Co-Creation vs Consultation: The Critical Difference
Why co-creation transforms strategy development while consultation perpetuates the Overheating Spiral
Co-Creation vs Consultation: The Critical Difference
Many NHS organisations claim to use "co-creation" in their strategy development, but what they're actually doing is consultation with a different name. Understanding the critical difference between co-creation and consultation is essential to breaking the Overheating Spiral.
The Consultation Approach
Consultation is the traditional approach to stakeholder engagement:
The Process:
- Strategy written by senior team
- Stakeholders consulted (meetings, surveys, feedback)
- Feedback collected and analysed
- Strategy revised to incorporate feedback (selectively)
- Strategy finalised and presented
The Characteristics:
- Sequential: Consultation happens after strategy is written
- One-way: Stakeholders provide input, but don't see how it's used
- Selective: Some feedback incorporated, some ignored
- Approval-focused: Goal is to get stakeholders to approve the strategy
The Result: 70% disconnection because stakeholders don't feel ownership.
The Co-Creation Approach
Co-creation is fundamentally different:
The Process:
- All stakeholders together from the start
- Problem framing together
- Systems mapping together
- Solution design together
- Strategy development together
- Implementation planning together
The Characteristics:
- Simultaneous: All stakeholders participate together
- Two-way: Genuine dialogue and collaboration
- Integrated: All input incorporated because stakeholders are creating it
- Ownership-focused: Goal is for stakeholders to own the strategy
The Result: 100% engagement because everyone participated in creating it.
The Critical Differences
1. Timing
Consultation: Stakeholders consulted after strategy is written Co-Creation: Stakeholders participate in creating the strategy
Impact: Consultation creates disconnection because stakeholders feel like their input doesn't matter. Co-creation creates ownership because stakeholders create the strategy.
2. Participation
Consultation: Stakeholders provide input, but don't see how it's used Co-Creation: Stakeholders see their input incorporated in real-time
Impact: Consultation creates frustration because feedback disappears. Co-creation creates engagement because input is visible and incorporated.
3. Ownership
Consultation: Stakeholders approve someone else's strategy Co-Creation: Stakeholders own the strategy because they created it
Impact: Consultation creates resistance because stakeholders don't feel ownership. Co-creation creates commitment because stakeholders own the result.
4. Process
Consultation: Sequential (write, consult, revise, approve) Co-Creation: Simultaneous (create together in real-time)
Impact: Consultation creates delays and waste. Co-creation compresses time and eliminates waste.
Why Consultation Perpetuates the Spiral
Consultation perpetuates the Overheating Spiral because:
Creates Friction:
- Stakeholders provide feedback that isn't incorporated
- Frustration creates resistance
- Resistance creates more friction
Creates Waste:
- Multiple rounds of consultation and revision
- Time wasted on feedback that doesn't change outcomes
- £80,000 wasted on non-value-adding activity
Creates Disconnection:
- Stakeholders don't feel ownership
- Disconnection creates resistance
- Resistance creates implementation failure
The Result: The spiral continues because consultation doesn't address root causes.
Why Co-Creation Breaks the Spiral
Co-creation breaks the Overheating Spiral because:
Eliminates Friction:
- Stakeholders create together, so there's no feedback to ignore
- No frustration because everyone participates
- No resistance because everyone owns the result
Eliminates Waste:
- No multiple rounds of consultation
- Real-time collaboration eliminates delays
- 75-80% reduction in time and cost
Eliminates Disconnection:
- Stakeholders own the strategy because they created it
- 100% engagement, not 30%
- Implementation success because everyone is committed
The Result: The spiral breaks because co-creation addresses root causes.
The False Co-Creation Trap
Many organisations claim to use co-creation but are actually doing consultation:
False Co-Creation:
- "We consulted widely"
- "We incorporated stakeholder feedback"
- "We had co-creation workshops" (but strategy was already written)
True Co-Creation:
- Stakeholders participate in creating the strategy
- Strategy emerges from collaboration, not consultation
- Everyone owns the result because everyone created it
The Test: If stakeholders are commenting on a strategy that already exists, it's consultation. If stakeholders are creating the strategy together, it's co-creation.
How Insight Genie and Dynamic Genie Implement Co-Creation
True co-creation requires both understanding stakeholder perspectives and enabling genuine collaboration. Insight Genie and Dynamic Genie work together to implement co-creation that breaks the spiral.
Insight Genie: Understanding Stakeholder Perspectives
Insight Genie provides the foundation for effective co-creation by revealing stakeholder perspectives before the co-creation session:
Stakeholder Insight Collection:
- Collects insights from stakeholders over 1-2 weeks
- 3 focused questions (not "death by questionnaire")
- Understands where stakeholders feel disconnected
- Identifies what creates friction and disconnection
Pattern Analysis:
- Reveals common themes across stakeholder groups
- Identifies root causes of disconnection
- Maps stakeholder perspectives and concerns
- Provides visibility into what stakeholders actually need
Pre-Session Intelligence:
- Understands stakeholder perspectives before co-creation
- Identifies key stakeholders and their concerns
- Prepares for productive collaboration based on real insights
- Enables targeted co-creation that addresses actual needs
The Result: Clear understanding of stakeholder perspectives, enabling co-creation that genuinely addresses their needs.
Dynamic Genie: Enabling True Co-Creation
Dynamic Genie implements true co-creation using Insight Genie intelligence:
Pre-Session Intelligence:
- Uses Insight Genie data to understand stakeholder perspectives before the session
- Prepares for productive collaboration based on real insights
- Identifies key stakeholders and their concerns
- Designs co-creation process that addresses actual needs
Structured Co-Creation Day:
- All stakeholders together for one intensive day
- Structured process ensures everyone participates
- Real-time synthesis and document creation
- Genuine dialogue, not consultation
Immediate Output:
- Complete strategy document by end of day
- Everyone owns it because everyone created it
- Ready for implementation immediately
- Strategy reflects genuine stakeholder input
The Result: True co-creation that breaks the spiral and produces strategies everyone owns.
The Combined Solution
When used together, Insight Genie and Dynamic Genie provide a complete co-creation solution:
- Insight Genie reveals stakeholder perspectives and identifies what creates disconnection
- Dynamic Genie uses that intelligence to design co-creation sessions that genuinely address stakeholder needs
- Result: True co-creation with 100% engagement, not consultation masquerading as co-creation
Making the Shift
Making the shift from consultation to co-creation requires:
Mindset Change:
- From "we need to get buy-in" to "we need to create together"
- From "stakeholders need to approve" to "stakeholders need to own"
- From "consultation" to "co-creation"
Process Change:
- From sequential to simultaneous
- From one-way to two-way
- From approval-focused to ownership-focused
Structure Change:
- From separate planning and execution to integrated strategy and implementation
- From batch-and-queue to real-time collaboration
- From consultation meetings to co-creation sessions
Conclusion
The difference between co-creation and consultation is critical. Consultation perpetuates the Overheating Spiral by creating friction, waste, and disconnection. Co-creation breaks the spiral by eliminating these problems at their source.
If you're using consultation and calling it co-creation, you're still caught in the spiral. True co-creation requires stakeholders to participate in creating the strategy, not just commenting on it.
Insight Genie reveals stakeholder perspectives and identifies what creates disconnection, and Dynamic Genie uses that intelligence to implement true co-creation, breaking the spiral and producing strategies everyone owns.
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