Generational Diversity; We Work Together

Being a co-founder of ‘Together we Build it’ organization (TWBI) motivated me to write about generational diversity. I decided to write this article, and here’s why I did it, it’s ‘memories coupled with actual facts’.

I still remember the time when I was in my first year of university – as a very special time in my life- when I became fascinated by reading about how to get the first step on the career ladder, and whether career planning is an activity job-seeker of all ages should do?

Although I was a young girl then, I always thought of age as a challenge and barrier to progress, until I came across an inspirational quote “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.”

Since then, I made a resolution to celebrate advancing in age alongside keeping my mind young through continuous learning and making the “sky’s the limit.” Ford’s vision made me recognize that every age has advantages, and we should learn how to get advantage of age difference. On the other hand, it also made me believe that whoever has the will to learn, love their career and be passionate about work, will succeed and reach goals, and become a good leader even at very young age.

Memories took me back again to University, but this time as “Professor” and made me remember the moment when Together We Build It started in 2011 – by three young students and a senior “University Professor”, that Professor is me. Since Together We Build It was launched, I focused on women and youth, and as the director, I always welcome young women to join us. As a matter of fact there are members who joined the organization at very young age started from 15 years old and now they grew up within the organization.

As a co-founder, I am proud that TWBI organization represents a unique model of organizations with members related to diverse generations, who gathered to work together in harmony, and to unify forces of senior and young women. In other words, being the director of TWBI also gave me the capacity to create a partnership between young and senior members. This partnership has been realized by embarrass differences through blending old and new ways of thoughts, ideas and work, and by making leadership opportunities distributed equally within organization’s members, for example, even though I am the director, I always make sure that we – young and senior women – lead together; moreover, there are times when I gave steering wheel to young women and I set in the back seat, and results of their leadership has been tremendous.

In addition, I am keen to enhance having resilient connections among senior and young members, through  sharing responsibilities, knowledge, and  perhaps memories either painful and hard – especially those related to the critical situation of Libya- or funny and nice ones, which are usually recalled from activities and retreats arranged for Together We Build It members, after all we are humans.