How can teams stay motivated, healthy and high-performing – even under pressure?
This question took centre stage at the People & Culture Festival 2025, which this year focused on the theme of resilience.
With an interactive workshop station, Olympia Tsakiridou (MediaTech Hub Potsdam) and Jörn Krug (Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF) created a space for reflection, exchange and practical insight. Together with participants, they explored how organisations can better support their people – emotionally, psychologically and structurally – to remain balanced and engaged in challenging times.
A space for dialogue and reflection
The workshop invited attendees to share their own experiences, observations and best practices around healthy workplace culture. On a large idea wall, participants collected concrete suggestions for improving leadership, communication and team dynamics – key levers for reducing stress and building resilience.
The response was remarkable: the station attracted a steady stream of visitors and evolved into a lively meeting point for professionals and leaders eager to exchange thoughts on psychological safety, self-efficacy and emotional sustainability at work.
Six key insights from the discussion
From the many contributions, six central themes emerged – illustrating what resilient organisations have in common:
- Empathy & genuine interest: Listening without judgement builds trust. Employees value leaders who show authentic curiosity and care for the people behind the roles.
- Psychological safety: Openness and innovation can only thrive where people feel safe to speak up and share mistakes. Creating a culture of trust is essential for resilience.
- Flexibility & self-efficacy: Flexible working models and individual responsibility foster motivation, ownership and engagement – crucial ingredients for sustainable performance.
- Purpose & appreciation: People want to see the impact of their work, both emotionally and tangibly. Recognition and purpose often matter more than short-term incentives.
- Leadership through connection: Good leadership means giving direction, not control. Approachability and humility strengthen trust and team cohesion.
- The water lily as a symbol: Representing flexibility and adaptability, the water lily stays rooted even as its environment changes – a powerful metaphor for resilience in today’s work life.
Staying resilient together
The People & Culture Festival 2025 highlighted just how vital healthy workplace culture has become – and how valuable it is to create spaces where people can speak openly about stress, expectations and values.
For the MediaTech Hub Potsdam, the workshop offered not only inspiration but also a bridge to future initiatives. A particular highlight: several visitors expressed immediate interest in joining the MOVE! Challenge – our innovation format designed to connect companies and creative minds to solve real-world challenges together.
Here are some impressions.
