„Leadership must close the gap”

“Empathy” is a common topic these days, but what do you mean by "The New Empathy" and why is it the leading theme of this year's PAWLIK Congress?

It is becoming apparent, that empathy is a huge challenge for leadership and executives right now. In the past twelve to fifteen months, Corona made us distance ourselves from others in unprecedented ways. Working remotely, leading remotely, training remotely, some of that will remain. We anticipate hybrid work models in the future, where people will take turns in working in the office and from home. This is a new challenge for leadership. Despite the physical distance, they must ensure a sense of connection and involve employees in the office and at home in equal measure.

What are the effects of this physical distancing?

Initial studies show that virtual or remote collaboration has a negative impact on empathy overall. How can you even feel connected to other people if you only see them in a 2D-square without direct eye contact? Just yesterday I saw a post on LinkedIn from a social media manager who, after a year of working for a large tech company, thanked her colleagues for the great time she has had, even though she had never gotten to see them in real life. Imagine, no real contact for a year!

Apparently, she made it through, though, right?

Maybe, but studies show very few people remain entirely untouched by such an experience. It is precisely when real encounters become fewer that employees' emotional demands on their leadership increase. They need to feel seen and involved, they need transparency. Otherwise, dissatisfaction and fears for the future arise. Burnout rates skyrocket.

In terms of emotional commitment to the company, remote work threatens to create a gap between what managers can do and what employees expect. As leadership, we have to close this gap. We want to tackle this challenge and explore which paths we can take to develop a "New Empathy".

PAWLIK Congress has set a standard by inviting prominent speakers for the last 20 years. Who will speak about the new empathy?

We are looking forward to welcoming Sigmar Gabriel, Sabina Jeschke, Heino Falcke, Alena Buyx, Joe Kaeser as well as an exclusive pre-evening guest still waiting to be announced.

For further information on PAWLIK Congress, please visit the Homepage.