The purpose of this discussion paper is to explore ways in which professionals working in multi-professional settings can develop their understanding of the different perspectives and knowledge bases of team members in order to build new working practices together. The importance of exploring professional identity in professional development programmes for new teams is emphasized. The authors draw on their own experience of leading professional development to suggest the use of imagination as a key tool that can enable professionals to develop new ways of understanding the perspectives of others and to forge new identities for themselves in multi-professional teams. On foundations of mutual understanding professionals can begin to develop effective multi-professional working to meet the needs of children with communication difficulties. (Contains 1 figure.)