Business psychologist Luisa Leuze in an interview: The benefits of hybrid work and desk sharing software

With the growing trend toward remote work, the importance of effective employee training is becoming increasingly critical. In this conversation, we take a look at the challenges and opportunities of employee training for remote teams. Luisa Leuze, an expert in communication and business psychology, shares her insights on how she fosters psychological safety, discusses the benefits of hybrid work models for employee psychology, and examines the role of desk-sharing software in reducing workplace stress.

To start, we would like to learn more about you and your professional background. What fascinates you most about your work?

I am a trained communication expert and business psychologist. This combination of questioning how people communicate with each other and interact and develop within given frameworks has always fascinated me. Frameworks here refer to our socialization and, for example, the requirements of the company we work for.

Over the last six years, I have added two coaching certifications and training as an interior designer. I am often asked how interior design fits into my profession as a business psychologist. It is quite simple: my vision is to "create beautiful spaces," both mentally and physically.

I open up so-called development spaces for those I work with, addressing the question of what it takes to be fit for the working world of tomorrow.

This includes personal development, team development, and the question of how we want to work together in the future. Often, however, the space in which we operate is not adapted to new ways of working and requirements, or only very superficially. The same happens the other way around. A company decides it needs new offices, but hardly anyone looks deeply into what requirements the people in the company have for the new premises, how they work, what their personalities are, and above all, how leadership will change in the future and what is needed for that.

Awareness and knowledge of different personality types, working styles, fears, and concerns are often swept under the rug. In my position, I bridge this gap by connecting people, space, and the organization.

What challenges do you see in your daily work as a business psychologist, especially when it comes to promoting psychological safety and the development of people in companies?

It starts with the fact that many people are unfamiliar with the term psychological safety and avoid the topic altogether out of uncertainty and fear of overstepping boundaries.

Psychological safety is one of the most important factors when it comes to carrying people through challenging times and maintaining their ability to act. It creates space to learn from mistakes and to develop oneself, the team, and the company. Above all, it creates security in times of uncertainty. People who are not afraid to speak openly, do not expect negative consequences for expressing their opinions, and feel valued are much more likely to open up to supervisors and team members, ask for support, and contribute ideas for problem-solving.

Psychological safety does not happen overnight; it is a long process, and that is exactly where the challenge lies. Finding an approach to create space for feedback and learning to listen to one another. Because that is exactly what we have often forgotten – to listen to each other and understand that we all have different needs.

In my role, I support teams in getting to know the personalities and respective strengths of individuals and using them in a targeted manner. The next step is learning to give feedback and cultivating an appreciative way of interacting with one another.

The impact of lived psychological safety becomes particularly visible during change processes, such as the introduction of new tools. Changes are accepted, adopted, and anchored much more quickly and sustainably.

What advantages does hybrid work offer for the mental health of employees?

We are increasingly living in a world where boundaries are blurring. We are moving away from "living to work" toward "work is just one part of the whole." "Work-life blending" is gaining more and more importance as a term in the corporate context. It is important to emphasize that my statement here refers only to jobs that are not tied to a specific workplace!

Work-life blending is based on the fact that professional and private life are increasingly merging. Hybrid work supports this way of working in a positive sense. The office is no longer seen as the sole place of work. Hybrid work opens up the possibility of choosing a workplace that perfectly suits the respective task and situation. In the past, for example, you had to take a whole day off to receive a tradesperson at home; today, we work from home and lose only half an hour instead of an entire workday.

Theemployee mental health is supported by the fact that everyone can freely choose the work environment that is tailored to them and the tasks at hand. This can mean that in the working from home there is more peace and quiet, two hours of commuting are saved, or that people consciously come into the office to interact and strengthen social bonds. The more we cater to the personalities and needs of individuals, the more positively it affects mental health, motivation, and productivity performance. This is not about "wishful thinking," but about understanding the working methods of individual teams and integrating these requirements of the workforce into corporate goals and workflows. This is how we manage to positively support the mental health of our employees. 

How can our desk sharing software reduce stress and uncertainty in everyday work? 

Valuable functions are, above all, the transparency and predictability that your The Flexopus desk-sharing app promotes. With just a few clicks, it becomes immediately visible who is working from home and who is in the office. You can book a workstation, meeting room, or parking space in advance, ensuring that the exact spot you prefer is reserved. For many people, this provides security and creates transparency for other team members. 

In client projects, I often see how much uncertainty and stress can arise for people when they no longer have a fixed workstation. This loss and the fear of not getting a desk if you arrive at the office later leads to an enormous restriction in the ability to act and, consequently, in productivity for some individuals. 

Booking a workstation can counteract this and reduce stress. 

The same applies to transparency toward other team members. The question of how to find colleagues or where they are working is easily resolved this way. The targeted search function clarifies these concerns and creates transparent interaction among individual team members.   

How can companies ensure that the introduction of desk sharing software is positively received by employees?

As with everything, communication is the solution to (almost) all problems. As with the introduction and implementation of any tool and the associated changes, the workforce must be informed about the goals and the initial situation and brought on board. When people understand the "why," their commitment is significantly higher. Sufficient preparation time, a good communication plan, and involving the workforce are essential when it comes to introducing a tool. 

During the implementation phase, it is essential to provide support through "power users." These are team members who can offer guidance and practical help to their colleagues while leading by example. They must be thoroughly trained before the tool is introduced and prepared for their upcoming responsibilities in this role. 

If these requirements are met and the workforce is actively involved, nothing stands in the way of a successful rollout. 

We would like to thank Luisa for this fascinating interview. Her insights offer valuable perspectives on creating a future-oriented work environment that strengthens employee mental health and fosters a supportive work culture culture. Visit her website at https://leuze.agency/to learn more about her work.