A previous circular of dialogues that centered on planning and preparing for the particular ‘Next Normal’ at UNHQ produced a series of ideas within 12 workstreams, which given directly into a report on recommendations for the Next Normal that went to the Secretary-General. While the ‘Next Normal’ dialogues taken staff voices and creative ideas, it also unveiled the information asymmetry within the organization. Today, numerous staff are unaware of existing guides and resources that are available to back up them through times of transition. The primary objective of a series of dialogues directed by the global #NewWork team was to provide personnel with opportunities to envision the ‘Next Normal’ at the UN. The particular ‘Reimagine the Next Normal Dialogues’ aimed to facilitate the particular exchange of ideas across the UN, driving organizational culture change from the bottom up. Inspired by the Reimagine the UN Together Dialogues and the UNHQ Next Normal Dialogues, the Reimagine the Next Normal Dialogues focused on four themes related to our post-pandemic workplace culture:
- Agile Teams which encourages all of the teams to cultivate a good agile mindset to be a lot more adaptive and versatile.
- Digital Literacy & Tools which stimulates knowledge on technology and ongoing digital transformation to help personnel feel at ease with revolutionary tools and develop digital literacy.
- Hybrid Teams which highlights the importance for organizations to assist staff and managers develop skills and competencies to better adapt to hybrid work configurations.
- Increasing Innovation which underlines the essentiality of sprouting new ideas through participation in innovation-related events and programmes.
Strengthening staff voices creates ripple effects, inviting more energetic participation to co-create the vision for the ‘Culture from the Next Normal that We Want’ and to support the trip to “UN 2 . 0” as laid out in Our Common Plan . #NewWork will still harness the power of group intelligence to address challenges plus develop an agile, innovative and inclusive workplace lifestyle. Ensuring everyone has access to consistent info is a critical pillar even as we move toward the ‘Next Normal’. Furthermore, by equipping all staff with the tools they need and focusing on addition, we build stronger human relationships and bolster trust. The dialogues brought together more than 180 co-workers from 52 duty channels. Over 25 volunteers through the field, Bangkok, New York, plus Geneva, moderated 26 sessions held (as at date of publication). Broad variety in each session had been achieved through the use of a ‘randomising’ tool developed by a colleague in peacekeeping. A number of these staff tips have been endorsed for execution, including institutionalizing the conversation mechanism itself. This will make certain the Organization offers an ongoing method for staff to contribute a lot more directly to transformation and adjustments proposed in the future. Not only does the conversation mechanism offer a safe area for the global exchange of ideas, it also makes possible the sharing of feedback plus insights with senior administration, human resources, and other fora, assisting to ensure staff voices are heard and valued. The initiative had been recognized by the Career Development Roundtable (CDR)1 held within Milan in December 2021 with an award in the Staff Wedding category. The award acknowledges the successes and milestones #NewWork has achieved in uniting staff, breaking down silos, and working towards organizational culture change.
