In a project, understanding each other isn’t always easy. Each participant represents the interests and objectives of their own team, sometimes losing sight of the shared goal of overall project success. This occurred with one of my clients, and here’s what we implemented to get them back on track.
This workshop was conducted in an international company involving remote commercial and IT teams. Each function pursued different objectives, with varying deadlines, constraints, and languages. The teams struggled to communicate and coordinate effectively. As a result, the project stalled, delays affected everyone, and tensions escalated.
We decided to organize a two-day in-person workshop. To start afresh, I proposed creating a “frustration tree.” Each participant wrote down all the things that frustrated them about the project on sticky notes. As you can see in the photo, the tree ended up with many colorful leaves! We then reviewed each sticky note one by one. The idea wasn’t to solve the issues at this stage but to allow everyone to express their concerns and be heard by the other stakeholders. We then tackled the project work, gradually addressing each other’s sources of frustration.
Did we resolve everything in two days? Of course not! But the tree entered a beautiful autumn phase, and participants managed to reestablish a healthy communication foundation.
The frustration tree can be used in contexts of tension and misunderstanding between teams. It allows everyone to share the origins of their frustration to rebuild communication on calmer grounds. The presence of a facilitator helps avoid judging the validity of feelings or justifications, ensuring everyone is heard and can express their negative feelings, paving the way for constructive discussions.
