Know me
What are my preferences and strengths, and what might I miss? What helps me do my best work?
← The Lab Series
Know me. Know you.
Collaboration Lab
Know me. Know you.
Work better together.
A one-day team experiment from the Lab Series. People explore how they work, discover what colleagues need from them, and test small changes on a real work challenge.
Our hypothesis
A clear goal is only half of teamwork. The other half is understanding the people you are building it with.
Experiment
Experience
Learning Journey
The method
Three questions, tested together.
This is a day of experiments, not a day of slides. Each activity gives the team something to notice, and each one feeds the next.
Know you
How do my colleagues like to communicate, decide and receive information? How do they work under pressure?
Work better together
What small change can I try? What will we agree as a team, and keep using after today?
The experiment log
One day, five experiments.
This is one illustrative Lab design. Activities, tools and outputs are shaped around your team and the agreed brief.
- Experiment 01
The Missing Blueprint
The questionWhat happens when we start before we see the bigger picture?
The experimentTables build freely, then the goal changes, new conditions arrive and everything has to connect.
What we noticeWho “together” really includes, what information was missing and what helped the work move.
- Experiment 02
Decode My Human Manual
The questionHow do I work best, in my own words?
The experimentEach person reads their manual and marks what fits, what needs nuance and what they want others to know.
What we noticeThe manual is a starting point. Its owner corrects it and adds their own experience.
- Experiment 03
Meet the Experts
The questionWhat does each colleague need from me?
The experimentEveryone is the expert on themselves. They choose what to share, then small groups try it out on everyday work situations.
What we noticeWhere styles complement each other, and where a difference needs translating.
- Experiment 04
The Real-Work Challenge
The questionDoes any of this work when the pressure is on?
The experimentMixed teams take on a fictional but realistic case, built around the handovers and pressures your team knows.
What we noticeAt the mid-point, teams pause, reopen their manuals, adjust and carry on. Then they replay what changed.
- Experiment 05
The Collaboration Formula
The questionWhat will we keep doing on Monday?
The experimentThe team turns the day’s discoveries into three to five working agreements in its own words.
What we noticeEveryone leaves with one small personal commitment to try at work.
Running all day: the Discovery Wall
A shared place to record helpful behaviours people notice, and what they want to practise. These are observations, not ratings.
The heart of the Lab
The Human Manual.
Every person receives a personal guide to working with them. It turns behavioural tendencies into conversation starters that its owner can check and change.
Not a personality label. It doesn’t measure skill, leadership ability or performance, and only what its owner chooses to share is discussed.
- 01Key FeaturesWhat I naturally bring
- 02Working With MeCommunication, pace and decisions
- 03Optimal ConditionsWhat helps me do my best
- 04Handle With CareWhat may be misunderstood
- 05TroubleshootingWhat helps when pressure rises
- 06My FlexWhat I will adapt for others
A small reaction
The Flex 10% experiment.
We don’t change personalities. We practise small, deliberate adjustments across different needs.
Fast“Can we decide now?”
Detail“What evidence do we need?”
Direct“Let’s name the issue.”
Harmony“Let’s preserve trust.”
Flexible“We can adjust as we go.”
Structured“Who owns the next step?”
Three questions to ask: What does this colleague need? What can I adjust? What should I ask instead of assuming?
Lab safety rules
A safe place to experiment.
People try new things when they know they aren't being judged. These rules hold for the whole day.
- Different does not mean difficult.
- No individual scores or ratings.
- Your manual belongs to you. You choose what to share.
- Preferences are not skill, competence or performance.
- Observers record what happened, not personalities.
- Everyone contributes in their own way: speak, draw, write or plan.
The protocol
From preparation to everyday work.
- Before
Prepare
We agree the goal with the leader, explore real pain points and prepare mixed tables and Human Manuals.
- Lab day
Experiment
The team works through the day’s experiments, guided by facilitators, with observers noting team-level patterns.
- After
Make it useful
The team leaves with its agreements. Where agreed, the leader receives a Discovery Snapshot and debrief.
- Day 30 · Optional extra
Check back
A separate facilitated check-back to review what changed, what stuck and what needs adapting.
The results
What each person, team and leader takes away.
Human Manual
A personal, editable guide, with discoveries about colleagues and practical ways to flex. Its owner chooses what to share.
Working Agreements
Three to five simple, visible commitments: what people will try, when they will use it, who will support it and when the team will review it.
Discovery Snapshot
Team-level patterns, examples of what was observed and priorities for the next 30 days.
A Lab creates space to practise and learn. If individual assessment is also needed, its purpose, criteria and use of findings are agreed separately.
Your next experiment
What would you like your team to try?
Tell me what is happening in your team, and we can explore what a Lab could look like. The Lab Series overview is available on request.