Leading change that lifts generations | Harriet Green OBE | TEDxGreekStWomen

Quick Overview

Harriet Green OBE shares that bringing together diverse groups of people, especially older mentors and younger high-potential talent, in a shared, purpose-driven workspace like the one she created in Munich, significantly boosted retention, productivity, and overall success for her teams across 14 countries, including those in Asia and Europe.

Key Points: Harriet Green OBE spent most of her life passionately learning from and experiencing the unique differences of people across ages, cultures, creeds, and sexualities. Research shows an evolutionary marker that stops young people from charging after those who came before them, especially if those older individuals are seen as having a 'rebel without a cause' gene or a 'rebel with a cause' gene. When Green began working with a large IBM team across Asia Pacific (14 countries), half of the workforce was under 30, and the other half was more tenured, highlighting a generational gap. She facilitated the creation of a 'youth board' of under-27s and a 'grandparents' group to bridge the gap, leading to an increase in knowledge transfer and engagement. The success of this collaboration, which included mentoring and sharing experiences, resulted in increased retention and productivity, and also boosted the total engagement score by over five points. A key outcome was seeing the younger generation feel valued, exemplified by their reaction ('Wow, this is how you tweak it') when applying new knowledge to old problems, like cooking recipes or buying food.

Context: Harriet Green OBE delivered this TEDx talk at TEDxGreekStWomen, focusing on the importance of intergenerational collaboration and creating inclusive work environments to foster growth and retention. She uses her experience, including leading a large IBM division across Asia Pacific starting around 2014/2015, to illustrate how deliberately mixing older, experienced employees with younger, high-potential talent yields tangible positive business outcomes.

Detailed Analysis