge you not to tread lightly or naively into the realm of interventions. Be prepared to invest the necessary time and resources and be sure you have access to the skills and experience that the work requires." 

Below are workshops and courses offered by members of the RCC community.  These workshops and courses offer change skills from multiple disciplines, with attention to both technical and relational skills and the synergies between them. 

We invite RCC members to post their workshops and courses here, enabling other members and the broader community to register.

submit your workshops and courses for posting

Relational Coordination Master Class Program

Faculty:  Olawale Olaleye and Jody Hoffer Gittell

The RC Master Class Program helps participants develop the capacity to use relational coordination to achieve desired performance outcomes. Participants will be introduced to the concept of RC, how it works, how organizations shape it and how they can diagnose the current state, identify the desired state and move organizations in that direction.  

RC Basic Credential

Complete the 8-hour workshop 

RC Advanced Credential

Complete 6 hours of coaching and change project using RC Analytics Platform

RC Master Credential

Demonstrate expertise leading RC change using RC Analytics Platform

Faculty Information

  • Olawale Olaleye, BPharm, MBA, PhD (Astrozeneca; Relational Coordination Analytics)
  • Jody Hoffer Gittell, PhD (Brandeis University; Relational Coordination Analytics)

Wale OlaleyeJody Hoffer Gittell

Relating Across Difference - An Improvement Process for Clinical Units

Facilitators:  Wale Olaleye, Anthony Suchman and Jody Hoffer Gittell

Relating Across Difference is a coaching program that offers a relational approach to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).  Participants learn to build relationships of shared goals, shared knowledge and mutual respect across professional and social identity differences as they lead organizational change and performance improvement.  Participants are supported by workshops and ongoing coaching from RAD instructors, including Wale Olaleye, PhD, MA, MBA, BPharm, Anthony Suchman, MD, MA, and Jody Hoffer Gittell, PhD. 

RAD is a relational approach to DEI that

  • Develops relationships based on shared goals, shared knowledge and mutual respect across both professional differences (e.g., nurse, doctor, medical assistant, pharmacist, patient care assistant, administrator) and personal differences (e.g., race, gender, class, political views, immigration status, age) thereby reinforcing interprofessional practice training and diversity, equity and inclusion training.
  • Uses relational coordination as a validated model for coordinating interdependent work.
  • Uses a coaching model to help participants build relationships across difference as part of their organizational change and performance improvement work.
  • Was developed and tested in partnership with Cleveland Clinic/Case Western Reserve University, Massachusetts General Brigham, and The RELATE Lab at Oregon Health Science University.
  • Is based at Brandeis University's Institute on Healthcare Systems, supported by the Josiah Macy Foundation, the Consortium for Curriculum Development, and the Relational Coordination Collaborative.

Expected results

We expect that participants will experience higher levels of comfort with professional and personal differences than they were prior to participation.  As a result, they will experience higher levels of relational coordination, psychological safety, job satisfaction, work engagement, reduced burnout and increased intent to stay.  We expect that participants will be more successful in achieving desired performance outcomes than they were prior to participation.

RAD Toolbox

To help coaches and their organizations to disseminate the work, the RAD Toolbox includes 1) frameworks, 2) communication skills and tools, and 3) visualization and assessment tools.  This RAD Toolbox is publicly accessible through the Relational Coordination Collaborative.

visit the RAD Toolbox

Relational Dimensions of Improvement and Change (Relational Coordination Workshop)

Facilitators:  Dr. Marjorie Godfrey and the The Microsystem Academy Team

Teaches the origins of relational coordination (a theory developed by Dr. Jody Hoffer Gittell) and multiple change models and interventions that can be applied in practice. Participants will work with a real team and “learn by doing.”

Programs are held in Fall and Spring. Click here to see dates and learn more. Can be customized to provide in local contexts based on identified needs.

Team Coaching Program

Facilitators:  Dr. Marjorie Godfrey and The Microsystem Academy Team

Blends the art and science of team coaching, improvement science including measurement, and effective communication and team-building.

Programs are held in Fall and Spring. Click here to see dates and learn more. Can be customized to provide in local contexts based on identified needs.

Team Communication and Relationships Program

Facilitators:  Tina Foster, Cindy George and Marjorie Godrey

Highly interactive 5 session program that improves communication, relationships and partnerships among interprofessional members of health and social systems. Topics include the communication cycle, relationship building communication, conflict engagement, negotiation, relational coordination, resilience, partnering with those that you serve, humble inquiry and equity.

Programs are held in Fall and Spring. Click here to see dates and learn more. Can be customized to provide in local contexts based on identified needs.

Resilience and Well-Being Program

Facilitators:  The IEHSS Team

Research has shown that team coaches are essential in supporting busy frontline teams who provide care and services and continuously improve their processes and systems. COVID has further reinforced the role of the team coach to offer encouragement, praise, reframing, reminders, and celebrations of efforts to improve healthcare outcomes. Team coaching has always emphasized the “humanistic” side of improvement while implementing and testing technical change. Now more than ever, the “humanistic” side of improvement, including promoting resilience and well-being in individuals, teams, leadership and organizations, is essential to support post-COVID burnout, poor morale, mental health challenges and compassion fatigue. Participants have access to a novel research-based web application (RēsWell App) that assesses individual and team well-being and provides recommendations for improvement.

Click here to see dates and learn more. Can be customized to provide in local contexts based on identified needs.

RC Training, Brandeis