Curious to see the Colleague Manual in action?
Colleague manual
A New Way to Understand and Connect
What is the Colleague Manual?
The Colleague Manual is your team’s digital "player card"—composed of short videos and thought-provoking questions that go beyond typical workplace introductions. It allows team members to create personalized profiles that cover:
- What energizes them at work
- How they prefer to receive constructive feedback
- Ways they perform at their best
- Areas they’re actively working to improve
Each profile offers a unique view into how every team member operates, making it easier to collaborate, support one another, and thrive together.
Why Your Team Needs the Colleague Manual?
Strong teams don’t happen by accident; they’re built on trust, understanding, and psychological safety. Here’s how the Colleague Manual helps your team achieve this:
Curious about what these benefits could mean for your organization?
Increase Collective Intelligence
When team members understand each other’s strengths and working styles, collaboration flows more naturally, and problem-solving becomes more effective.
Encourage Psychological Safety
By sharing openly, team members feel safer expressing themselves, giving, and receiving feedback.
Build Connections, Not Stereotypes
Unlike personality tests, which often box people into rigid categories, the Colleague Manual promotes genuine self-reflection and growth, helping your team see each other as dynamic individuals.
Why Personality Tests Don’t Measure Up
Most personality tests give limited insight into actual workplace behavior and rely on categories that fail to capture the depth of a person.
The Colleague Manual, however, is built on the idea that real connections form through understanding, not labels. Instead of boxing people in, this tool allows team members to share what genuinely matters to them in the workplace, making it a foundation for stronger, more authentic connections.
How It Works
1. KickOff
A brief explanation for the group of why the Colleague Manual is created, what it aims to achieve, and why it is important to do one. (15 min video)
2. Choose the relevant questions
We help you in choosing the relevant questions for your team or organization.
3. Create Profiles with Video Introductions
Team members answer curated, work-relevant questions that go beyond typical introductions.
4. Gain Actionable Insights & Promote Continuous Growth
From work preferences to development goals, every profile is tailored for meaningful team interactions.
Use the insights to improve communication, collaboration, and support within the team.
5. Apply Knowledge Daily
Each team member’s unique preferences and strengths become visible, making teamwork smoother and more productive.
Fostering a Growth Culture with the Colleague Manual
Creating a growth culture—where learning, development, and psychological safety are prioritized—is essential for building resilient, adaptive teams. Organizational psychologist Robert Kegan emphasizes that high-performing teams flourish in what he calls a “Deliberately Developmental Organization” (DDO). In a DDO, every aspect of the culture is structured to support individual growth while working towards shared goals.
Unlock Your Team’s Potential with the Colleague Manual
The Colleague Manual is designed to support this growth culture by offering a space for team members to share:
- Personal development goals and areas they’re working to improve
- Honest reflections on past experiences, mistakes, and lessons learned
- Feedback preferences to encourage constructive conversations and foster continuous improvement
By integrating the Colleague Manual, your team can shift from a performance-only focus to a dynamic growth mindset. This aligns with Kegan’s idea of a growth culture that values learning, self-reflection, and open communication. Empower your team to embrace feedback, set and achieve personal goals, and feel supported every step of the way.
I particularly appreciated how the workshop was packed with real, everyday workplace insights, complemented by a touch of humor. It was great that discussions were collaborative, ensuring that no one had to respond alone.
— Workshop Participant
How the Colleague Manual Boosts Collective Intelligence
One of the core benefits of the Colleague Manual is its potential to raise collective intelligence within a team. Research by Anita Woolley and colleagues has shown that collective intelligence isn’t simply about assembling talented individuals; it’s about fostering understanding, effective communication, and a shared sense of purpose.
With the Colleague Manual, team members gain insights into each other’s strengths, preferences, and goals, creating an environment where people can:
- Leverage strengths effectively, ensuring the right person is focused on the right task
- Anticipate and support each other’s needs for smoother collaboration
- Communicate with clarity and empathy, with everyone aware of preferred feedback styles and approaches
As Woolley’s research demonstrates, these factors are crucial for a team to perform as a cohesive unit. The Colleague Manual lays the groundwork for meaningful connections and mutual respect, leading to smarter decision-making and enhanced performance.
Ready to enhance your team’s collective intelligence?
The Colleague Manual Delivers Results
Teams that use the Colleague Manual have reported measurable improvements in:
Psychological safety
Collaboration and empathy
Onboarding speed for new hires
Overall team performance
Real Results, Real Client Stories
Our clients consistently see measurable, lasting improvements that boost team performance and drive organizational success. Here’s what some of them have experienced:
The program made a noticeable difference in our team’s openness and trust. We see it reflected in our job satisfaction scores.
City of Joensuu
Anna Renko, Principal
Continuous learning keeps the themes relevant in my daily life. This is real, long-term impact.
Procemex Technologies
Ari-Pekka Räisänen
Management Team Member
After years at this company, I’ve never seen such a shift in communication and feedback culture
Roxtec Finland Oy
Marjatta Järvinen
Managing Director
Teemu Harinen, Co-Founder
teemu@remoteteambuilder.io
+358 50 492 2944
Ready to transform your team’s potential into performance?
Contact us today to explore how we can support your organization’s growth, productivity, and competitive advantage.