The primary objective of a series of dialogues brought by the global #NewWork group was to provide personnel with opportunities to envision the ‘Next Normal’ at the UN. The ‘Reimagine the Next Normal Dialogues’ aimed to facilitate the exchange of ideas across the UN, driving organizational tradition change from the bottom up. The dialogues delivered together more than 180 colleagues from 52 duty channels. Over 25 volunteers in the field, Bangkok, New York, and Geneva, moderated 26 periods 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 tradition: #NewWork will always harness the power of group intelligence to address challenges and develop an agile, innovative and inclusive workplace lifestyle.
- Agile Teams which encourages all teams to cultivate a good agile mindset to be more adaptive and versatile.
- Digital Literacy & Tools which promotes knowledge on technology plus ongoing digital transformation to assist personnel feel at ease with revolutionary tools and develop digital literacy.
- Hybrid Teams which highlights the importance for organizations to help staff and managers create skills and competencies to better adapt to hybrid work settings.
- Increasing Innovation which underlines the essentiality of sprouting brand new ideas through participation in innovation-related events and programs.
A number of these staff suggestions have been endorsed for execution, including institutionalizing the conversation mechanism itself. This will assure the Organization offers an ongoing method for staff to contribute a lot more directly to transformation and changes proposed in the future. Empowering staff voices creates ripple effects, inviting more active participation to co-create the vision for the ‘Culture of the Next Normal that We Want’ and to support the trip to “UN 2 . 0” as laid out in Our Common Agenda . As the ‘Next Normal’ dialogues captured staff voices and crafting 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. Not only does the dialogue 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 management, human resources, and other fora, helping to ensure staff voices are heard and valued. Ensuring everyone has access to consistent details 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 relationships and bolster trust. A previous round of dialogues that centered on planning and preparing for the ‘Next Normal’ at UNHQ produced a series of ideas in 12 workstreams, which given directly into a report on recommendations for the Next Normal that went to the Secretary-General. The initiative had been recognized by the Career Development Roundtable (CDR)1 held within Milan in December 2021 by having an award in the Staff Wedding category. The award appreciates the successes and breakthrough #NewWork has achieved within uniting staff, breaking down silos, and working towards company culture change.
