Supporting each other through co-development

People join co-development groups for a range of different reasons, however the main objective is normally to share issues with others and get some help to agree a way forward. We all see things differently, so supporting each other through co-development can help us share any issue with people who are not part of our family or social group.

Coaching co-development will help the group develop their listening skills, get experience brainstorming and problem-solving in a group situation, plus learn to help others and gain the confidence to say if they ever need help or have a problem.

The group can be made up of individuals who do not know each other, people from the same organization or even a team who do normally work together. And by having a range of different backgrounds in the group, you can help bring different viewpoints to the discussions, however they should not have any historical issues or unresolved conflicts.

This can be difficult if an organization asks you to provide professional help by setting up and running a co-development session. It may be better to suggest starting with more traditional team coaching or executive coaching to work through any historical issues the group may have as this may be a better way of supporting each other. This will get them working together and may also be the first time they have had an opportunity to find solutions together and work on any issues that may have blocked their progress in the past or stopped them from succeeding.

Tip: If you are asked to work with a team or group from within the same organization, you may find it helpful to talk to a member of HR first. This will help you to better understand their working environment, key personalities and any strategic or corporate objectives they may have.

The three key roles within the co-development session

Coach / Facilitator – You create a safe environment and support the group to share their experiences and ideas
Client – Each member of the group will take it in turns to play the client who sets out the issue they would like to discuss
Consultants – All other members of the group will be the consultant and listen to the person chosen to be the client, then share their thoughts and suggestions

The group will have the opportunity to take turns being the ‘client’ and discuss any issue they would like help with. The rest of the group will be supporting each other to help tackle the issues being discussed and workshop different approaches.

Selecting a client at the session

As the coach / facilitator, you will go around the group and ask if anybody has an issue they would like to share and discuss. You can prioritize who goes first by urgency and ask the group to vote on a chosen subject that should be a real, topical or unresolved issue.

Tip: Check what they would like to get out of being the client. For example, do they expect to be supported, challenged or questioned?

Presenting an issue to discuss at the session

Before the person selected to be the client shares an issue with the group, it can help to take a short break and ask them to prepare some notes first. This will help them to be clear on what they would like to say, as they will only have about 10 minutes to present their issue.

If possible, they should include an overview of the situation, how it impacts on them, how it makes them feel and what steps they have already taken to address it. It can also help if they can add in any results achieved and what difficulties (if any) they encountered.

Tip: If possible, ask them to think of a headline statement or title (this can be humorous if appropriate) that quickly sums up their issue.

During the session

You guide the overall process and create a safe environment where everybody is supporting each other and has the confidence to share information. It is vital the group get the most out of their time together, so ask everybody to follow SLQU and respect the opinion of others:

Silence – No prejudices
Listening – Active non-verbal
Questioning – Open and supportive
Understanding – Different viewpoints, reality and beliefs

Whatever the reason for people joining a co-development workshop, your role as the coach or facilitator is to help everybody get the maximum benefit from the experience. And no matter if they are a group of individuals who do not know each other, or a group of colleagues who regularly work together, they should all gain valuable insight.

This may be the first time they are getting insight from a range of different perspectives or viewpoints and should give them the opportunity to share and explore issues. They will be supporting each other in a safe environment where they can learn to find the solution that works for them.

Supporting each other through co-development