Insights from an expert in communication and business psychology: Interview with Luisa Leuze

Given the growing trend towards remote work, the importance of effective employee training is becoming increasingly crucial. In this discussion, we'll explore 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 promotes 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'd love to learn more about you and your professional journey. What fascinates you most about your work?

I am a communication expert and business psychologist by training. This combination of how people communicate with each other, interact, and develop within given frameworks has always fascinated me. These frameworks include our socialization and, for example, the guidelines of the company we work for. 

Over the past six years, I've also completed two coaching certifications and an interior design training. I'm often asked how interior design fits with my profession as a business psychologist. It's quite simple: my vision is to "create beautiful spaces," both psychologically and physically. 

I create what I call "development spaces" for my clients and address the question of what it takes to be ready for tomorrow's world of work. 

This includes personal development, team development, and the question of how we want to work together in the future. However, the spaces we inhabit are often not adapted, or only superficially adapted, to new ways of working and new requirements. The same happens in reverse. Companies decide that new offices are needed, but hardly anyone deeply considers what requirements the people in the company have for the new premises, how they work, what their personalities are like, and, most importantly, how leadership will change in the future and what that will entail. 

Awareness and knowledge of different personality types, working styles, fears, and concerns are often swept under the rug. In my role, 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 within companies?

It starts with many people not being very familiar with the concept of psychological safety, and due to uncertainty and fear of offending someone, they don't even tackle the topic. 

Psychological safety is one of the most crucial factors when it comes to supporting 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 provides security in times of uncertainty. People who are not afraid to speak openly, expect no negative consequences when expressing their opinions, and feel valued are much more likely to open up to superiors and team members, ask for support, and contribute ideas for problem-solving. 

Psychological safety doesn't happen overnight; it's a long process, and that's precisely where the challenge lies. Finding an approach to create space for feedback and to learn to listen to each other. Because that's precisely what we've often forgotten – to listen to each other and understand that we all have different needs. 

In my role, I help teams get to know the personalities and individual strengths of their members and deploy them effectively. The next step involves learning to give feedback and fostering a respectful interaction among one another. 

Because especially during change processes, such as the introduction of new tools, the full impact of established psychological safety becomes apparent. Changes are adopted much faster, embraced, and sustainably embedded.  

What benefits does hybrid work offer for employees' mental health?

We are increasingly living in a world where everything blurs together. We are moving away from "living to work" towards "work is just one part of the whole." "Work-life blending" is gaining increasing importance as a concept in the corporate context. It's important to emphasize that my statement here refers only to professions that are not tied to a specific workplace! 

Work-Life Blending is based on the increasing blurring of work and private life. Hybrid work positively supports this way of working. 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 a whole workday. 

The mental health of employees is supported in that each person can freely choose the work environment that is tailored to them and the tasks to be completed. This might mean that in the home office it is quieter, two hours of commute time are saved, or people consciously come to the office to exchange ideas and strengthen social bonds. The more we cater to people's personalities and needs, the more positively this affects mental health, motivation, and productivity . It's not about simply wishing for things, but about understanding the working methods of individual teams and integrating these employee requirements into company goals and working practices. This is how we manage to positively support the mental health of our employees. 

How can our desk sharing software reduce stress and uncertainties in daily work? 

Valuable features are primarily the transparency and predictability that your 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 personally prefer is reserved. For many people, this provides security and creates transparency among 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 workstation if one arrives at the office later leads to an enormous restriction of their capacity to perform and, consequently, their productivity for some individuals. 

Booking a workstation can therefore counteract this and reduce stress. 

The same applies to transparency among other team members. The question of how colleagues can be found or where they are working is easily answered with this. The targeted search function clarifies these concerns and creates transparent interaction between individual team members.   

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

As everywhere, the communication the solution to (almost) all problems. As with the introduction and implementation of any tool and the associated changes, employees must be informed and engaged regarding the goals and the initial situation. When people understand the 'why,' commitment is significantly higher. Sufficient preparation time, a good communication plan, and employee integration are essential when introducing a tool. 

During implementation, support from so-called 'power users' must be ensured. These are team members who can actively assist their colleagues and lead by example. Before the tool's introduction, they must be thoroughly trained and prepared for their upcoming tasks in their role. 

If these requirements are met and employees are engaged, nothing stands in the way of a successful introduction. 

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