In this paper, the authors describe the implementation process of a teaching portfolio at a Belgian university. The case is intriguing because it departs substantially from what others have described as the typical antagonistic way in which academic developers interact with formal leaders. Rather than being caught in an edgy game of compliance and resistance, the actors present themselves as partners in a collaborative process throughout three consecutive phases. To interpret this process, reference is made to a collaborative framework from a social psychology perspective that could help avoid compliance and resistance.