The primary goal of a series of dialogues led by the global #NewWork group was to provide personnel along with opportunities to envision the ‘Next Normal’ at the UN. The ‘Reimagine the Next Normal Dialogues’ aimed to facilitate the particular exchange of ideas throughout the UN, driving organizational tradition change from the bottom up. The dialogues introduced together more than 180 colleagues from 52 duty stations. Over 25 volunteers from the field, Bangkok, New York, plus Geneva, moderated 26 sessions held (as at day of publication). Broad diversity in each session had been achieved through the use of a ‘randomising’ tool developed by a colleague in peacekeeping. Motivated by the Reimagine the UN Together Dialogues and the UNHQ Next Normal Dialogues, the particular Reimagine the Next Normal Dialogues focused on four themes associated with our post-pandemic workplace culture: #NewWork will continue to keep harness the power of collective intelligence to address challenges and develop an agile, innovative and inclusive workplace tradition.
- Agile Teams which encourages every teams to cultivate an agile mindset to be more adaptive and versatile.
- Digital Literacy & Tools which stimulates knowledge on technology plus ongoing digital transformation to assist personnel feel at ease with revolutionary tools and develop electronic literacy.
- Hybrid Groups which illustrates the importance for organizations to help staff and managers develop skills and competencies to better adapt to hybrid work settings.
- Increasing Innovation which underlines the essentiality of sprouting brand new ideas through participation within innovation-related events and programs.
A number of these staff ideas have been endorsed for implementation, including institutionalizing the conversation mechanism itself. This will make certain the Organization offers an ongoing method for staff to contribute more directly to transformation and modifications proposed in the future. 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 Agenda . While the ‘Next Normal’ dialogues captured staff voices and creative ideas, it also unveiled the information asymmetry within the organization. Today, many staff are unaware of existing manuals and resources that are available to support them through times of transition. Not only does the conversation mechanism offer a safe space for the global exchange associated with ideas, it also makes possible the particular sharing of feedback and insights with senior administration, human resources, and other fora, helping to ensure staff voices are heard and valued. Ensuring everyone has access to consistent information is a critical pillar once we move toward the ‘Next Normal’. Furthermore, by equipping all staff with the equipment they need and focusing on inclusion, we build stronger interactions and bolster trust. A previous round of dialogues that focused on planning and preparing for the ‘Next Normal’ at UNHQ produced a series of ideas within 12 workstreams, which fed directly into a report on tips for the Next Normal that visited the Secretary-General. The initiative has been recognized by the Career Development Roundtable (CDR)1 held within Milan in December 2021 having an award in the Staff Wedding category. The award acknowledges the successes and breakthrough #NewWork has achieved within uniting staff, breaking down silos, and working towards company culture change.
