New requirements for the psychosocial work environment: Why dialogue matters more than ever
Eirin Eriksen Horvei
October 14, 2026
Being seen and recognised is a basic need for all human beings. In the workplace it is especially important to look after, otherwise our motivation for our work can sink towards zero fairly quickly. In the end, you are left feeling rather lost and uncertain, not knowing whether this is the right workplace for you to spend your time on.
There is no doubt that we as employees have a responsibility for our own work situation. But do you as a manager have insight into your employees' work situation? Does everyone know what they are expected to contribute at all times? If not, you should first look at how you can create an arena where all employees can bring what matters to them to the table. Why? It will give you good insight that makes it easier to follow up each person, and easier to lead. And it creates a sense of security. It is also beneficial for the company that everyone knows what they are expected to contribute and is motivated by what they spend their time on every single day.
I have varied experience from different organisations and companies myself, and the responsibility definitely did not lie entirely with my former employers on the occasions when my motivation took a knock. If you have a reasonable degree of self-insight, you learn a lot about yourself during your career, both as an employee and as a manager.
But different industries are characterised by different cultures, and there are always extremes. Some industries are extremely tough, with a starting point firmly anchored in “if you want to play the game here, you just have to put up with this”, and that did not make me feel secure. And if the company was going through a change process at the same time, where perhaps good colleagues were lost, it was hard to step up and take charge of your own situation. Or to speak up. In my situation, I missed some kind of arena that facilitated openness through good and clear dialogue. And not least, for my manager to have some kind of tool that could give them better insight into my and my colleagues' work situation.
If you want to look after your employees and at the same time your own leadership, you must make room for each person to have their say. And it should be an arena that is anchored all the way to the top of the organisation. Don't fall for the temptation of simply using the cliché “Drop by whenever you like, my door is always open”. I am not undermining this way of being available to your employees, and you should still strive to make it part of the daily routine. But once or twice a year you should also set aside time to see each individual. If you manage this, you will also notice that you are slowly but surely creating openness through clear dialogue. This also makes your employees feel secure.
I also understand the question “why should we have employee appraisals when there are so few of us?” When you know each other well, it is not so easy to see the value of it. I thought this was particular to managers in start-ups, where the structure can be fairly flat, but I am surprised that it still lingers in many companies after they have taken the step from start-up to established company.
But not everything becomes clear in the daily dialogue, and as an employee you cannot always be equally clear about everything either. And if you suddenly find yourself in a leadership role over someone you are good friends with and used to work in the same department as, it is very easy to think “we know each other so well”. But you will gain a great deal by making your own leadership role clear. Not by exercising power in any way, but by being clear about your goals and the company's expectations. Then you have a good starting point for getting everyone to pull in the same direction. For that, you also need secure and motivated employees. You create this with good and relevant dialogue.
