Future-Proofing Success: cultivating an inclusive multigenerational culture
Highlights from Nurture Network LIVE, September 2024…
It takes a village event was brought to you in collaboration with Fidelity Investments, Maddyness UK, Startups Magazine, hosted at Rise, created by Barclays suppored by Varu Beauty and PerkBox Vivup Group. This panel consisted of Simon Moyles, former CEO and now Non-Executive Director at Perkbox Vivup Group, Niamh Callaghan, Consultant, CGI and Tanyka Davson, Senior Policy Lead from the British Business Bank.
Every organisation, big or small, is a village. It has its elders, its workers, and its youngsters. To
keep things fresh and vigorous, all the generations have to work together in order to see the
village thrive and grow.
But it can sometimes feel like the generation game has become something of a culture war, with
different ages pitted against each other: Gen Z’s avocado activism running into the buzzsaw of
Boomer’s long hours culture. Happily a panel put together at the recent Nurture Network event in London was proof that, with some decent communication and goodwill, there’s no reason why the generations can’t all rub along together perfectly happily.
The event sponsored by Fidelity Investments, and hosted at Rise created by Barclays and media partners, Maddyness UK, Startups Magazine, CGI and Perkbox Vivup Group, aimed to look into the factors that can foster a healthy atmosphere of collaboration among the generations.
“I think there’s definitely a way for organisations to bring people together to work well,” said
Simon Moyles, former CEO and now Non-Executive Director at Perkbox Vivup Group. “Essentially
we try to break down those generational barriers by treating everyone the same and extending
the same freedom and responsibility. It’s easy to get hung up on some of these terms but really
good management is about respecting people and listening to their needs.”
That was echoed by Niamh Callaghan, a proud member of Gen Z and a Consultant at CGI within the Energy Transformation, Fleet and Mobility Sector. As a younger employee at what might be called a more mature organisation, she’s seen firsthand how Gen Z habits can sometimes rub up
against more established cultures.
“There have definitely been a few times where the differences are visible: working hours, for
instance, or the importance of working for a business that has a purpose that employees can
support and get behind,” she said. “But we’ve found that by forming networks within the
organisation, whether formal or informal, can break down a lot of those barriers anyway.”
Collaboration is key...
Tanyka Davson, Senior Policy Lead from the British Business Bank, agreed that in order for organisations to foster better relations and create a harmonious intergenerational spirit, encouraging peers to work together and highlight good performance is a great way to break down barriers. “We’ve seen it at the British Business Bank where there’s definitely a sense of inclusion across the generations, which means even younger members of the team, who previously might have been a bit frustrated with the slower pace of working, are heard and encouraged to contribute.”
The session was wrapped up by Simon Moyles, who pointed out that peer feedback and the use
of data have been instrumental to Vivup’s success in helping its 600 plus employees feel part of
the team. “There’s no doubt using data to track performance and identify high performers has
really helped, and it shows that the village needs everyone to feel part of the story.
There's More...
The Nurture Network strives to connect underrepresented people with other people of influence who can share their stories, strengthen their leadership, and pave the way while bringing others along with them. Be the first to know about Nurture Network Live 2025 and join us in our movement to help create a more equitable society for all. And don’t forget you can find out more about the Nurture Network – email hello@thenurture-network.com or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter @lemonquarters.
