Brinkerhoff's Success Case Method- Adapted

Strong Relationship / High Results

Weak Relationship / High Results

Strong Relationship / Low Results

Weak Relationship / Low Results

Connection Driving Results

Reveals: When participants perceive both strong belonging/psychological safety and strong outcomes, it signals the “gold standard.” These partnerships show what’s possible when trust and value reinforce one another. Sample Questions:

• What specific actions or behaviors helped you feel both supported and successful?
• How did your sense of belonging or safety shape the risks you were willing to take?
• Which program supports felt most valuable in helping you achieve results?

Action Insights:

• Codify practices from these partnerships (e.g., feedback rhythms, goal-setting habits) into program playbooks.
• Showcase stories from these participants to inspire future cohorts.
• Use their reported supports as the baseline for program design.

Connection Without Results

Reveals: Participants may report strong belonging and psychological safety but feel the partnership didn’t deliver enough value. These cases highlight where relationships alone don’t guarantee outcomes. Sample Questions:

• Even with strong connection, what challenges limited your results?
• What resources, time, or structures were missing for you to make more progress?
• Did the partnership feel like a “comfort zone” that reduced accountability or momentum?

Action Insights:

• Strengthen scaffolding (goal templates, facilitator check-ins, milestone reviews).
• Prioritize resources participants say would have unlocked progress (time, tools, alignment).
• Train pairs on how to translate trust into tangible results.

Disconnection and Stagnation

Reveals: Participants reporting low belonging/safety and low outcomes signal systemic breakdowns. These are critical diagnostics for understanding barriers to both connection and success. Sample Questions:

• What made it hard for you to build trust or feel safe in this partnership?
• How did the lack of connection affect your engagement or motivation?
• What organizational or program factors made collaboration more difficult?

Action Insights:

• Revisit the matching process and readiness assessments.
• Train liaisons to intervene early when participants report struggling.
• Normalize respectful closure and re-pairing rather than allowing disengagement.
• Address organizational culture signals that undercut belonging (e.g., lack of manager support).

Outcome Without Connection

Reveals: Shows that participants can perceive strong outcomes even when they report low belonging or psychological safety. Raises questions about sustainability and whether results reflect task completion more than lasting growth. Sample Questions:

• What key results did you feel were achieved in this partnership?
• How would you describe your working relationship with your partner?
• What helped you deliver results even when you didn’t feel a strong sense of belonging or safety?

Action Insights: Document which systems, deadlines, or accountability mechanisms participants credit for their outcomes, so these can be embedded program-wide. Explore whether individuals in this group would benefit from light-touch interventions (e.g., facilitated reflection, storytelling exercises) to deepen connection without slowing efficiency.