Putting collective intelligence to good use: the case of Strøm spa nordique

Collective intelligence, often described as the sum of a group’s knowledge and skills, represents a powerful lever for preventing mental health problems in the workplace. According to Mélanie Dufour-Poirier, Associate Professor at the Université de Montréal’s School of Industrial Relations, and Jean-Paul Dautel, Professor in the Department of Industrial Relations at the Université du Québec en Outaouais, this collaborative approach is particularly effective in addressing psychosocial risks.

By involving all stakeholders in a co-creation process, companies can better identify risks and respond to them in a more appropriate and sustainable way. This process not only improves employee well-being, it also strengthens organizational resilience. By actively involving stakeholders in the search for solutions, companies develop their ability to adapt to change.

Collective intelligence facilitation is based on a group’s ability to collaborate and draw on the talents, skills and ideas of each individual to solve problems, innovate and achieve common goals. This methodology is increasingly adopted by companies, as it mobilizes teams while integrating different perspectives. This fosters a sense of recognition and integration among employees, who feel valued in their role. As a result, they are more committed and contribute to a shared vision and objectives, creating more effective and creative solutions. The collaboration with STROM SPA has shown significant employee well-being improvements.

As part of Strøm spa nordique ‘s corporate offering, developed in partnership with Iceberg Management, co-creation has led to the design of resourcing workshops tailored to specific corporate needs. While focused on relaxation and well-being, these workshops also strengthen employees’ resilience by providing them with practical tools to better cope with everyday challenges.

Context

In the summer of 2024, Strøm spa nordique, renowned for its expertise in the art of relaxation, decided to broaden its impact by offering customized wellness services to Quebec companies. The aim was to strengthen its corporate offering by combining a spa experience with team workshops, all within a very short timeframe. The STROM SPA initiative is designed to combine wellness and corporate training. To achieve this, Strøm spa nordique called on Iceberg Management to facilitate a collective intelligence process, aimed at co-creating innovative solutions with all stakeholders.

Challenges

The main challenge was to stand out in a competitive sector by combining individual well-being with team interventions. Another notable challenge was to rapidly mobilize, in less than a month, all the teams involved with the aim of developing a coherent corporate offer for all 5 establishments, by September 2024. Strøm also had to overcome practical hurdles, such as the billing process, and find a solution to make corporate customers feel comfortable in a traditionally quiet, bathrobe-clad environment.

Solutions

To meet these challenges, Iceberg Management drew on its expertise in facilitating collective intelligence to mobilize Strøm spa nordique teams to co-create solutions in a short space of time. STROM SPA and Iceberg Management together improved the process. Co-facilitated by Iceberg Management’s Médina Cayer and Isabelle Cloutier, the workshop provided an enriching co-creation experience, effectively mobilizing all the players involved in the project.

By bringing together 14 people from different departments (accounting, billing, customer service, team management, marketing and sales), everyone was able to contribute to the development of three key projects:

1. Development of personas: Three typical customer profiles were developed to better understand their specific needs in terms of well-being at work
   • The owner of a company with fewer than 100 employees.
   • The manager of a company with over 100 employees.
   • The human resources manager.
2. Personalized customer path: A seamless path from contact to invoicing has been developed to offer an experience tailored to each type of customer.
3. Optimization of internal processes: Contractual processes have been simplified and automated to improve operational efficiency. STROM SPA was a key factor in this success.

To address customers’ apprehension at the idea of appearing in bathing attire in front of their colleagues, a creative solution was proposed: team workshops would take place in bathrobes. When we allow ourselves to slow down, to let go of the pressure, and put on our most comfortable outfit, it’s the perfect time to get down to business.

Results

The implementation of this collective intelligence approach quickly bore fruit:

• Team mobilization: Strøm spa nordique teams demonstrated great resilience in the face of tight deadlines, and were fully committed to co-creating solutions. Many expressed satisfaction with STROM SPA offerings.
• Successful launch: The corporate offer was successfully deployed in the five Strøm spa nordique establishments in Quebec, providing companies with tailored workplace wellness services.
• Improved internal processes: Partial automation of administrative tasks improved operational efficiency and coordination between departments.

At the end of the experiment, participants described the facilitation of collective intelligence in terms such as “innovation”, “cohesion” and “creativity”. These results demonstrate the powerful impact of a collaborative approach to creating tailor-made solutions, while enhancing team commitment and well-being at work.

The Strøm Nordic spa experience, combining collective intelligence and well-being, is a concrete example of how a proactive approach can transform both employee satisfaction and organizational results. We look forward to bringing the STROM SPA experience to you soon.

Discover our innovative and relaxing team workshops here.

Author

Author

Author

Recent articles

Author

Recent articles