All external circumstances tell us aloud that we must finally face up to the responsibility of our actions as a community. Corona or climate change make no difference in terms of wealth, age, residence or skin color. It affects each one of us. One approach could therefore be to focus on what connects us as human beings on our further way forward.
Our consciousness defines us. Just as we as individuals have a ‘self-awareness’, organizations can (and should) develop one. It is the central success factor for effective action in the community and real sustainability! Netflix, for example, has impressively proven this.
But how do you approach the topic? Initial approaches can usually be found in ‘Vision and Mission’ statements, a catalog of values in compliance guidelines or at various points in corporate communications for marketing purposes. However, which corporate culture, which awareness is actually promoted, lived and understood in the employees and in cooperation is usually a completely different one, or at least it quickly becomes very diffuse if you drill deeper. Egoisms, fears, departmental thinking, unclear communication are the most common causes.
A consciousness understood, lived and outwardly carried by all humans in the enterprise is thereby the most important core authority in the current epoch change and incubator like carriers of a new organization of economics and work, which addresses most of the current problem fields of organizations in the core.
Consciousness is foundation, compass and motivator
In the past, the human being was shaped and determined by the community and the social environment in which he grew up. By what was socially accepted at the time and what resulted in social and material advancement or decline. Today’s generations, on the other hand, are increasingly striving for self-realization, to shape their lives according to their own convictions instead of submitting to a prescribed code. To be ‘independent’ in the true sense of the word.
A community of mature individualists must, however, organize itself differently and form cooperation in such a way that the abilities of the individual are fully realized and a common sense of action is established, where one finds support and under which one unites as a community. A common understanding connects and releases completely new, partly undreamt-of forces that not only cope with changes but also initiate them. Do what needs to be done.
This common denominator is the ‘consciousness’ of the organization. The comprehensive understanding of the values and the own virtues, which prepare the space and the framework for individualists of most different characteristics to have their full effect. To anticipate this – it is in no way a feel-good event, but rather a positive recognition and release of the true powers of all in times of extreme challenges – and we are currently only at the beginning of these challenges.
Because the consciousness of the organization is always simultaneously
– Foundation (hold, stability, security)
– Compass (orientation, and thus speed)
– Motivator (‘Purpose’, public spirit, new success parameters)
This goes far beyond a so-called corporate culture, which is usually determined by the management culture, i.e. by a few. The awareness, on the other hand, only arises in the deep discussion of all with the values, the why of one’s own as well as the work of the organization. When everyone actively gets involved, helps to shape it rationally and emotionally. Let’s not talk almost every day about values such as trust, responsibility, openness, growth, tolerance, freedom. But ask yourself if you could spontaneously define these values with a sentence for yourself(!). And what would the definitions of your employees or colleagues look like? Experience shows that the range is as wide as life itself.
As long as there is no sufficiently large intersection in this, we basically talk past each other every day, or everyone interprets according to his or her own taste. And that is with basically fundamental, ethical agreements. The consequences are then, among other things, the well-known compliance guidelines, internal control systems, instructions, etc. with the corresponding administrative costs, frictional losses, misunderstandings, injustices, animosities, and in the worst case mistrust or even a lack of self-confidence! Growth does not only mean to increase profit and turnover, but also a growth of the human competences to work together.
The change of epoch has long since begun, you only have to look closely
Today this concerns essential questions such as How do we design work in the home office, how do we achieve the necessary digitalization and new ways of working? How do we become more innovative, more agile, more resilient? How does the company define responsibility for the environment, what does it ultimately mean for your business model, supply chains, understanding of success. The answers always start with a serious reflection on the values, the own consciousness.
There is probably no need to emphasize the great challenges facing mankind today. Without a profound realization that we have to question and redefine the entire paradigms of our business and lifestyle, we will not get beyond cosmetic corrections and remain in a ‘no-man’s-land’. If we continue to try with all our might to regain the pre-Corona period (we still call it ”normality”), we see the pandemic or the increasing climate change rather as a temporary disturbance than as unmistakable warning signals that accelerate an epochal change that has basically already begun. One only has to look. In advertising, in social media, initiatives (SDGs, Germanzero, etc.), movements (Fridays for Future, etc.) – everywhere our core of being human is touched: our attitude, conscience, life beyond material questions.
The economy of consciousness is coming! Companies, GOs and NGOs, foundations, civil society. It affects everyone. We would like to help you to get into the topic. Talk to us!