Mar 6, 2026 | News and insight, Tools
In the previous article, we explored why successful projects depend not just on technical expertise or commercial strategy, but on the strength of relationships between individuals and, importantly, between organisations. The focus was on how we can apply relationship theory to improve project delivery. Schein & Schein’s “Level 2” relationships, where partners are open, aligned on needs, and view each other’s success as intertwined, represent the theoretical “sweet spot” for effective delivery.
These relationships can be foundational to the delivery of a project or programme, and so it is vital that they are developed in the right way. This is not just about building an environment where everyone is nice and friendly, but where they have an aligned vision, are able and willing to constructively challenge, are comfortable raising issues and know what is expected of them. These relationships will not materialise just because we’d like them to. We cannot assume that because everyone in an environment is experienced and professional, that they will also seek to understand the need for and value the relationships needed for successful delivery.
The desired relationships, therefore, need to be intentionally built into the way a project or programme is set up from day one. As Professor Bent Flyvbjerg references a project leader observing: Projects don’t go wrong. They start wrong. So moving beyond the theory to the practical, how can we set up to ensure we start in the right way?
Here are some principles to project setup that we’ve developed over time at ResoLex to begin building the relationships, teams and environments needed to deliver successfully:
- Don’t assume good will ‘just happen’
As touched upon above, good relationships require space and structure to grow, and if you do not take the time to proactively drive this aspect of your delivery approach, it will languish. In the early stages, you may get away with this, but when complexity grows and challenges hit, the lack of adaptable or resilient relationships will undermine every aspect of delivery.
- Understand and align values and goals
This is especially relevant for complex programmes that comprise multiple interconnected projects, but is applicable to any environment comprised of multiple teams or organisations. Each group comes in with its own culture, language, and definition of success. Bringing these into alignment – and creating a shared vision – is essential if you want a “best for project” mindset. As we discussed last time, fundamental to this is taking the time to properly understand and appreciate one another’s needs and wants, and where those differ.
- Value difference
While it’s important to ensure you understand and align values, it is equally important to ensure you don’t stifle innovation. Alignment should provide a ‘north star’ to work to, not set a single way of working or thinking. It is the differences between people that drive change and improvement, and the key in project setup is creating a proactive management framework that identifies and uses these differences to drive positive behaviours rather than conflict.
- Make it a leadership priority
If leaders are measured on elements of team development and relationship quality, they will make time for it. If they’re not, it will always slip down the agenda. The social aspect of delivery is, unsurprisingly, a cultural item. If it is not driven from the top and given priority, it will be forgotten. This leadership then also grants permission for others to invest the time and effort needed to build effective working relationships across the project and programme.
- Build psychological safety into how your project operates
Psychological safety is a cornerstone of effective working relationships. If the people in your project feel unable to openly constructively challenge, they cannot build the trust needed to achieve true Level 2 relationships. Embedding a culture that values this supports an environment where issues can be openly raised and addressed as early as possible, driving effective project delivery.
The look ahead…
Setting up relationships is only half of the job, because too often, great starts are undermined by complacency and erosion over time. These relationships need managing, maintaining, and developing as the project evolves. We’ve explored some of the initial steps you can take and questions to ask yourself here, however, we will look at the longer-term approach, including how we can ensure that what we’ve built is embedded, enduring and adaptable, in a follow-up article.
Relationships are foundational to delivery. And like any foundation, they have to be deliberately laid.
Tom Chick is an Associate Director at ResoLex specialising in building effective working environments in major projects. If you want to learn more about how to get the most out of your professional relationships, contact Tom here or connect with him on LinkedIn.
Feb 25, 2026 | News and insight, Social value
We are incredibly proud to see Concordis International nominated for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, a truly significant and well-deserved recognition.
Concordis’ work is grounded in the patient building of sustainable relationships in places where conflict has fractured trust and stability. By working alongside local leaders and communities, they help create the conditions for dialogue, understanding and long-term peace.
We are proud to support Concordis International, an organisation whose impact is shaped by the courage and commitment of local peacebuilders working in some of the most challenging environments in the world.
Congratulations to Concordis International and thank you to the Quaker organisations who have recognised the importance of this work.
Read the full article here.
Concordis International is an international non-governmental organisation (INGO) based in the UK, operating in the Central African Region: Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Sudan, Abyei and South Sudan. We are peacebuilders. Concordis staff support those who live in conflict zones. We only go where we are invited. We have twenty years of experience – our expertise lies in building trust with all conflict parties and bringing them together to have those difficult conversations. We work hand in hand with communities, helping them find workable solutions that address the root causes of conflict and contribute to lasting peace and economic development. We are committed to finding sustainable solutions that benefit all those involved: women and youth, as well as men; local administrative authorities, community leaders, and civil society; those who choose to take up arms and those who don’t. We engage for the long term to build trusting relationships and leave a legacy that enables future conflict to be managed peacefully within the community.
To find out more about Concordis International, visit their website.
Jan 28, 2026 | News and insight, Social value
At ResoLex, insight, creativity, and partnership shape how we work with our clients and how we contribute beyond our projects. Mentoring is one way we put these values into practice, creating positive impact by sharing experience, building confidence, and supporting the next generation of professionals.
Mentoring allows us to offer practical guidance and encouragement to students as they navigate key transitions, from university into working life. It’s a natural extension of our client work: building capability, fostering collaboration, and creating environments where people feel supported to thrive.
Over the last year, Joanna Jarvie, one of our Senior Consultants, has been part of a mentoring programme with City St George’s, University of London, which connects students with industry professionals for guidance and support.
For Jo’s mentee, that support took many forms, including preparing for interviews and assessment centres, practising case study presentations, connecting with other professionals for a research project, and offering advice on the first steps of working life. Together, these conversations helped build confidence and clarity about what comes next.
The student reflected:
“Jo was a fantastic mentor and provided brilliant support and guidance during my final year at university. She was always approachable, patient, and generous with her advice. The feedback she gave really helped me grow in confidence and feel more prepared for life after graduation.”
Mentoring benefits everyone involved. For the mentee, it builds confidence, skills, and direction. For the mentor, it offers space to reflect, share experience, and gain fresh perspectives. And for the wider industry, it helps create a pipeline of motivated, well-prepared professionals.
Jo is continuing her mentoring work throughout 2026, and we’ll keep sharing stories that show how our Social Value initiatives contribute to lasting impact.
Jan 19, 2026 | News and insight
At ResoLex, the way we work matters as much as what we deliver. Our Associates play an important role in shaping that – bringing challenge, insight and experience that help create the conditions for effective delivery in complex environments.
While our 25in25 anniversary marked a moment to pause and reflect, our focus now is on what continues beyond it. In this spotlight, Matt Barnes-Smith reflects on how he first came to work with ResoLex, what’s kept him connected over time, and why consistency, care and integrity in how people show up makes a real difference.
I was first introduced to ResoLex around nine years ago, at a point when I was actively searching for people in the construction sector who were prepared to name, and do something about, the patterns that make projects harder than they need to be: poor collaboration, adversarial behaviours, and leadership that too often defaults to control rather than trust.
What drew me in, and what’s kept me connected ever since, is how the ResoLex team show up. They bring the same care, curiosity, and integrity to their work with each other as they do to their work with clients. That consistency really matters to me. It creates a way of working that feels honest, thoughtful, and genuinely supportive, not just in theory, but in practice.
Working with ResoLex feels like being part of a group that is willing to look at itself as well as the system it’s operating in, and to lead by example. That ethos aligns closely with how I approach my own work, and it’s why ResoLex continues to be a team I value and choose to work alongside.
We value Matt’s contribution, and the contribution of all our Associates, not just for what they know, but for how they work – their willingness to reflect, to challenge patterns that get in the way, and to lead with intent.
As we move beyond 25in25, we’ll continue to share the voices of the people who shape our work and our thinking, and who add to the ongoing ResoLex story. The culture that Matt describes is part of what’s led to ResoLex being recognised as a Great Place to Work in 2024 and UK’s Best Workplaces in 2025 for Consulting & Professional Services. As that culture continues to grow, we’re actively welcoming new people into it – we’re currently hiring for an Associate Manager role and always open to hearing from potential Associates who share our values.
Dec 1, 2025 | 25 in 25, News and insight
As part of our 25in25 series, we’re highlighting the people who’ve helped shape our work this year. Today, we’re recognising Jim Abbatt, whose practical approach to interface mapping has supported several teams working in complex environments.
Jim has a real ability to make the important connections visible – helping people understand how their work fits together, where the pressure points sit, and what needs attention next. This work that often goes unseen but makes a noticeable difference to how teams operate day to day.
His spotlight reflects the thoughtful way he approaches collaboration and the impact he’s had across multiple programmes this year. Read on to find out more:
“Most of my work sits at the busy intersection of people, process and pressure. With ResoLex I help teams map the interfaces that matter, turn ambiguity into clarity, and create the conditions for better decisions. The aim is simple. Less noise around the work. More signal about what has to happen next.”
I first partnered with ResoLex because of the way the team thinks. The mix of disciplines is real, the curiosity is genuine, and the work is grounded in delivery rather than theory. On complex programmes, there are always frictions at the handovers: design into delivery, programme into project, engineering into commercial. Interface clarity makes those handovers visible. Once you can see the work, you can govern it, resource it and protect it.
“The value is not the map on the wall. It is the conversation the map unlocks. Roles get clearer. Risks surface sooner. Decisions happen at the right level, at the right time.”
This year, the focus has been on three things. First, agreeing on what “good” looks like for each critical interface, from information flow to decision rights. Second, building lightweight artefacts that teams actually use: simple RACI shifts, meeting cadences that respect time, and visual logs that track dependencies without creating admin. Third, strengthening the behaviours around the system so collaboration holds when the pressure rises.
“What I enjoy about ResoLex is the climate. It is psychologically safe to explore an idea, invite a challenge and refine it together. That is how you move from clever slides to practical outcomes.”
There have been several moments this year where seeing how parts of the organisation actually fit together, rather than how people assumed they fit, has prompted challenging conversations. The difference is that those conversations remained anchored to reality, rather than a desktop view, and that is where progress came from.
Results show up in the day-to-day. The time to decision shortens because owners are explicit. Reviews are more likely to go through the first time because expectations are aligned. Escalations are calmer because the path is agreed and visible. None of this is flashy. It is disciplined, humane, and quietly powerful.
“Complex programmes do not need more slogans. They need clearer interfaces, steadier rhythms and leaders who make it easy for others to do their best work. That is the craft I bring to ResoLex, and why I keep coming back.”
A thank you to Sam Platten and Richard DaGama, two excellent consultants, and to the broader team for their engagement. It has been a pleasure working together this year.
I am proud to work with a team that blends different backgrounds yet shares the same values. The ResoLex approach respects context, invites honesty and leaves clients with tools they can run without us. That suits me. Help people hear the signal, then help them own it.
We’re grateful to our Associates for bringing their expertise, living our values, and helping clients achieve their desired project outcomes.
To find out more about interface mapping, read our article ‘From Friction to Flow: The Power of Interface Mapping in Major Projects’ on our website.
Nov 7, 2025 | 25 in 25, Events, News and insight
ResoLex worked with the Crossrail East leadership team to embed a structured approach to behavioural risk management, collaboration, and leadership alignment. Using our RADAR methodology, we helped leaders recognise the direct connection between behaviours and project outcomes, creating a new reporting process that surfaced risks early and informed decision-making.
Crossrail East involved complex works along the eastern section of the route, including track upgrades, station improvements, and new facilities to increase train capacity and reliability. While technical challenges were well managed, the leadership team faced a less visible risk: how behaviours, culture, and team dynamics could influence delivery. Recognising this, the Project Director asked us to help strengthen alignment, build collaboration, and develop a reporting framework that could highlight issues before they escalated.
We began by gathering data across the project to establish a baseline of behavioural and project risks. Through confidential interviews, leaders were able to share perceptions openly, surfacing the issues that mattered most to them. These insights shaped a facilitated workshop where the leadership team collectively analysed root causes and prioritised 20 key risk areas. Importantly, they also identified positive and negative behavioural indicators, giving them tangible signs to track and address.
The outputs were built into a monthly monitoring cycle, with RADAR reports providing leading indicators of risk. These reports highlighted where perceptions varied significantly across the team, enabling the Programme Director to focus attention on alignment and shared understanding. Over time, RADAR became central to monthly strategy meetings, shaping agendas and guiding discussions, and giving the leadership team consistent visibility of behaviours and their impact on risk.
The approach quickly expanded beyond the leadership team to include the wider programme, supporting collaboration across Network Rail, Costain, and Signalling Solutions. The result was a stronger culture of accountability and transparency across the programme and supply chain.
As Project Director Ben Wheeldon reflected:
“To successfully deliver [one of] Europe’s largest infrastructure projects required us to clearly and succinctly identify, rationalise and manage a very unique and complex set of challenges, risks and opportunities. ResoLex not only helped us identify those which potentially had the biggest impacts but also prioritise them and develop, implement and monitor our mitigation plans.”
By embedding behavioural insights into governance and reporting, the Crossrail East leadership team gained a clear, structured way of surfacing risks and turning them into actionable insights. This gave leaders the tools to manage complexity with greater confidence, reduce misalignment, and strengthen collaborative decision-making.
Ultimately, the work helped the team move beyond individual perspectives to build a shared understanding of risks, creating the cultural conditions for resilient delivery on one of Europe’s most complex infrastructure programmes.
