Build relationships and collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders

This standard is about building working relationships and collaborating with colleagues and stakeholders from different teams, departments, organisations, professions or sectors to support shared outcomes. You determine the information you need, gather and analyse evidence and understand people’s roles, responsibilities and expectations. You communicate clearly, promote inclusion and shared understanding and coordinate activity to support effective planning and delivery. You value diverse perspectives, respond constructively to concerns and adapt your approach when conditions change. You contribute to a positive working environment, strengthen collaboration across organisational boundaries and support colleagues to work together effectively.

This standard applies to managers and leaders at all levels across all sectors.

1. Determine the information you need to build working relationships and collaborate across organisational boundaries to support shared outcomes.
2. Gather and analyse information from relevant sources to understand people’s roles, needs, responsibilities and expectations.
3. Communicate in ways that support inclusion, dignity and shared understanding when working across boundaries.
4. Listen actively to understand colleagues’ and stakeholders’ views, concerns, priorities and experiences and use this insight to support collaboration.
5. Share information that supports trust, collaboration, coordination and effective working.
6. Contribute to discussions in ways that support constructive outcomes and shared problem-solving.
7. Collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders to achieve shared goals and resolve issues to strengthen cross-boundary working.
8. Coordinate your work with colleagues and stakeholders across teams, departments, professions, organisations and sectors to support effective planning, delivery and shared outcomes.
9. Adapt your communication and behaviour to reduce barriers and support effective working relationships and cross-boundary collaboration to maintain progress and engagement.
10. Respond constructively to concerns raised by colleagues or stakeholders in line with organisational procedures to maintain trust and momentum.
11. Monitor behaviours and working relationships to identify factors that may affect collaboration and respond in line with organisational procedures to maintain a positive working environment.
12. Support colleagues to contribute their skills, knowledge and perspectives to collaborative work to strengthen shared ownership.
13. Value diverse experiences, backgrounds, roles, professional expertise and working styles to enhance collaboration and decision-making.
14. Identify emerging issues and opportunities for improvement in working relationships and cross-boundary collaboration to inform timely action.
15. Develop actions that strengthen working relationships and support collaboration across organisational boundaries to improve shared outcomes.
16. Apply relevant leadership, management and collaboration theories and models, and reflect critically on your performance and behaviour to strengthen how you build relationships and collaborate across boundaries.

1. The meaning and purpose of building working relationships and collaborating across organisational boundaries.
2. The factors that influence working relationships and cross-boundary collaboration and how these affect organisational outcomes.
3. How working relationships and cross-boundary collaboration influence performance, engagement and organisational outcomes.
4. How to determine and gather the information you need to support working relationships and collaboration.
5. How to analyse information to understand people’s roles, needs, responsibilities and expectations.
6. How to communicate in ways that support inclusion, dignity and shared understanding.
7. How to adapt your communication and behaviour to support effective working relationships and collaboration.
8. How to listen actively to understand diverse views, experiences and priorities.
9. How to collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders to achieve shared goals and resolve issues.
10. How to coordinate work across teams, departments, professions, organisations and sectors to support shared outcomes.
11. How to share information that supports trust, collaboration and coordination.
12. How to support colleagues to contribute their skills, knowledge and perspectives.
13. How to respond constructively to concerns and recognise behaviours that may affect working relationships and collaboration in line with organisational procedures.
14. How to monitor working relationships and cross-boundary collaboration to identify emerging issues and opportunities for improvement and develop actions that strengthen collaboration.
15. How leadership, management and collaboration theories and models can strengthen cross-boundary working, and how to reflect critically on your performance to identify opportunities for improvement.

The following values underpin this standard. They are integrated throughout the performance criteria and knowledge and understanding requirements and inform how individuals approach their work, make decisions and interact with others.

• Integrity - behaving consistently with organisational values when working with others.
• Openness - sharing information to support clarity and trust.
• Inclusion - valuing diverse perspectives and experiences.
• Respect - interacting with people in ways that uphold dignity.
• Responsibility - taking ownership of your contribution to working relationships.
• Collaboration - working with others to achieve shared outcomes.

The following behaviours underpin this standard. They are integrated throughout the performance criteria and knowledge and understanding requirements and inform how individuals approach their work, make decisions and interact with others.

• Act with integrity, aligning your interactions with organisational values.
• Be inclusive, valuing diverse perspectives and experiences.
• Act with respect, interacting with people in ways that uphold dignity.
• Communicate openly, supporting trust and shared understanding.
• Be collaborative, supporting colleagues and stakeholders to work together effectively.
• Take accountability for your contribution to effective working relationships.
• Consider wellbeing, recognising how collaboration and cross‑boundary working affect people’s workload, confidence and engagement.