I'm not going to talk about new ways to create as a team, but about the old ways that still work. A few days ago, I found a video of those that goes viral sooner or later. It's a moment in the lives of two guys, Gerard and Nassim, whose paths crossed at a Paris train station to give us a lesson in how to create as a team, or in other words, how to co-create.

This video made me reflect on the impact and beauty of co-creation. While waiting for his train home, Gerard started playing the piano at the Paris train station. Unconcerned by the stares of passersby, he simply enjoyed the melody his fingers were creating. The fantastic music of Ludovico Einaudi, "Una Mattina," became the guiding thread for what would happen next.

Nassim, another boy also waiting for his train, approached cautiously, his backpack slung over his shoulder, eager to watch Gerard play the piano. Nassim is an amateur pianist with many hours of practice. Immersed in Gerard's music, Nassim began to actively participate in the performance, which until then had featured only one performer. First with one hand, then with both. First accompanying with chords, and then taking the lead in the melody.

Co-creation is at the heart of our lives. Enric Arola

Gerard and Nassim, without knowing each other, without introducing themselves, and without exchanging a word or even a glance, began to create splendid music together with an intensity and passion that captivated the other travelers, resulting in millions of views for this video . A true spectacle. A spectacle born from spontaneity and from building upon the work of others. In short: co-creation.

The requirements for co-creation

Unleash your imagination and start by:

• Observe and respect

  Nassim approaches the piano and, as a spectator, lets the melody envelop him. It's music familiar to him, now being played with complete presence and dedication by a stranger. To co-create, we must value and give space to the person who has begun the creation, with humility and admiration for the work that is beginning to take shape.

• To enter by accompanying and improving the work of the original creator

  There comes a moment when an inner impulse compels us to stop being mere spectators of something being created and instead become participants in that creation. At this moment, Nassim's desire is to add more value, contributing even more beauty to what Gerard began. He does so by gently entering the scene, remaining in the background, and allowing the original work to shine even brighter. Making others shine is an indisputable principle of co-creation.

• Seeking communication and collaboration between creators

  There comes a point in co-creation requires communication to organize a work that, as a team, will exponentially surpass the individual effort. After more than two minutes of playing, Gerard and Nassim smile knowingly and exchange their first words (no more than four or five) to coordinate their efforts in service of the joint creation.

• To assume leadership when the work requires it

  When we're co-creating, it often happens that leadership of the task is shared between the creators. Halfway through the melody, Nassim takes the lead, which Gerard had previously held primarily, to set the tempo and add flourishes to the performance. Gerard accepts the change of leadership naturally and respectfully, once again serving the melody.

There is something even greater than witnessing the creation of a human being, and that is precisely the joint creation of two or more people. What is life if not an incredible co-creation where we all participate to become one?

Thank you Gerard and Nassim.

Enric Arola

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