The Seven Questions Exercise for Building Stronger Team Relationships

“We don't need to be best friends in order to have a sound working relationship. But you do need to know each other as people. … It doesn't take a great deal of effort to learn those kinds of things about people and the benefits can be pretty big.” - Peter Axelson

“You really need a basic amount of trust in and respect for each other. While you definitely want to see other positive attributes in a relationship, these two, trust and respect, they are the absolute must haves. So everything else, all the little things that make relationships run well, they all can be sorted out.” - Winnie da Silva

In this podcast episode, Winnie and Peter discuss the importance of sound interpersonal relationships within a team, which is a fundamental building block in Peter's Team Development Methodology. 

Episode Highlights:

Definition of Sound Relationships

In the context of a team, sound relationships are characterized by a basic level of trust and respect. While not needing to be best friends, team members should know each other beyond their professional roles and engage with each other on a personal level.

Impact of Relationship Quality

Even one problematic relationship within a team can significantly hinder the team's effectiveness. Dysfunctional relationships lead to distractions and unproductive behaviors, affecting the entire team's performance.

Common Reasons for Neglecting Relationships

People often discount the importance of building strong relationships within teams due to a belief that relationships will naturally develop over time. There's a misconception that work relationships will reach a "good enough" state without explicit investment. This passive approach often fails.

End Goal

The ultimate goal of focusing on sound relationships isn't merely to create great relationships, but to foster effective collaboration. Interpersonal relationships are a crucial requirement for successful teamwork and collaboration.

Not All Relationships Can Be Repaired

In some cases, relationships can be too badly-damaged to be repaired. The two important factors in determining this are the degree to which trust and respect for each other have been eroded, and the degree to which the two people are willing to do the very hard work of putting the relationship back together.

How Relationships and Collaboration Are Intertwined

Effective collaboration relies on sound relationships. Damaged or underdeveloped relationships can undermine collaboration, while poor collaboration often contributes to strained relationships.

Enablers of Cross-Boundary Collaboration

To improve relationships and collaboration, a tool with six "enablers of cross-boundary collaboration" is introduced. These enablers include:

• Knowing the person beyond the basics
• Understanding the person's context or world
• Reviewing roles and points of interdependence
• Making explicit what you need and expect from others
• Making agreements for working together
• Establishing a process for ongoing, timely, and honest feedback

Using the Tool

Teams are encouraged to use this tool to identify and address areas where their relationships and collaboration can be improved. It can be particularly useful in teams for dealing with friction in relationships and/or ineffective collaboration.

Importance of Prioritizing Relationships

The podcast emphasizes that deliberately investing time and effort in building relationships and improving collaboration are fundamental parts of the job. Team leaders must prioritize this, setting the example for their team members.

Overall, the podcast highlights the critical role of sound interpersonal relationships within teams and provides practical tools and strategies to enhance these relationships and, in turn, improve collaboration.

Resources

Winnie da Silva on LinkedIn 

Get the whole season and the companion guide at Winniedasilva.com



E10: The Stories We Tell Ourselves with Peter Axelson