This is a phenomenological study of 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. Multiple in-depth interviews were completed with each triad member to better record and resolve the varied experiences of the participants. Through using positioning theory as a lens for interpreting data, triad dynamics were explicated to understand relationships within these groups and the factors surrounding these relationships. The following are the key research findings: (1) when triads were engaged in projects that promoted participants' synthesis of products as they enlist what they are learning, collaborative positioning occurred; (2) adequate time for interactions led to another influential social force: the establishment of trust and relationships; and (3) uncertainty in expectations can act as an inhibitive social force for collaborations. (Contains 1 figure.)