Colourful birds between gray walls
A few months ago, everyone noticed him: not only was he a new, young employee on the floor but he was also an energy ball, running around with queries and ideas, questioning the way things were done, and proposing new ways of thinking and doing. A colourful bird flying through gray corridors and series of cubicles. Other employees looked at him with amazement, some with barely hidden irony, a few with some kind of nostalgia.
Today, no one notices him anymore: not a lot is left of the energy ball, and yesterday’s colours have somehow melted into the gray walls of the hallways. He doesn’t ask questions anymore, and his ideas quickly drown in the ever-moving sea of more important activities.
The debate surrounding the younger generation’s distinctiveness carries on and feeds not only boardroom and hallway talks, but also HR strategies and succession plans.
But are generational differences the most important ones? Or it is also about
– What happens with new employees beyond their first days and months at work?
– What happens to workplaces and organizations when new employees come in?
New employees bring new views, ideas and approaches, and fresh graduates bring up-to-date knowledge. We all like this. In theory. In practice, it might be different, it might be challenging. Because what we, often without admitting it, might be looking for, are not so much new ideas, but quick adaptability and compliance with our corporate culture. While we may praise originality and creativity, we more secretly and too often may prefer more discreet employees who quickly learn “how we do things here” and soon become “one of ours” – compliant and not too distinctive.
Yet, what do we miss when our new employees (too) quickly adapt to our organizational culture, be it the greatest one of all time? We lose their questioning, to start with. Not only their questions about procedures and processes; more importantly, questions about who we are, why we exist as an organization, what we do, why we do it and how we do it here, i.e. about our purpose, mission, values, ideals, and higher goals. We also miss their fresh eyes on our environment and organization.
“Hire not on cultural fit, but on cultural contribution. Originality comes not from people who match the culture, but from those who enrich it.”
– Adam Grant, professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
Originality and novelty are, by definition, unsettling, and may even be disruptive. They don’t come from easy places and don’t aspire to such places either – innovation rarely does. Employers and managers who are sincere about innovation cannot ignore new, different, and challenging perspectives. To have or not to have challengers and originals in our workplace also speaks to the culture of our organization and management style.
So, how should we preserve the novel views and perspectives brought by our new and not-so-new employees? How can we enable their contributions in terms of energy, new possibilities and opportunities, to better our workplaces, organizations and organizational cultures?
A few ideas to begin with:
1. Recognize no one person knows best in all given circumstances; truth is born in dialogue.
2. Create conditions for employees to enrich the organizational culture rather than comply with it.
3. Set an example: question the conventional points of view you are provided with when you ask for solutions.
4. Acknowledge new employees’ curiosity and willingness to contribute to the organization, and respond with curiosity: ask them how they envision their contribution to the organization.
5. Encourage and foster a greater space for diverse views and perspectives that question the status quo. How about launching a colour hour, a discussion forum for unconventional ideas, or some other initiatives to discuss the reasons for the status quo, challenge the way things are done, and look for colourful, bright ideas?
Yes, it takes courage to question the status quo and to propose unusual solutions. It takes leadership to create an environment of acceptance of novelty and dialogue where colourful birds feel welcome. Then again, imagine the colourful energy balls running through and animating the ashen walls of our offices!
© Blagovesta Maneva-Sleyman 2018. All rights reserved.