The Rise of Co-Creation: Engaging Employees in Strategic Planning

It is not uncommon for top leadership to convene, looking to chart the company’s future, define long-term visions, set strategic objectives, and determine the path forward. This approach is widely accepted, rooted in the belief that those at the helm possess the requisite experience and insight to steer the organisation effectively.

But what if we challenged this norm? What if we opened the strategic planning process to include voices from all levels of the organisation?

Could involving frontline employees, who interact daily with customers and operations, lead to more robust and adaptable strategies?

Imagine a scenario where a junior analyst or a customer service representative contributes insights that shape the company’s direction. Such inclusivity could foster a sense of ownership, enhance engagement, and lead to strategies that are both innovative and grounded in operational realities.

UNDERSTANDING CO-CREATION IN STRATEGIC PLANNING

Co-creation in strategic planning refers to the collaborative process where employees across various levels and functions actively participate in shaping the organisation’s strategy. This approach moves beyond traditional top-down planning, recognising that valuable insights can emerge from any part of the organisation.

Ilana Rosen, Director of Innovation and Strategy at Old Navy, emphasises the importance of this approach: “The most important step of true co-creation is to empower your people to actually be a part of the solution”. By involving employees in strategy development, organisations can tap into diverse perspectives, leading to more comprehensive and effective plans.

Several organisations have embraced co-creation with notable success. For instance, LEGO’s “LEGO Ideas” platform invites fans to submit and vote on new product ideas, some of which have been brought to market. Similarly, Coca-Cola engaged customers in Southeast Asia to co-create products that resonate with local tastes.

BLUEPRINT FOR CO-CREATION: EMBEDDING PARTICIPATION INTO STRATEGIC PLANNING

Adopting co-creation as a strategic approach is not merely about inviting employees into the room. It’s about fundamentally reshaping how the room is built, how dialogue unfolds, and how decisions are made. For many organisations, moving from top-down planning to a participatory process represents a cultural and operational shift. But when done right, the outcomes can be transformative: a more agile organisation, deeply engaged employees, and strategies that are as practical as they are visionary.

Below is our comprehensive blueprint to guide organisations through this shift, with a focus on the underlying enablers that make co-creation effective:

1. Establish a Foundation of Psychological Safety

If employees are to speak up and contribute to high-level planning, they must first believe that their voices will be respected and heard without negative repercussions. This requires a deliberate building of psychological safety across all levels of the organisation.

“When people feel psychologically safe, they’re more likely to offer ideas, admit mistakes, and ask for help—essential behaviours for co-creation.” — Amy Edmondson, Harvard Business School.

Leaders must actively model vulnerability by inviting feedback, showing humility in decision-making, and acknowledging that good ideas are not the exclusive domain of the executive suite. One practical method is hosting listening sessions where leadership responds visibly to staff insights, turning ideas into tangible outcomes.

2. Define the Scope and Boundaries of Involvement

Co-creation thrives on clarity. Employees need to understand where they can contribute, how their ideas will be used, and what the expectations are.

For instance, not every employee will weigh in on the financial restructuring of the company, but they might be well-suited to shape customer experience strategy or operational efficiency measures. Clarify which areas of strategy are open for input and create structured forums for that input to be gathered, such as design sprints, ideation challenges, or facilitated cross-functional workshops.

It’s also important to be transparent about what happens to employee contributions. Will there be a follow-up? Are certain ideas being piloted or passed on to decision-makers? Regular feedback loops help maintain trust and keep momentum alive.

3. Build Capability and Context for Contribution

Strategic planning can often be abstract and complex. To meaningfully engage employees in the process, organisations must equip them with a working understanding of the business context, strategic frameworks, and relevant data.

This involves:

• Conducting short orientation or strategy literacy sessions for employees.
• Sharing simplified versions of the strategic planning model.
• Making business data accessible and understandable.
• Offering training on creative and systems thinking.

When employees are armed with insight and capability, their contributions become more aligned with strategic priorities and business realities.

4. Create Multi-Layered Platforms for Engagement

Not all engagement has to happen through meetings. Establish various channels that allow different personalities, roles, and schedules to participate. These might include:

• Digital platforms for anonymous idea submission.
• Department-level strategy forums.
• Rotational “strategy council” with rotating employee representatives.
• Surveys tied to key strategic questions.

The goal is to make contribution routine rather than episodic. Embed these activities into performance cycles, town halls, and team retrospectives, so that strategy-making becomes a living process.

5. Shift from Participation to Ownership

The most effective co-creation doesn’t just ask people to contribute; it asks them to own. Encourage teams or departments to own segments of the broader strategy and develop localised action plans. This sense of ownership increases commitment and follow-through.

In Adobe’s “Kickbox” innovation program, for example, any employee can propose an idea and access a toolkit to bring it to life, without needing prior executive approval. This model not only surfaces diverse thinking but also drives execution at the grassroots level.

Furthermore, recognise contributors through visibility, incentives, or leadership pathways. The more people see impact from their input, the more inclined they are to continue investing in the organisation’s future.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Embedding co-creation into strategic planning is not about diluting leadership authority; it’s about deepening strategic intelligence and organisational alignment. When employees become partners in shaping the future, organisations unlock a more resilient, agile, and motivated workforce; one that is ready not only to execute the vision but to help shape it.