A training-action technique, co-development is a valuable ally in a context of transformation. Faced with increasing complexity, companies are seeing their models shaken up. This impacts both the professional development and leadership of managers. Knowing how to take a step back and adopt a posture of continuous improvement in your professional practice becomes essential! This is precisely one of the contributions of co-development. Update with Fabiola Ortiz, coach and facilitator of co-development groups.
Co-development, which is sometimes called “codev”, is very topical in a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) world where management models are being shaken up. Indeed, the leader is no longer a knower showing the way but rather a facilitator allowing the blossoming of everyone's potential. The development of professional identity and the expression of one's full potential are therefore at the center of the challenges of the managerial function.
Complementary to traditional continuing training approaches, co-development constitutes a suitable response for managers and companies seeking performance in a transformation context. For what ? Because it addresses a critical aspect which is the capacity of individuals to evolve their posture and to be agents of change. How ? By relying on an experiential approach which requires an active approach from stakeholders.
What does co-development consist of?
Co-development is based on the cycle: Action, Reflection, Collective Intelligence, Action. The starting point for learning is therefore the professional practice of the participants. There is no pre-established theoretical content. In addition, co-development advocates taking a step back and continuously improving professional practices. Questioning know-how and interpersonal skills, it invites us to develop a holistic vision of professional identity.
The fundamental principles of co-development
Co-development: practical aspects
Co-development consists of a peer group that meets regularly in a learning approach with a facilitator guarantor of the method and the posture of the group.
The group consists of eight people at most. It can be formed inter- or intra-company. He defines his own meeting arrangements. Generally, it meets for one session per month which lasts two to three hours.
In principle, there are as many sessions as there are members in the group. A session consists of six phases, the durations of which are determined by the group.
The objectives of a co-development session
During each session, one of the participants becomes the “Client”. It is then at the center of the process. He submits to the group a current professional topic on which he wants to draw on collective intelligence in order to broaden his thinking before taking action.
The other members of the group then play the role of “Consultants”. Their mission? Help the Client deepen their thinking using their questions and their contributions.
Both the questions asked and the avenues mentioned help the Client to develop a new perspective which will allow them to take action. The methodology is based on taking a step back, kindness and the autonomy of the Client.
What are the subjects addressed by co-development?
Co-development allows group members to address their current challenges: a project, a concern or a problem.
Some examples :
- A member of my team is experiencing strong resistance to the evolution of the company. I worry about its ability to demobilize the collective. What are my management levers?
- As a project manager, I have an uncomfortable position on a subject x which is highly political and essential for the success of the project. What are my levers of influence?
- Despite my years of experience and proven expertise, I lack confidence. I often have feelings of deception. This affects my professional positioning and my ability to contribute to projects. What avenues do you see for overcoming imposter syndrome?
A process of continuous improvement
Addressing topics as a group, in a confidential and secure setting, allows members to overcome their limits and adopt a continuous improvement approach that is valuable in the context of the transformation.
Why come together over time?
On the one hand, because the creating trust is fundamental to the effectiveness and impact of the group. Following the metaphor of Claude Champagne and Adrien Payette, creators of the method: like a jazz group during a jam session, the co-development group seeks itself out and, gradually, gains depth. In other words, it becomes capable of identifying problems more pertinently and of developing innovation in the solutions proposed.
On the other hand, because the duration allows each participant to submit a problem for the group's reflection. Thus, everyone comes to learn on an equal footing and in a process of collective intelligence.
Co-development step by step: practical case
In this practical case, I am the facilitator of a group formed in an industrial company going through a restructuring. The theme ? Support managers in managing change in order to sustain the transformation.
Together we choose the person who will be the “Client” during the next session scheduled in a month. This gives him time to think about his subject and prepare his presentation: it is a first step in taking a step back and objectifying the problem.
One month later, the group is ready to work on the proposed subject.
1re phase: present the problem – 10 minutes
The Client presents her problem to the Consultants. It is faced with the merger of two audit departments. She senses a historic rivalry between the two teams who have different approaches to the profession. Future leader of the team, she wants to bring the merger to fruition. It therefore addresses both the objective aspects, linked to the facts, and the subjective aspects, linked to one's feelings.
His questions
- How to carry out this merger?
- How to embody a managerial positioning based on fairness between the two teams?
- How to ease existing tensions?
- How to create cohesion and collaboration to form a single team?
The Consultants take notes. They try to develop their posture of listening and curiosity.
2e phase: clarify the problem – 40 minutes
It's time to explore. Consultants need to understand the complexity of the situation and the Client's problem in the situation (objective and subjective dimension). They therefore ask clarifying questions, through open questions, to identify the real issues and blocking points. At the same time, they refine their own skills: active listening, curiosity, non-judgment, cognitive resistance to rushed solutions.
For example:
- What risks do you anticipate?
- What levers do you have before and after the merger?
- What is the vision of the two teams?
- What is your current positioning against these two teams?
These clarifying questions invite the Client to broaden her thinking by considering angles she had not previously considered.
3e phase: formalize the consultation contract – 10 minutes
At this point, the group has a clearer understanding of the problem. The Client continued to take a step back. It is time to formalize a consultation contract which sets the scope of the Consultants' contributions. The Client therefore formulates a clear and structuring request on what she expects from them in the next phase.
Of all the phases of co-development, this is the only one where consensus is sought: is the question relevant in view of the problem? Does it address the Client's real blocking point? Can each of the Consultants contribute to the question asked?
Initially, the Client asked: “how can I motivate teams to work together?” » This formulation, which is too restrictive, would limit the contributions of the co-development group to solutions that affect team motivation.
Consensus is reached on a broader formulation that allows different approaches to be explored. “What levers do you see, before and after the merger of the teams, to create a common culture in line with the transformation and development of team cohesion? » It is therefore this question which will delimit the scope of intervention of the Consultants during the 4e phase.
4e phase: consultation – 30 minutes
In turn, the Consultants provide insight, ideas and shared experiences related to the question asked. To do this, they draw on their different knowledge and experiences. “Divergence”: this is the key word for this stage of co-development. Indeed, their objective is not to resolve the problem, nor to identify the ideal solution. They must allow the Client to continue her reflection.
This is why the Client does not actively participate during this phase. She is invited to adopt a posture of welcome, reflection and listening. She takes a step back from her own models and can then identify new options or become aware of the levers available for building her team.
5e phase: action plan – 10 minutes
The Client communicates to the group her learnings and the actions she plans to implement.
- Create a map of allies. Get closer to your informal team leaders to understand their point of view and make them allies when integrating the teams.
- Organize a team launch event where pitfalls and different approaches could be discussed.
- Identify a work structure based on pairs and capable of promoting the construction of a new common vision.
This phase is informative. In other words, the intentions communicated are not the subject of an exchange with the group. This phase allows the Client to formalize her commitment to action. This will then allow him to take action in an intentional and informed way.
6e phase: taking stock of everyone’s learning – 20 minutes
The last stage is devoted to the self-regulation of the group. The discussions then focus on the learning of each participant. The learning comes as much from the co-development process itself as from the ideas provided on the Client's “case”.
Learning during a co-development session
[To note] When the next session started, the participant told us that her first actions had been encouraging. By approaching the members of each team, she was able to identify the common points on which she could capitalize: informal links between the members of the two teams, organizational culture, construction of a common vision. The co-development session therefore allowed him to ask the right questions and establish an action strategy.
Direct and indirect benefits of co-development
In a context of transformation, co-development presents direct benefits. In particular, it allows the creation of learning groups oriented towards the implementation of change. The key: increased support from stakeholders, easier identification of room for maneuver or even development of a feeling of belonging to sustain the transformation.
It also brings indirect benefits linked to soft skills, such as the development of a culture of speaking truth, the resilience of work communities as well as the perspective needed to resolve problems in an innovative way.
To conclude, co-development allows participants to reposition themselves as agents of change. Peer groups can be created around the most thorny questions of transformation: anchoring cultural change, learning to manage resistance, adapting one's managerial style, etc. Co-development is therefore a valuable lever in a transformation context!
