The primary goal of a series of dialogues directed by the global #NewWork group 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 exchange of ideas throughout the UN, driving organizational culture change from the bottom up. A previous round of dialogues that focused on planning and preparing for the particular ‘Next Normal’ at UNHQ produced a series of ideas in 12 workstreams, which given directly into a report on tips for the Next Normal that went to the Secretary-General. #NewWork will always harness the power of group intelligence to address challenges and develop an agile, innovative and inclusive workplace lifestyle. The initiative has been recognized by the Career Development Roundtable (CDR)1 held in Milan in December 2021 with an award in the Staff Wedding category. The award appreciates the successes and breakthrough #NewWork has achieved in uniting staff, breaking down silos, and working towards company culture change.
- Agile Teams which encourages just about all teams to cultivate an agile mindset to be a lot more adaptive and versatile.
- Digital Literacy & Tools which encourages knowledge on technology and ongoing digital transformation to help personnel feel at ease with innovative tools and develop electronic literacy.
- Hybrid Teams which illustrates the importance for organizations to help staff and managers develop skills and competencies to higher adapt to hybrid work settings.
- Increasing Innovation which underlines the essentiality of sprouting brand new ideas through participation in innovation-related events and programs.
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 lifestyle: The dialogues brought together more than 180 colleagues from 52 duty stations. Over 25 volunteers from your field, Bangkok, New York, and Geneva, moderated 26 periods held (as at day of publication). Broad variety in each session had been achieved through the use of a ‘randomising’ tool developed by a friend in peacekeeping. While the ‘Next Normal’ dialogues taken staff voices and creative ideas, it also unveiled the information asymmetry within the organization. Today, a lot of staff are unaware of existing guides and resources that are available to back up them through times associated with transition. A number of these staff concepts have been endorsed for implementation, including institutionalizing the conversation mechanism itself. This will guarantee the Organization offers an ongoing way for staff to contribute a lot more directly to transformation and adjustments proposed in the future. Making sure everyone has access to consistent details is a critical pillar as we move toward the ‘Next Normal’. Furthermore, by equipping all staff with the equipment they need and focusing on addition, we build stronger relationships and bolster trust. Strengthening staff voices creates ripple effects, inviting more active participation to co-create the vision for the ‘Culture from the Next Normal that We Want’ and to support the journey to “UN 2 . 0” as laid out in Our Common Plan . Not only does the conversation mechanism offer a safe space for the global exchange of ideas, it also makes possible the sharing of feedback plus insights with senior management, human resources, and other fora, helping to ensure staff voices are heard and valued.
