Co-creation : The crucial ingredient for superior partnerships and teams
Businesses are facing continuous disruption from both internal and external forces and need to adapt fast in an uncertain environment. Faced with such challenges, I frequently observe partnerships and teams that have become stuck and are unable to challenge the status quo. The resulting tension stifles innovation and agility, and inhibits the ability to adapt and perform. The cause is their focus on collaboration rather than co-creation.
This was recently illustrated in a partnership between a BioPharma company and their CRO partner. Whilst both parties wanted to innovate, there were inherent problems in their governance and values which resulted in circular, transactional discussions and no shift in performance. Focusing on co-creation rather than collaboration would have yielded far greater impact.
So what’s the difference?
The proliferation of the term co-creation in business has resulted in the word being used and implemented incorrectly. Co-creation requires certain principles and a framework to create outcomes that truly add value for clients and organisations, which goes beyond getting customer inputs on services and products. When most people use the word ‘co-creation’, they are incorrectly using it to explain ‘collaboration’.
Collaboration produces a FAMILIAR output.
Co-creation produces something that did NOT exist before
Collaborative partnerships are driven by teams producing familiar types of outputs or achieving familiar types of goals – not novel in the world of business.
The word ‘co-creation’ has the word ‘create’ in it. This implies that the end result of a co-creation process and partnership is to have created something different or to have brought something new into existence. A well-managed partnership with co-creation at the heart, will result in a new relationship, service, process, model, product, culture, vision or way of doing things. The result should be different, novel and challenge the status-quo.
What are the barriers that can hinder successful co-creation in partnerships?
- Lack of Trust: If the partnering parties do not trust each other, it becomes difficult to openly share information, ideas, and resources.
- Power Imbalances: When one party has significantly more influence, control, or resources, it may dominate decision-making and stifle the process.
- Misaligned Goals and Objectives: Co-creation requires a shared vision and alignment of goals among all partners. If the parties have conflicting or divergent objectives, it becomes challenging to find common ground and work towards a mutually beneficial outcome.
- Communication Challenges: Effective communication is vital for co-creation, but it can be a significant barrier if not managed properly. Language barriers, cultural differences, lack of clear channels for communication, and ineffective information sharing can result in misunderstandings or misinterpretations.
- Resource Constraints: Limited resources, whether financial, technological, or human, can impede co-creation efforts. When partners lack the necessary resources to contribute, it becomes challenging to fully engage and achieve the desired outcomes.
- Organizational Culture and Structure: Incompatible organizational cultures, rigid hierarchies, and bureaucratic structures can hinder co-creation. If the participating organizations do not have a culture that supports innovation and risk-taking, it becomes difficult to foster an environment conducive to co-creation.
- Intellectual Property Concerns: Co-creation often involves sharing and integrating intellectual property and proprietary knowledge. Concerns about ownership, protection, and fair distribution of the outcomes can create barriers.
- Lack of Skills and Expertise: Co-creation requires diverse skills and expertise from different partners. If any party lacks the necessary capabilities or knowledge, it can limit their contribution.
To overcome these barriers, it is crucial for partnering parties to invest in building trust, fostering open communication, aligning goals, addressing power dynamics, and creating an enabling environment that supports co-creation.
