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Peer Power & Humanity in a Digital Age: Explore Codevelopment Action Learning

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Key words : Codevelopment Action Learning, teamwork, innovation, learning.


Today’s businesses are discovering that the vision of truly innovative, collaborative and learning spaces is not just aspirational but achievable—thanks to Codevelopment Action Learning (CAL).  In an age shaped by rapid technological change, CAL reclaims the space for dialogue, mutual support, and co-creation—elements at the heart of learning that is not only intelligent, but deeply human (1).

For example, for more than fifteen years, the Quebec regulating body for HR professionals has been promoting and fostering CAL as a unique professional development practice. L’Ordre des Conseillers en ressources humaines agréés represents over 12,000 HR professionals in Quebec (including HR, L&D, OD). Certified Human Resources Professionals (CHRPs) maintain their designation by completing specific continuing education hours, with CAL introduced as a forward-thinking method for enhancing their skills and knowledge. The impact of CAL has been tangible. Many CHRPs, after experiencing its benefits firsthand, brought CAL into their own organisations, encouraging other teams to adopt this dynamic model. Since its introduction, CHRPs have collectively invested over 4,000 hours in CAL, directly strengthening their expertise and capacity for innovation (1).

CHRPs need to develop and maintain precise competencies, such as innovation, lifelong learning, and agility to thrive in their role and maintain their designation. Those are also outlined as core competencies for the future, and can be powerfully developed and put in action through CAL. Having been myself a CAL program manager, facilitator, and participant, I have experienced how this approach can foster collaboration, connection, collective intelligence and learning.  Research now confirms the many positive incomes of CAL.” Catherine Bédard, CHRP, Head of the Research and Innovation Center

Co-create.  Accelerate. Grow

Recent studies underscore that innovative teams are built on foundations of structured reflective learning and trust. Furthermore, high-performing, forward-looking teams do more than just adapt—they actively experiment, learn through action, reflect on their practices, mobilising diverse expertise to drive both performance and innovation (2). By purposefully designing spaces for dialogue, peer learning, and co-construction of ideas, groups can accelerate their goals and cultivate sustainable growth—anchored in trust and shared purpose.


In addition, research clearly demonstrates the transformative power of trust: teams that focus on building trust are over 5 times more likely to achieve outstanding performance (3). Trust empowers individuals to move beyond fear—giving rise to curiosity, bold risk-taking, and shared responsibility. When trust becomes the foundation, collaboration grows, accountability deepens, and openness becomes the norm. Teams with strong relationships see a 79% increase in candor, a 46% increase in collaboration, and a 44% increase in accountability (4).  In contrast, teams lacking authentic relationships struggle to reach their creative potential and risk stagnating in a landscape that demands agility and innovation.

“After spending so many years on technological development, we’re now realizing that, increasingly, the capabilities of the future are based on human skills, collaborative leadership as well as the ability to innovate and continously learn and grow.  We need creative ways to respond to our current organizational and business challenges: ways that, by sharing our experiences, take us out of our comfort zones, bring us together, and help us develop new insights. Ways that will help us create learning and empowering cultures, and assist people in reaching their full potential.” (Paquet, Sabourin & al., 2024) (1)

What exactly is Codevelopment Action Learning (CAL)?

Concretely, by bringing small groups (4-8 participants online or face-to-face) together, CAL accelerates goals, co-creates solutions, and fosters growth through diverse perspectives and action. It has been deployed across sectors including: 

  • Leadership and Executive development (to strengthen collaborative leadership) 
  • Communities of professionals, entrepreneurs or business leaders (to grow by learning from each other) 
  • Team Potential Development (to move forward, together) 
  • Higher education (to evolve teaching practices with action learning) 

For example, l’Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés has offered CAL to create HR community of practices on various subjects both strategic and tactical, such as talent management, leadership and organisational development.  In addition, facilitator training was offered to HR professionals to implement CAL in their organisations to stimulate innovation, teamwork and learning. HR plays a key role in created the conditions of success to implement CAL. For example: align CAL to strategic imperatives, develop deployment strategies, create the optimal group composition, engage key stakeholders, ensure the required facilitation, as well as contribute to impact measurement (1, 8).

The Origins and Evolution

CAL originated in Montréal, Canada; first developed by Adrien Payette, Ph.D and Claude Champagne, M.Ps, it was deployed in various countries around the world (5).  Their pioneering framework did not remain static; instead, it evolved in step with emerging currents in organisational development and learning—drawing insight from advances in action-learning, coaching, facilitation, and rigorous workplace experimentation and most of all scientific research conducted over the last decade (1, 6).

The result is a dynamic methodology aimed to stimulate collaboration as well as create learning and empowering human cultures to grow and move forward, now detailed in Codevelopment Action Learning for Business: Co-create. Accelerate. Grow. (Paquet, M.; Sabourin, N. & al., 2024) written by a team of senior coaches and researchers (1).

How Does it Work?

CAL groups can be implemented within a single organisation or with individuals coming from different businesses.  With CAL, a small group—typically comprised of five to eight individuals is assembled. The group has a shared purpose: to generate solutions and grow through collective intelligence & learning from each other (1).  

These sessions, whether part of an ongoing program or a focused session such as a leadership forum, serve as a dynamic space to address real-world topics, including goals to accelerate, new projects, challenges or decision-making dilemmas.  For instance, a participant may introduce a topic such as navigating organisational change, establishing new alliances or bringing a new leadership forward. Each topic is treated as an opportunity for broadening perspectives and deepening learning.

CAL is distinguished by the rotation of roles: one member assumes the position of “client-coachee,” presenting a real-work topic to the group. The remainder, acting as “consultant-coaches,” contribute by posing insightful questions, sharing relevant experiences, and offering practical suggestions & support. This collaborative approach transforms the topic into a shared learning experience, enriching all participants.

Guided by a facilitator, groups progress through a structured sequence of 7 steps, beginning with preparation and advancing methodically through reflection, inquiry, ideation, planning, and integration of new insights (see graphic above). The facilitator ensures that discussion remains focused, constructive, and anchored in mutual goodwill, thus maximising the group’s capacity for meaningful learning and effective action. Through the 7 steps, participants also hone their coaching, collaborative and creativity skills including as listening, questioning, providing feedback dialogue and reflection (6).

What Are the Impacts of CAL?

Over the years, numerous robust studies conducted in Quebec, Canada (1, 7, 8, 9) have fine-tuned the practice of CAL, equipping today’s leaders with concrete evidence of its benefits—whether for face-to-face gatherings or virtual cohorts. Scientific research results show that CAL enables teamwork, co-creation, and peer learning capacity, while strengthening core leadership and human skills that represents key capabilities of the future (1,9).

Most of all, participants self-efficacy increases, and stronger professional identities are forged through a deepened understanding of organisational culture. The collaborative approach stimulates connection, breaks down silos and builds trust.

75% to 85% of participants mentioned that they transferred their new abilities—like communication and problem-solving—directly into their daily work.

The result – when the right conditions are in place? A culture of learning, agility, and collaboration that offers a pathway for leaders, teams and businesses to lead through human transformation, inspired decision-making, and new possibilities.

“CAL provides a framework that helps us take the time to reflect, before going into solution mode.”  CHRP participant in a CAL group (1)

“CAL gives managers insight into the institutional culture and provides access to a dedicated group that helps them be more effective, explore innovative ways of solving problems, and gain access to a support network that’s outside the traditional hierarchy. Giving managers more ways to work together makes our organization more innovative and agile.”  Executive Leader (1)

Live and experiment CAL in Berlin!

We invite you to a HOW-TO participative and insightful session to explore Codevelopment Action Learning (CAL) This session, led by 2 seasoned leader-facilitators, will be a chance to discover and try this powerful approach to co-create and learn together. In addition, hear from the Head of the Innovation Center at Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés (Quebec’s regulating body for over 12 000 HR professionals). She will present how CAL was put forward as a powerful approach to build and maintain competencies in HR professionals, and to stimulate human-centred solution-focus collaborative and learning cultures among them and in today’s fast-paced and transformative environments. 

What Awaits You in This 90-minute How-To Session: 

  • Immersive Exploration: Dive into the principles and process of CAL, discovering how it stands apart from other learning & collective intelligence methods. 
  • Hands-On Experience: Step into the CAL process with live micro-demonstrations, experimenting with collaborative meaning-making techniques that spark transformative insights. 
  • Real-World Success Stories and Research demonstrating measurable results such as enhanced work efficacy, trust, cross-functional performance, and collaborative leadership.



We can’t wait to meet you!

Nathalie Sabourin, M.Sc., CHRP – Experienced strengths-based certified coach, participative facilitator & author.  As the co-founder of
The Co-Leadership Group, Nathalie’s purpose is to elevate leaders and unite teams to thrive in the future. Her clients value her ability to blend strategic clarity with deep insight into human dynamics, sparking alignment and innovative decision-making, as well as creating collaborative learning environments built on trust, connection, and cohesion. A thought leader in co-leadership, she is the co-author of the influential book Codevelopment Action Learning for Business: Co-create. Accelerate. Grow (Routledge Taylor Francis).  nsabourin@coleadershipgroup.com

Catherine Bédard, M.Ed., CHRP –  Head of the Research and Innovation Center at Ordre des Conseillers en ressources humaines agréés (Quebec’s regulating body of chartered professionals in Human resources) and the Editor in Chief of the recognized HR publication – Revue RH (https://carrefourrh.org/ressources/revue-rh). Catherine was responsible for the deployment of Codevelopment Action Learning for these HR professionals.
She is the co-author of the related case study in the book Codevelopment Action Learning for Business: Co-create. Accelerate. Grow (Routledge, 2024) and the co-author of award-winning book – Le candidat viscéral (Éditions Yvon Blais, 2017).  c.bedard@ordrecrha.org

References

  1. Paquet, M., Sabourin, N., Lafranchise, N. et Cheshire, R. (2024). Codevelopment Action Learning for business : Co-create. Accelerate. Grow. Routledge Taylor Francis. www.codevelopmentactionlearning.com
  2. Harvey, J.-F., Cromwell, J. R., Johnson, K. et Edmondson, A. C. (2025). New research on the link between learning and innovation. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2025/07/new-research-on-the-link-between-learning-and-innovation
  3. De Smet, A., D’Auria, G., Meijknectht, L., Albaharna, M., Fifer, A. et Rubenstein, K. (2024). Go, teams: When teams get healthier, the whole organization benefits. McKinsey Quarterly. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/go-teams-when-teams-get-healthier-the-whole-organization-benefits#/
  4. Ferrazi, K (2024) Never Lead Alone: The Relationship Revolution That Powers Elite Teams, Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/keithferrazzi/2024/10/30/never-lead-alone-the-relationship-revolution-that-powers-elite-teams/
  5. Payette, A. et Champagne, C. (1997). Le groupe de codéveloppement professionnel. Presses de l’Université du Québec.
  6. Sabourin, N.; Paquet, M. & Grill, E. (2025).  Gestion:  Inspirer les leaders – HEC Montréal – to be published
  7. Sabourin, N. et Lefebvre, F. (2017). Collaborer et agir: mieux et autrement : guide pratique pour implanter des groupes de codéveloppement professionnel. Éditions Sabourin Lefebvre.
  8. Sabourin, N., Paquet, M. et Lafranchise, N. (2023). Le codéveloppement actualisé: un levier plus pertinent que jamais pour progresser vers une organisation innovante et apprenante. Revue RH, 26(4), 35‑39. Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines du Québec.
  9. Paquet, M., Bélisle, L., Lafranchise, N., L’Écuyer, F., Fazez, N., Latreille, É. et Sabourin, N. (2023). The impact of Codevelopment Action Learning on work self-efficacy, based on the results of a mixed-methods longitudinal study. Action Learning: Research and Practice, 20(3), 203‑220.

Also consulted:



Written for OEB 2025 by Nathalie Sabourin and Catherine Bédard.

Join Nathalie and Catherine for their How To “Peer Power & Humanity in a Digital Age: Explore Codevelopment Action Learning” at OEB25.


Join Nathalie and Catherine at #OEB2025!

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