What is co-development? How is it organized? What are the best practices? How is a session conducted? Thanks to co-dev, become an actor and develop collective intelligence!
Why do co-development work?
Co-development has many advantages and benefits both professionally and personally. Here are some reasons why co-development is a valuable practice:
Sharing experiences and expertise in co-development
Co-development allows participants to share their experiences, knowledge and expertise with their peers. This promotes mutual enrichment and allows everyone to learn from others.
Stimulation of Reflection in co-development
Co-development sessions encourage reflection and questioning of usual practices. By listening to the perspectives and ideas of others, participants are led to think differently. But also to explore new approaches.
Capacity building
Co-dev offers the opportunity to develop new skills and reinforce those already acquired. By working together on concrete professional challenges, participants learn from each other and improve each other.
Support and Mutual aid in codev
Participating in co-development sessions creates a sense of support and mutual aid within the group. Participants feel supported in their professional challenges and benefit from the support and advice of their peers.
Taking a Step Back and External Perspective
Co-dev offers an opportunity to step back from its own challenges and benefit from external perspectives. By listening to the perspectives of other participants, group members can see their problems from a new perspective. And also find innovative solutions.
Network Development
Participating in co-development sessions creates and strengthens relationships with other professionals. This can open up new opportunities for collaboration and expand everyone’s professional network.
In short, co-dev offers a multitude of benefits, ranging from mutual learning to the creation of professional networks. This includes skills development and peer support. It is a practice that can contribute significantly to the personal and professional development of individuals. But also to the success of organizations.
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What is the codev?
Co-development, often abbreviated as “codev”, is a method of professional development based on sharing experiences, knowledge and skills among peers. Created in the 1980s by Canadian psychologists Adrien Payette and Claude Champagne, co-development is used in various contexts. Especially in business, training and coaching.
The co-development method usually involves the training of a group of participants. Who are often between four and eight people, who meet regularly to work together on specific professional or personal challenges. At these meetings, each participant takes turns acting as a client, exposing a problem or challenge they encounter in their work. The other members of the group then act as consultants. Providing support and insights to help the client find solutions.
The co-development approach is based on several key principles:
Active listening in co-development
Group members listen carefully to the client and ask questions to clarify and deepen their situation.
Benevolence
The group creates a safe and caring environment where the client feels comfortable sharing their challenges and vulnerabilities.
Confidentiality
Everything shared during co-development sessions is confidential, fostering a climate of trust and mutual respect.
The co-construction
Group members work together to co-construct concrete solutions and action plans for the client.
Co-development training
Each participant benefits from the experience and knowledge of other group members, thus promoting mutual and collective learning.
In short, co-development is a powerful and collaborative method that allows professionals to help each other. It is possible to do a co development training in order to know the methods and have the necessary skills on this subject. And solve problems and develop their skills together. It promotes learning, personal and professional growth, as well as the strengthening of links between group members.
What are the three roles in a codev session?
In this method of learning and development based on peer exchange. The codev that aims to solve professional problems, develop skills and promote the personal and professional growth of participants. In a co-development session, there are generally three main roles:
- The Client: The client is the person who presents a problem, situation or professional challenge that he wishes to explore and resolve. The customer explains his problem clearly and precisely. Providing relevant details to allow other group members to understand the situation.
- Consultants: Consultants are other group participants who provide advice, ideas and suggestions to the client. To help resolve their issue, listen carefully to the client’s presentation, ask questions to clarify some points. Then offer their thoughts, expertise and experiences to help the client find solutions.
- Facilitator: The facilitator is responsible for facilitating the co-development session and ensuring that the process is conducted in an efficient and respectful manner. He introduces the session, explains the rules and principles of co-development. Also manages time, facilitates exchanges between participants and ensures that everyone has the opportunity to contribute in a balanced way. The facilitator can also provide a structured framework for the discussion and help maintain focus on the client’s goals.
Why do co-development work?
Doing professional co-development has many advantages both professionally and personally. Here are some reasons why co-development is a valuable practice:
Sharing of Experience and Expertise
Co-development allows participants to share their experiences, knowledge and expertise with their peers. This promotes mutual enrichment and allows everyone to learn from others.
Solving Complex Problems
By bringing together a group of professionals with different perspectives. Co-development offers the opportunity to solve complex problems in a collaborative and innovative way. Participants can bring new ideas and creative solutions to challenges.
Skills Development
Co-development allows participants to develop and strengthen a wide range of professional skills. Such as communication, problem solving, decision making and leadership. By working together on concrete challenges, participants learn new skills and improve their professional performance.
Support and Mutual Aid
Participating in co-development sessions creates an environment of support and mutual aid. Where participants feel encouraged and supported in their professional goals. Group members can offer advice, encouragement and constructive perspectives to help their peers overcome barriers and achieve their goals.
Networking and Creation of Links
Co-development offers the opportunity to meet and connect with other professionals who share the same interests and objectives. This can lead to new opportunities for collaboration, mentoring and professional partnership.
Personal Growth
Beyond professional development, co-development also promotes personal growth by encouraging reflection, challenging one’s own beliefs and perspectives, and providing a safe space to explore one’s challenges and aspirations.
In short, co-development is a valuable practice that fosters learning, growth and mutual support among peers. Whether to solve professional problems, develop skills or strengthen your network. Co-development offers a multitude of benefits for professionals at all levels of their careers.
How to do Co-development?
Co-development is a method of professional development based on exchange and collaboration between peers. To practice co-development, bring together a small group of professionals who share similar interests and challenges. During the sessions, each participant presents a problem or a professional situation that they wish to explore and resolve. The other members of the group listen carefully, ask questions to clarify and offer suggestions and tips to help find solutions. The process is focused on active listening, sharing experiences and mutual support, thus promoting learning and professional growth.
Choice of co-development topic
Each member of the group proposes a topic that questions him and on which he would like to receive the advice of his peers. Participants jointly choose the topic they wish to work on during the session. The person whose subject matter was selected is called the “client”. The other members of the group are “consultants”.
Exploration phase
During this phase, the client explains exactly what their subject is, and shares their difficulties, their personal relationship with the subject. The goal is for consultants to understand the issues of the subject and the issues that are problematic for the client.
Clarification time
This phase consists of two phases. The consultants reformulate the client’s need: “what I understood from your need is…”. He then made it clear that “in this session, I would like you to help me to…”.
Consulting
During this stage, only consultants speak. They make suggestions to the client, give advice and share their own experiences and tips on the subject. They express their ideas freely, without commenting on peer shares. The goal is that each idea is taken into account equally by the client, without prioritizing the tips.
Commitments and actions in co-development
After the consultation phase, the client sifts through the ideas and develops an action plan to solve his problem. During this time, the consultants reflect on what the session brought them, what they learned from the advice of others. All, consultants and clients, then share their thoughts.
Learning and feedback on co-development
Participants take stock of the session and share their feelings.
What are the benefits of co-development?
Codev strengthens group cohesion. Participants collaborate on the same topic and learn from each other’s experiences with a common goal: to help the client. It is a moment of sharing and mutual aid, which allows everyone, especially the client, to perceive the problem from another angle.
How to organize a codev session remotely?
To stay engaged in distance, it is advisable not to exceed two-hour sessions. The ideal duration of an e-codev session is one and a half hours. In order for everyone to express their point of view, it is recommended to stay on a group of less than ten people.
How often do co-development sessions?
The ideal is to organize as many sessions in the year as there are members in the group. Each participant can then be a client at least once a year. It is advisable to keep the same peers to create cohesion. You can then space the sessions for a maximum of one to two months to maintain synergies within the group.
How to implement the client’s co-development action plan?
At each co-development session, the client of the previous session takes stock of their action plan. He explains what he put in place and what he could not achieve. By following the progress from one session to another, the links within the group are strengthened. The client can also choose a «learning partner» at the end of the session to continue to discuss, share his progress or his questions.
Sharing of good practices
Co-development to boost a series of lectures or lectures
Attending conferences for a whole day is not always easy. It can therefore be interesting to alternate classical conferences and group workshops, as for a hackathon. It can take the form of a creative workshop where everyone chooses a problem raised during the first conferences of the day. The groups discuss each topic and can treat them in the same way as in codev session.
Create a whole series of codev on the same theme: good or bad idea?
If groups of more than ten people are formed, it is difficult to organize as many sessions as there are participants over the year. Choosing a theme for a series of sessions provides a common thread between sessions and reduces the potential frustration of peers. Participants can continue to document and reflect on the theme together between sessions.
What are the obstacles to organizing a codev session? What solutions to adopt?
With the spread of telework, teams see each other less often and may have more difficulty creating or maintaining the link. There is less spontaneous exchange between employees because they work remotely. The codev would then be a solution to encourage discussions around good practices however, some organizations having no dedicated facilitator to facilitate the sessions, could apprehend the organization of the sessions. Indeed, some employees would not feel legitimate to assume the role of facilitator. This is why it may be interesting to use a certified external coach to facilitate exchanges and promote group cohesion. They may be asked for a first session in order to establish a secure setting, in which participants will feel comfortable sharing their experience, and then the group members will gradually take over.
Whether organized in person or remotely, co-development is a powerful tool for solving concrete problems. It is also a way to cultivate team spirit by bringing the group together around a common goal.
Organizations present: Covéa, Armée de Terre, Action Logement, Odity, ESITC Caen, IAE Aix-Marseille, Siparex, la Cravate Solidaire, VivaLing, My-Serious-Game, UCPA, GNFA, ECOCERT Group.