The future has always been born from the composition of contrasts: it distributes itself, naturally, adapting to the conditions it finds. Until the day you look back and realize that the new things have somehow “overwritten” the old ones.
To create a future we need to interpret the changes, and do so from multiple points of view. In the world that emerges from the rubble of the old millennium, a central theme of the coming years is represented by the "reform" of work: how to develop it? Asymmetrical and “bright”, it is said. And where? In presence or at a distance? Easy to say, but we need a common path that brings together new generations of digital natives who live (in some way create, too) the YOLO economy, and solid companies that have methods to update wisely.
To realize it he thought (as a good Think Tank) The European House - Ambrosetti, a global giant of strategic thinking: it's called JAM, and find it here. Now I tell you.
Join the Ageless Mind
Big companies and young talents do not represent two antithetical worlds, quite the contrary. These are the two essential ingredients of a synergy that can transform things: putting them together, offering them a space for meeting and dialogue, is a very important cultural investment.
JAM is an acronym that stands for “Join the Ageless Mind”, and is both an invitation and a destination. The ideas that transcend eras are precisely those that arise from organizations capable of interpreting the moment and being in some way eternally new. A mechanism that today is more complex than ever: young people and expert people in the company interpret the future with different lenses, and this risks tying up the future in the eternal (and yes, dated) scheme of "generational conflict".
There is only one way to avoid it: think and work agelessly. Mix the experiences of different generations with vision and awareness. Emulsify creativity, respecting the particles of the different generations, but allowing them to form a body. And future.
The cultural scenario
We often talked about it: many companies can no longer read the situation. The painful passage of the pandemic accelerated cultural processes that would take much longer. In the USA, over 5 million workers have left their businesses even without having an alternative: the “Great Resignation” is the great indicator of a malaise that is also manifesting itself in our country. In Italy, in fact, 70% of workers between 26 and 35 have chosen (or are choosing) to change jobs.
To weigh, a crucial factor: the renewed awareness of the new generations on the relationship between work and private life. The rhythms and methods of employment (in Italy, in 2021, 83% of professional requests from companies involve only fixed-term contracts * ) have reduced the rewarding power of work. It simply does not give certainty or does not stimulate. To the point that over 2 million young people do not even look for it anymore, nor do they attend courses to update themselves: they call them NEETs.
An immense wealth of talent, the entire propulsion system of our future risks stopping. And he is trying in every way to communicate it to us.
JAM was born to face this challenge
Considering the context, the launch of a "future incubator" where new generations and companies seek a common path for the future is fantastic news.
"We want to enable an open and frank discussion, which aims to build solutions to introduce new styles and ways of working together" he says Alexander Braga, senior consultant of The European House - Ambrosetti is responsible for JAM.
“It's time to learn from young people,” he adds Marco Grazioli, President of The European House – Ambrosetti. “The challenges they pose to us are an incentive to rethink the mechanisms, methods and leadership models with which our companies function”.
They are right. Between the 'Great Resignation' and the 'Great Return' the future of the relationship between leaders and young talents is at stake. To understand more, I asked both of them a question.
How can young talents and established leaders come together?
“There's a world of things to do,” he says Alexander Braga,” but four of these can develop immediately.
The first it is to engage young people on specific company projects, rather than on the company as a whole, to give a perimeter of expression more suited to them.
The second is to measure and communicate the social and environmental impact of company activities, recalling the contribution that the company makes to the world every day.
The third, fundamental: to think of one's organization as an educational institution (not only for young people, to tell the truth) and therefore to build professional experiences in which training is strong, continuous and evident.
The last it means discussing a lot with your management and, if necessary, strengthening the managerial skills useful for managing the complexity of multi-generational teams, because the direct boss has an enormous impact on the work experience for everyone, especially for those taking their first steps in the world of work."
Marco GrazioliInstead, the approach is ideological:
“We must begin to believe and practice the fact that young people are not studied, but learned from them. The importance of this is inversely proportional to the level of hierarchy we hold in the company.
The closer you are to the top, the more you have to learn, while the more you are at operational levels, the more you can exchange with them. "
In summary: a bridge that unites several generations to redefine the work of the future
JAM will be the spokesperson for a cultural change in a world of work in radical transformation. It will be a facilitator of intergenerational dialogue. In practice, will design solutions and experiences for people, offering companies the tools for measure and develop new professional and managerial skills, encourage full collaboration between generations within the organization, individuate new strategies to attract and hire young professionals, e stay up to date on the main trends in the labor market.
From 1st Think Tank in Italy (and 4th in Europe) I expect great things.
* CENSIS - “55th Report on the social situation of the country 2021”, FrancoAngeli
