Relational Value (Rv)
Good relationships are hard to measure although they are critical for achieving effective, sustainable outcomes. Relational Value is our approach to help you to understand the health of the relationships in your system, and where you might need to focus to improve those relationships.
“‘Without good relationships and a shared, agreed vision between system partners, achieving positive outcomes for people who use services, their families and carers is significantly compromised’. ”
The Challenge
Knowing whether relationships in a system are good or bad may be intuitive. However, what is apparent across integrated care systems is that partners cannot work together in the best interests of their population unless the relationships between them are strong and they are seen as strong.
What is Relational Value (RV)?
Relational value (Rv) is a measure of the quality of the relationship between individuals or parts of a system. These are relationships that have a purpose — they are relationships that are for something — and so the higher the relational value, the better. The Rv in a relationship depends on the attributes: integrity, respect, fairness, empathy and trust.
Rv can be measured by observing the behaviours that demonstrate the these attributes in the relationships.
How it works
The Relational Value (Rv) service begins with a structured assessment of relationships within a system, organisation or programme of work. Typically we work in health and care, but this approach can be used wherever people or teams are coming together to work towards a common goal.
The assessment involves a tailored survey designed to capture relational health across five core attributes: integrity, respect, fairness, empathy, and trust. These attributes are evaluated within six socio-technical domains: culture, vision, people, process, infrastructure, and technology.
Participants, who can be individuals, teams, or stakeholders, complete the survey, which generates quantitative and qualitative data. The results are presented in a matrix, revealing strengths and areas for improvement in relational dynamics. The findings are then used to guide interventions aimed at improving the quality of relationships, ultimately leading to better outcomes, enhanced collaboration, and more effective system performance.
