Two days on which everything was about innovation and transformation are lying behind us. The Digital X brought together 10,000 pioneers and decision-makers to inspire and discuss the latest trends in digitalization. Leonie Müller was one of them. She arrived by train.
Leonie Müller exchanged her apartment for a BahnCard in May 2015 – the ICE was her home for 18 months. She wrote a book about her experiences that promptly became a bestseller. The communication scientist now works as a consultant for new working environments, where she deals with the changes that accompany digitalization on a daily basis. It’s no surprise that she was also a speaker at Digital X. On this occasion we asked Leonie, along with other participants, about her “Digital X” factors: What does digitization mean for you and what effects do you expect on our lifes?
As a well-known train nomad and member of Generation Y, Leonie questions our current life and work routines. In line with that, digitization means for her “the deterritorialization of work. Today, there are more and more knowledge workers and their work is no longer tied to a specific location – because, for example, you can think, write and plan wonderfully on the train.” This means for our society that we have to learn to deal with this change: “Suddenly we question everything – how we work, what we do, when, with whom, how work is integrated into our lives – and this is urgently necessary. We must actively shape this change by discussing and trying things, otherwise there will be chaos and uncertainty.”
With the new ways of work, the management of employees is becoming more complex. Instead of giving instructions and grades, it is now all about “communication at eye level, feedback in both directions and even more about coaching and mentoring”, as Leonie explains.
Do you stick to the traditional ways of working or did you already try new ones? What do you think of the concept of New Work? Independence and self-determined actions are central to this approach. Thus, traditional ways of working, hierarchical structures as well as the strict link to a specific time and space are being pushed into the background. This enriches the work results as it offers the possibility to express the own personality and to bring in new ideas and approaches.
Do you perceive these changes in your own working environment? What advantages and challenges do you see? Let us know in the comments.
