New Work Evolution: Putting People First
Trade fair and convention as a catalyst for modern working practices
On 7 May, the three-day trade fair and convention New Work Evolution (NWE) came to a close at Messe Karlsruhe – and once again highlighted the fact that the world of work is profoundly shaped by social and economic volatility. To be able to respond to these changes with agility, the world of work also needs a culture of flexibility and openness – and, above all, purpose. Keynote speaker and New Work thought leader Ali Mahlodij also made this clear: “What is the first question children ask? Why – the question of purpose.” From 5 to 7 May, more than 11,000 visitors from 34 countries made their way to Karlsruhe to find out about new ways of working on site and, at the parallel LEARNTEC event, about new ways of learning – topics that are already closely intertwined within companies.
The exhibition stands therefore focused entirely on the question of what modern working might look like – in terms of space, technology and culture – and how companies can successfully transform their own operations. HCD GmbH had created a ‘office of the future’ across 120 square metres, where workspaces provided the ideal setting for every situation: Meeting areas equipped with the latest technology, as well as flexibly configurable creative spaces, quiet workstations and small oases of well-being. At its stand, Haufe-Lexware brought together experts on topics such as artificial intelligence, employer branding and equal opportunities. Transformation consultancy for businesses was on the agenda at the stands of Karsten Franz and Strasser & Strasser.
Visitors on site benefited above all from the breadth of exhibitors in the fields of Technology, People & Culture and Office. Antonia Schulz, Project Manager for Corporate and Organisational Development at OEV (Oldenburgisch-Ostfriesischer Wasserverband), undertook a six-hour journey to gain inspiration for her transformation project: “We want to completely turn our entire head office inside out internally. We face a number of challenges and were looking for inspiration – and we found it here. The key question: How can we meet all the different needs? That’s exactly where we received comprehensive advice here. The talks were also very engaging. We gained many valuable insights on the topic of New Work for our future development.”
Stefan Kreutziger, Sales Manager for Germany and Austria at SilentLab, said: “NWE 26 was a complete success for us, just as it was the year before. This trade fair has enormous potential. Many thanks for the great collaboration and to all the helping hands behind the scenes. See you next year!”
Britta Wirtz, Managing Director of Messe Karlsruhe: “Karlsruhe is a hub for science and IT. New ways of working are already standard practice at many companies here. As a public-sector organisation, Messe Karlsruhe also embarked on its own transformation journey almost six years ago – and this has brought incredible agility and a whole new sense of collaboration to the teams. But we also know that to maintain this, we need a culture of change and a willingness to constantly question systems and processes.”
New Work lebt – und verändert sich
„Nach dem New Work Hype der vergangenen Jahre haben sich viele Unternehmen wieder in die entgegengesetzte Richtung entwickelt – Präsenzpflicht statt Home-Office, Mitarbeitenden-Benefits wurden zurückgefahren,“ erläutert Stefanie Ruf, Projektleiterin der New Work Evolution. „Die Expertinnen und Experten bei uns vor Ort machten deutlich: New Work lebt weiterhin, aber es ist eben nicht mit Einzelmaßnahmen erreichbar, sondern mit einer umfassenden Strategie. Denn was in einer Software-Firma funktioniert, ist im Handwerksbetrieb fehl am Platz. Dabei ist neues Arbeiten auch in untypischen Branchen realisierbar – wie erläuterten die Ausstellenden und Speaker auf der NWE.“
Fast 150 Vorträge, Panels, Podcasts und Interviews standen auf dem Programm – mehr als 140 Speaker waren vor Ort. Ein Highlight im Programm war die Podcast-Stage, powered by captureme und Lindner mit Gästen wie Unternehmerin und Hoteldirektorin Dr. Caroline von Kretschmann, BRATIWIVES mit Sabine Rath, Change Managerin in einem global agierenden DAX-Konzern und der Landtagsabgeordneten Dr. Marilena Geugjes oder Georg Frech, Leiter Akademie bei König + Neurath. Caroline von Kretschmann brachte Wertschätzung und Vertrauen als Key Skill von Führungskräften auf den Punkt: „Vertrauen ist eines der Kernwerte in unserem Unternehmen, also nicht Kontrolle. Eben nicht Vertrauen ist gut, Kontrolle ist besser: Bei uns ist es genau umgekehrt. Vertrauen ist eine unglaubliche Basis jeder Beziehung und Führung ist Beziehungsarbeit. Ich bin immer wieder berührt, zu sehen, was möglich ist, wenn man Menschen vertraut. Die wachsen im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes über sich hinaus, denen wachsen Flügel.“
