This article describes a phenomenological study that aimed to explore the relationships between university supervisors, in-service and pre-service teachers (triads). Two triads participated in a joint pre-service and in-service professional development project. The key research findings indicate that : (1) when triads were engaged in projects that promoted participants' synthesis of products as they enlist what they are learning, collaborative positioning occurred; and (2) adequate time for interactions led to another influential social force: the establishment of trust and relationships.