Holger Kracke is the chairman of the Federal Association for Burnout Prevention.

Resilience to Stress in Digital Times: Companies Should Take Precautions

The more digital society becomes and the faster technological developments occur, the more widespread the feeling of exhaustion among employees – and the more important prevention and education become. With this rule of thumb in mind, Holger Kracke embarks on his new role as chairman of the DBVB, the German Federal Association for Burnout Prevention and Prophylaxis. As a certified trainer for burnout prevention and healthy performance management, he aims to expand the DBVB in its eighth year of existence, raise awareness as a point of contact for those affected and interested companies, and provide benefits to members through further education and certification. The world is changing – technically, politically, socially. The changes brought about by digitization are exponential, as author Kracke knows, who is about to release his first book on the subject. "We humans are not really made for rapid changes, we then struggle to adapt, and the feeling of overwhelm takes hold." Phrases like "I can't do it!" or "I can't handle it!" are red flags for burnout experts: "The process leading to exhaustion syndrome is like radioactivity, the affected individuals do not see, smell, or taste it. But when they feel it, it is usually already too late," says the new DBVB chairman. Therefore, the association also focuses on maintaining health: "Prevention ideally starts with healthy individuals." There is still much to be done in German companies, as the DBVB knows from its nationwide Forsa survey: Only every second employer offers company health promotion, and not even 30 percent of companies are involved in stress management – missing out on competitive advantages. "We could prevent 80 percent of all absences with proper prevention," Kracke is convinced. Provided that prevention becomes as normal for all of us as prophylaxis at the dentist. Until then, the new national chairman aims to broaden the association and double the number of its nearly one hundred members in the next three years: "We are already specialized, but there are still many therapists, trainers, and health officers who fit well with us." The trained business economist wants to offer them the opportunity for certification and turn companies that focus on professional burnout prevention into strong employer brands. The DBVB chairman benefits from years of practical experience: "I have experienced everything, from individual offices to open-plan offices, bankruptcies to restructurings." The 48-year-old has worked in the advertising industry for a long time and then completed training in burnout prevention in Vienna. He was most recently active as the state representative for North Rhine-Westphalia for the DBVB. The executive board continues to consist of deputy chair Adele Brucks, federal treasurer Dietmar Klemen, and Ute Ferber. For more information on burnout prevention and Holger Kracke, visit: https://www.speakers-excellence.de/redner/holger-kracke-leistungsmanagement.html