What made the process work so well? What about the culture made it so there was that back and forth? I'm wanting to build this into my teams and keen to hear what's worked for others
Empathy. Our team already had a great culture of empathy and mutual respect. People just tried to see things from other's POV, or if they couldn't, they'd at least be respectful. To behave differently would have just seemed weird. I think that our manager and the founding members of the team set the tone early, and as the team grew, it just became the norm. When we lost that manager, things declined. The worst part is that when I look back at my own behavior, I lost my empathy. I felt like a rat in a cage and I behaved accordingly.
If you already have that kind of empathic culture, then I think it's just about starting a "good enough" process and refining it as you go. If you don't, then you have to build empathy into the team. I found the book Practical Empathy to be helpful. But basically, if you treat someone with empathy, they can't help but start to feel empathy for you. I think we're wired that way. If your team doesn't have a high level of empathy, be the first.
If you already have that kind of empathic culture, then I think it's just about starting a "good enough" process and refining it as you go. If you don't, then you have to build empathy into the team. I found the book Practical Empathy to be helpful. But basically, if you treat someone with empathy, they can't help but start to feel empathy for you. I think we're wired that way. If your team doesn't have a high level of empathy, be the first.