PROJECT GSMART
NATIONAL EVENT (MULTIPLIER EVENT) in KONYA 21st July 2023
Organized by EKSINOVA
National Event Report
On July 21, 2023, EKSINOVA organized the national event in Social Innovation Agency, which is a part of Konya Municipality, to disseminate information about the GSmart project. In her opening remarks, Dr. Kevser Çınar welcomed everyone to the National Event. The GSmart project's target group, instructors of adults studied in the new culture of cross-generational cooperation, as well as members of Generation Z, participated. It's crucial to understand the characteristics, viewpoints, and life experiences that define each generation and shape how people interact, communicate, and react to change. Dr. Çınar gave a presentation on the project, summarized the findings of the IO1 research, and discussed the advantages of the GSmart MOOC model and the training modules. The seminar's attendees were urged to discuss the GSmart project's findings and to apply its recommendations to their day-to-day work in order to foster cross-generational collaboration in both personal and professional settings. The event also highlighted a wide range of practical strategies and concepts that they have tested in their training modules, including interacting with new employees, managing teams, and getting to know and develop connections in daily life and working life in terms of cross-generational collaboration. A recurring theme emerged: a commitment to connect as whole people and a learning mentality are essential for successful cross-generational collaboration. Dr. Çınar also stated that ‘To be an inclusive organization, we must continually improve our cultural competence and capacity to modify our behavior based on the needs of our clients and personnel. Age and generation are factors in cultural identity, and as we saw from the insightful panel, many generations have varied expectations and viewpoints. Of course, every person is different, so even though it is very beneficial to learn about each age, the most significant lesson was that in order to work across generations, we need to be present and prepared to connect, listen, and learn.’ We also discussed the potential possibilities for cross-generational collaboration. Given the age diversity of the modern workforce, learning from both older and younger co-workers is essential. Here are some ideas to foster relationships and effective communication that is needed especially in our region we came up in the event based on the comments of the participants. Be aware of the communication methods and generations. Learning about the preferred communication styles of the various generations in your team will help you better understand them. It's useful to know how your teammates prefer to be approached when you need to interact with them. In the beginning, communicate more to figure out how to work together most effectively. Be generationally inclusive. Refrain from becoming prejudiced against your own generation. Everyone advances more productively when they have a better understanding of the other generational members as individuals and the influences that have molded them. Take note of each person's strengths and the value they each provide to the organization. Keep in mind that having many viewpoints is usually beneficial. Avoid using outdated preconceptions. As you get to know team members from different generations, you'll undoubtedly realize that many of the misconceptions about them—for example, that they're tech illiterate Boomers or lazy Millennials—are untrue or at least not as pronounced. Participate in intergenerational activities. To create a sense of community and foster friendships across generations, groups bring together employees from all levels, generations, and departments. Take advantage of chances to learn. One of the few things that all generations will concur is essential in the job is the value of acquiring new skills and information. Learning is wonderful because it may happen both ways. Both younger and older generations can benefit from one another's knowledge. We can encourage our cross-generational workforce to work effectively together and achieve both their personal and organizational goals by eschewing preconceptions and encouraging open communication, individualism, and collaboration. We continually work with various mindsets and communication styles from consumers to associates to partners to create wonderful experiences, and there is always more to learn. The seminar was finished with a question-and-answer (Q&A) session on GSmart practical teaching solutions.