Co-development Cells at Femmessor, there is something for everyone! Emergence for start-up entrepreneurs or Growth for those managing an expansion. Sectoral , according to the type of industry or Succession and acquisition , and even international with theFrance/Quebec unit. Cindy Rivard, owner of Hear Communications and MaltBroue Inc. , has just registered for a third year. In 2019, she participated in the Bas-Saint-Laurent Regional Growth Cell and then in 2020 in one specific to the manufacturing industry. As for Schamma Rosidor, co-founder and president of Royalty Natural , she went from an Emergence Cell to a Growth group in one year, a great example of the success of this type of support offered by Femmessor.

A structured and credible approach

“It’s much more than a Friday afternoon chat,” says Marie-Pierre Caouette, one of the facilitators of Cellules Femmessor. “We’re not ventilating in a vacuum. There really is a rigorous, step-by-step process that allows us to obtain concrete, measurable and sustainable results at each meeting.” For Marie-Pierre, who was part of two professional orders before turning to co-development coaching, the approach had to be rigorous. With a solid background as an entrepreneur, a prerequisite for facilitators, she was able to verify its relevance herself. Having led a board of directors, managed staff, and participated in international negotiations, Marie-Pierre is aware of the issues that can destabilize. Her experience gives her credibility.

“The facilitator understood the issues, which was important to me,” says Schamma, who had no one around her to answer her questions when she was struggling with everything in her business, down to bottling and labeling. “I didn’t have any close entrepreneur friends I could turn to constructively to find out if what I was doing was right. I didn’t know where to start with my problem. The facilitator was able to guide and redirect the discussion so that other entrepreneurs could relay their own experiences in a way that resonated with me.”

The meetings are monthly and spread over a year. Here is the schedule, which is divided into six stages:

1. One of the participants presents her dilemma in a short presentation.

2. Others reflect back to him what they understand and ask him questions to better understand the problem.

3. Return to the presenter to clarify your exact needs and establish a consultation contract.

4. Reactions and suggestions from other participants: round table, sharing of experiences.

5. The presenter is invited to respond to the comments, identify and integrate possible solutions that could apply to her case. Formulation of a short-term action plan and commitment to its concrete implementation.

6. Identification of learning for the whole group and evaluation.

Becoming aware and breaking isolation

Taking a different look at yourself and thinking about your way of working, by listening to the experiences of others, causes awareness. “I often say that my role is to reposition the issues to mount them in a helicopter and give a global view,” explains Marie-Pierre. Taking your nose off your problem brings a lot of clarity and an ability to see the real issue that lies behind it. This brings entrepreneurs together, because they have all experienced, at one time or another, something similar.”

“I realized that I wasn’t alone in my world,” says Schamma, who has now taken over the reins of her company. She hired a production assistant, a community manager and a marketing subcontractor. Her turnover has increased eightfold. “I learned to trust myself as an entrepreneur and to trust others. I delegated to specialists who are competent in their functions to allow me to return to my main role and work on my business vision.”

Finding your own solutions through collective intelligence

The facilitator asks the participants to share what they have tried in their business: this has the effect of opening up and challenging the initial vision of the one who is struggling with a difficult decision to make. "This sharing leads them to go beyond the possible solutions considered up until then to find the best solution for themselves," says Marie-Pierre. "It would be so easy to fall into advice, intimate for her part Cindy. We can't say: if I were you, I would do that. The Cell puts in the hands of each person the power to decide their own fate." These interactions spring from collective intelligence. "They release a creative and innovative side," assures Marie-Pierre. Sometimes, we even light up unsuspected gray areas in ourselves. And there, we must have the humility to apply our own medicine!"

Freeing up speech is only part of the job. You also have to develop your listening skills. “It’s a challenge for these leaders who are too often used to being on the defensive to get their points across,” she explains. “Listening to try to really understand is a skill they can use to communicate more effectively with their colleagues, with clients or with financiers. They will become empathetic and authentic leaders who are natural to turn to.”

In this regard, Cindy's testimony is eloquent:

Registrations are currently underway: https://femmessor.com/cellules