Co-creation Skills
Facilitating collaborative processes with diverse stakeholders, fostering teamwork and psychological safety, and being aware of power dynamics.
Micro-VCoL Exercises
Below are three exercises for developing co-creation skills. Choose one to focus on for at least a week before trying another.
Exercise 1: The Space Making
Create space for others to contribute, especially those who might not speak up readily.
Practice in meetings and group discussions. Pay attention to who is not contributing and create openings for them.
In group discussions, notice who has not spoken. Create space by: pausing to let quieter people enter the conversation, directly inviting input, or redirecting attention to unacknowledged contributions.
Were you able to create space for others today? What happened when you did? How did power dynamics show up in discussions you were part of?
Exercise 2: The Build Upon
Practice building on others' ideas rather than competing with them, creating true collaborative thinking.
Practice when others share ideas, proposals, or suggestions. Use it especially when your first instinct is to counter with your own idea.
When someone shares an idea, pause before responding. Instead of countering or critiquing, ask: "How could I build on this?" Respond with: "Building on that..." or "What I like about that is..."
How often did you build on others' ideas versus counter them? What happened when you built on ideas? What would a culture of building look like?
Exercise 3: The Power Check
Notice how power dynamics affect participation and consciously work to equalize contribution opportunities.
Practice in any group interaction, paying attention to how formal and informal power affects who speaks, who is heard, and whose ideas advance.
During group discussions, observe power dynamics. Ask: "Who is speaking most? Whose ideas get picked up? How might my own position affect others' participation?" If you hold more power, consciously create space.
What power dynamics did you notice today? How did they affect participation? How does your own power position affect group dynamics?