Ecosystem of the workplace

Learning targets

You may have noticed it at your own place of work: colleagues are retiring. The water sector is aging. As experienced workers leave, preserving knowledge and skills becomes a challenge. At the same time, the sector struggles to retain younger employees. The new generation seeks connection, guidance, and context. How do we find the right balance?

In the course Ecosystem of the Workplace, both seasoned and new employees learn about each other’s qualities and talents. We draw surprising parallels to the animal kingdom, elevating the collaboration between the young and the ‘not-so-young’ to a higher level.

Discover how connection is established, because it usually doesn’t happen automatically. This can be due to lack of time, different needs in collaboration, or preconceived notions. Often, experienced employees think that those seemingly confident young colleagues will manage on their own, while the young ones hesitate to approach their busy colleagues. This course provides the knowledge and skills to build a stronger ecosystem in your workplace.

The following topics will be covered: 

• assessing urgency and expectations
• biomimicry: collaboration in nature
• personal qualities
• seeking connections between the young and the experienced
• tools for both young and experienced employees
• collaboration agreements

By the end of this course, you will have gained the following knowledge & skills: 

• express your own needs in the work environment and recognize the needs of others
• identify your own qualities and recognize qualities in others
• recognize collaboration mechanisms
• provide examples of tools for having connecting conversations about needs, motivations, and qualities
• formulate a collaboration agreement to better address each other’s needs, motivations, and qualities

Program

World Water Academy has carefully put together a varied program for you. The Ecosystem of the Workplace course consists of one in-person session lasting a full day.

Content

In the morning, we will first look at the current collaboration between young and experienced employees. We will delve into the qualities needed for effective teamwork and reflect on our own strengths. Throughout, we will make connections to the animal kingdom. In the afternoon, we will practice conversations on how to strengthen collaboration. Finally, participants will create concrete collaboration agreements.

Personal Input

At World Water Academy, everything revolves around both knowledge and practice. Therefore, we expect each participant to bring their own work experiences to the course. What challenges are you facing? And what experiences can you share that others can learn from?

Time Investment

The course lasts one full day. Before the course, you will complete an assignment in which you share your perspective on collaboration. The time investment for this is approximately 1 hour.

Target group

The Ecosystem of the Workplace course is intended for both young and experienced employees within the same organization.

Learning Together

The group consists of a maximum of 16 colleagues, who are either experienced or just starting in their roles. There is plenty of room to bring in practical examples and for reflection, but we will mainly be working actively. This way, we create a fun, interactive, and above all, inspiring day together.

Entry Level

Everyone is welcome, as long as you are either young or experienced within the organization.

Intake

As part of the intake, you will complete a preparatory assignment in which you share your perspective on collaboration.

Special Notes

The Ecosystem of the Workplace course is only offered in-company, with a group that has an equal balance of young and experienced colleagues.
This course was developed in collaboration with JONG Waterbeheer (Stowa).