What is Co-creation to me?

What is co-creation? I am driven by an insatiable curiosity, and yes,? curiosity will probably kill this cat in the end. I might have been inspired by 50, or 100 articles that have contributed to my relationship to co-creation. I can give you 10 in a jiffy.??

I have read and read, mulled and mused over different perspectives ranging from classic co-creation to innovation, my favorite book “‘Education Sentimentale” by Flaubert, leadership, strategy, Schumpeter, positive psychology with Rogers being my absolute favorite, the brilliant writing of Dorothy Parker and Oscar Wilde and of course research by our times great minds Dweck, Edmondson, Ducksworth, Rita McGrath, Kawasaki.

Over the years, I have mixed book knowledge with the craft know-how from my own executive career, my customers and students. I’ve worked in industries in transformation, academia in times of disruption, solopreneurs and scale-ups for which everyday is in fact very Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. Every assignment is a learning context and process. I am grateful for each one. The same is true for designing courses and teaching, in higher ed, or young kids. And in every process and context we co-create. Not for “buy-in” but for creating sustainable and strategic value in very tactical yet visionary workshops. I design them to actively draw out each individuals’ multiple existing great talents and skills so that these can be saluted, leveraged and developed together with others. With life that I have lived, the readings I have absorbed, almost by osmosis and thorough all of my assignments I conceptualize co-creation in a very simple form. To me it is:

“Creating Together in Conditions of VUCA”

Co-creating solutions, co-creating a good atmosphere, co-creating innovations, co-creating conditions to excel, or survive, co-creating motivation...I think you get me as I am super convinced that you got it at "co"... I however can be a bit slow in my reflections. To my defence, in my body, mind and soul knowledge and know-how is a complex 3D+ puzzle that is in continuous reconfiguration.

Granted that I am a “nutty professor” it could have taken 15 or so years to come to this simple definition. The reason it comes to me now, in 2024 is that now I know it to be true to me at all times. Regardless of context, purpose, people, process and resources.?

The empiricist in me has spoken. The process nerd in me want to emphasise that Co-creation is always co-creating.

Take care out there

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