This article describes a strategic intervention to empower interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research groups to develop strategies for overcoming barriers to the collaborative process. We report on an application of the intervention with a team of researchers working on the development of "green materials" to reduce energy consumption in manufacturing processes. The intervention consisted of: (1) pairing team leaders with external facilitators; (2) identifying barriers to fruitful collaboration; (3) writing strategic operating agreements; and (4) developing collaborative visualizations of the research process. The results indicate that focusing the collective intelligence of diverse researchers inwards, on the research process itself, can provide tangible benefits.