This is an extract from the Impact Hub Berlin Impact Report 2017 that has been released today.
“Doing things differently” – is not only what we believe, it is what we live.
Our world is constantly changing. Organizations, companies, governments and people are facing major challenges – and the problems our world faces are not lessening or becoming any easier. Digitalization, adaptability and a change in values are increasing the pressure. The only thing that is certain is that uncertainty never feels comfortable. It demands a great deal of courage. We all try to expose the quacks and wannabes who claim to know it all, but are blinded by trends and potential cure-all remedies. A state of general confusion has evolved. Everyone seems to be driven by the fear not to “lose the boat” while at the same afraid to change the status quo. Welcome to the mess we’ve created, or, in other words: Terminus, please leave the train here.
We have a message for you: “Cut the crap. Get real.” It’s time to pause for a moment, to hold your breath, to regain consciousness, to think. What is the “New World” everyone is talking about exactly? And what do we need to survive in it?
Impact Hub Berlin campaigns for more common sense, more honesty, focus, humor and logic. To unfold our whole potential we do not build upon buzzwords, but on principles: trust, courage and collaboration. That might seem obvious or even foolish - klar wie Kloßbrühe – however, it is hard to implement in all the craziness of our everyday life. To not lose ground in times of change, we at Impact Hub Berlin base our thoughts and actions on:
- Trust – We move in uncharted waters that are scary and exciting at the same time. Still, we have trust – in our work, each other and ourselves.
- Courage – We dare to shake up the status quo, by questioning truths that seem to be set in stone, learning from our mistakes and trying out the uncommon.
- Collaboration – We are stronger together. Always.
“Empower from Within” – Our world is not changing in only one direction, but into many. That’s why it has become even more important to enable organizations, companies and governments to rethink and to change their behavior. We start with the individual. We pique curiosity and action (inspire), give access to those who are working on putting the world back on its feet (connect), and arm people with new skills and tools (enable).
“Doing Good & Doing Well” is not contradictory, quite the contrary. Impact Hub Berlin believes in a sustainable economy. It’s not only about doing something good or sacrificing oneself to save everyone (we don’t claim to be Mother Theresa). It’s about rethinking existing structures together, enabling people to experiment with user-centered approaches and sustainable business models to establish a new value system. We care about more than profit. We combine profit with humanity and common sense to achieve impact.
“Welcome – You’re on the transition team.” - We measure success by the ability to be profitable whilst at the same time having a positive (side) effect on the world. And pay attention - we are not talking about doing this tomorrow or next year. It’s time to wake up now because this new world already exists, and not only here at Impact Hub Berlin. Let’s change our way of thinking and work together.
Originally published July 20, 2017
