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Welcome to this month's edition of Plumtree Perspectives, and whether you're new here or returning, thank you for being part of the Plumtree community!

Each month we share new ideas, practical tools, and simple frameworks focused on how R&D teams can collaborate more effectively, thrive in complexity, and deliver faster for patients.

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Getting to the source of tensions

The highest performing teams are not tension-free. In fact, tensions are a part of how the team works.

They surface tensions early. They get curious about them. They use them as signals that something important needs attention, whether within the team, across functions, or in the work itself.

When teams learn to work this way, tensions become a source of insight rather than frustration. They uncover risks sooner, strengthen relationships, create the conditions for better decisions, and move the work forward faster.

What we're noticing

Most teams experience tensions. Different priorities. Different perspectives. Different interpretations of risk, urgency, ownership, or success.

The tension is present, but no one is talking about what is actually creating it.

Over time, assumptions replace understanding and frustration grows. In the toughest cases, it becomes personal.

The insight

The visible tension is rarely the real issue. What sits underneath is often more important. It may be unclear expectations, competing priorities, different approaches to the work, lack of role clarity, misaligned incentives, or different definitions of success.

When teams focus only on the surface tension, they often solve the wrong problem and the real issues or gaps remain unspoken.

The same tensions return again and again because the root cause was never explored and addressed.

The cost is significant. Slower decisions. Reduced trust. Less collaboration. Team members moving on and off the team. More energy spent managing friction than moving the work forward.

The Plumtree Perspective

We encourage teams to treat tensions as valuable data.

When tension shows up, our first question is not, “How do we resolve this?” It is, “What is this tension trying to tell us?”

One cross-functional R&D team we worked with was experiencing repeated conflict around decision-making. Each function believed others were slowing progress.

At first glance, it appeared to be a relationship issue. When we explored further, the real challenge became clear.

The team had never agreed how they would make decisions. The tension was not about personalities. It was about unclear expectations and a lack of clarity.

Once decision expectations were clarified and the impact on the rest of the team became visible, the tension largely disappeared. The team then quickly co-created new decision making structures and habits that improved clarity and focus.

The tension was the signal. Clarity was the solution.

What you can try

The next time tension surfaces, pause before solving.

Use these four steps.

1. Observe what is happening

Describe the tension objectively.

What is happening? What patterns are emerging? What are people experiencing? What are we noticing in the work?

Focus on observations, not judgments.

2. Explore what might be underneath it

Ask what could be contributing to the tension.

Where is there ambiguity?

What assumptions are we making?

What expectations have not been made explicit?

What perspectives have not been heard?

3. Clarify what needs to become clearer

Identify the underlying issue.

Do we need role clarity? A decision? Better communication? Alignment on priorities? Shared expectations?

The goal is not to eliminate all tension. The goal is to understand what it is telling you before deciding what to do next.

4. Establish a new practice or agreement

After clarity and alignment, decide whether a new practice or agreement would help prevent the tension from resurfacing.

Keep it simple. What do we want to do differently going forward? What expectations need to be made explicit? What habit, meeting, decision process or working agreement would help us work together more effectively?

The outcome is to create enough clarity that the team can move forward and create the conditions to raise new tensions as they emerge.

Plumtree Book Corner

What we’re reading right now:

InsidWhat Do You Really Stand For?
by Paul Ingram

Think Again by Adam Grant

Columbia Business School professor Paul Ingram makes a compelling case that values are not just a personal compass, they are a performance advantage. Leaders who can clearly articulate what they stand for make better decisions, navigate conflict more effectively, and build stronger teams.

That resonates deeply with what we see in R&D work.

When values are vague or unstated, teams are left interpreting. When they are co-created and explicit, teams move with more confidence, even when the path is unclear.

A few ideas that stood out:

Values aren't soft. They are a source of clarity and speed.
Unexpected values create invisible friction. Tension and misalignment are often a values problem in disguise.
Values require practice, not just declaration.

A worthwhile read for any R&D leader who wants to lead with more clarity, consistency, and purpose.

Want to learn more? Click the image for the Amazon link.

Until next time!

If your R&D team is navigating complexity and you want support getting aligned and moving faster, we’re happy to start with a conversation.

Plumtree is here to help teams and organizations work together at the speed of science.

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