Connected Understanding

• Earn credibility through listening before proposing solutions
• Build relationships across organizational boundaries
• Use structured approaches to understand problems deeply

While work on psychological safety demonstrates why trust matters in organizations, this framework goes further by asserting that relationships must precede technical work. In engineering organizations, there's often pressure to jump straight to technical solutions. However, experience has shown that investing time in building cross-functional relationships first—especially across organizational boundaries—leads to better problem definition and more innovative solutions. This isn't just about building trust; it's about creating the foundational networks that enable technical excellence and deep problem understanding.

Daily Practices

• Practice active listening. Focus on understanding before proposing solutions.
• Build trust before you need it through regular informal conversations with stakeholders
• Apply techniques like "5 Whys" during discussions to uncover root causes