Podcast #Wanderlust

In Established companies and start-ups, even in politics, and in the coaching industry, the terms disruption, digitization, virtual reality etc. are gaining traction. Phenomena that are fast, intangible, and sometimes far removed from our day-to-day business challenges.

This is where we come in: We want to motivate people today. We believe that the desire for change is essential in this day and age.

That's why we call our podcast and social media presence #wandelust.

Some people ask themselves: what is that supposed to mean? And where is the second L?

Variants of change

Change, with all its variants, is comparable to the rotation of the earth. From the outside, it's really slow. The astronaut orbiting the globe in his space capsule cannot see the Earth's rotation. However, the individual things that happen on earth can change quickly. We are currently walking through the park in the sunshine and suddenly a summer rain surprises us and everything is wet. Or let's think in terms of company takeovers: structures are changed, processes are adjusted, and employees may even be laid off.

Everything can always change.

Change is not always welcomed. There are enough changes that we don't see as positive. Someone else decides to change something, and personally I don't like the effects: price increases, new boss, politics - the range is huge! However, if I have #wandelust, if my mind is geared towards change and I can find joy in it, then I have pleasure, and pleasure is always positive.

We deal with this in our daily work: motivating people, as individuals and in organizations, changing perspectives in order to achieve more. More desire for change, more balance, more cooperation.

Mainly I see a difference between change that is triggered extrinsically (passive change impulse) and an inner need to change (active impulse). In the coaching work, it does not initially matter where the impulse comes from. It is important for the sustainability of the change if the external impulse (perceptible to others) changes into an inner impulse (a belief, attitude, according to which I act).

Every step is important.

Why do we find #wandelust so important?

I have spent ten years of my professional life in a great multinational corporation. When I look back on that time today, my #changing desire was very low back then. It was more about the "career carrot" that dangled in front of my nose:

faster, higher, further.

And best of all yesterday.

But after a few years that was no longer enough. With a lot of pain and thanks to the support of bosses and colleagues, I suddenly noticed my #changing desire, wanted to learn new things or do my job differently, to name just two examples.

Since then, a different awareness has developed and a change in perspective.

How do I as an individual or organization want to deal with change if I cannot change perspective?

What if I can't look at things from a new angle to see other facets? To see how it can be different? The mix of experience, conviction and the present in which we live allows us to actively train #changing. Everyday life with its fast pace helps us.

People are repeatedly exposed to situations where we have to change quickly in order to come along, to arrive and to participate.

The business world is currently changing so quickly that, from my point of view, we humans can - and must - actively train the flexibility virtue #wandelust. Let's just think of the change from analog to digital communication, the flexibility of working hours and locations, and the diverse changes in business models brought about by the Internet.

How do I manage to counteract my leisurely patterns of comfort and fear of change?

These were the thoughts that made us decide to call our podcast and social media presence #wandelust. We want to give insights into our work with #wandelust - and at the same time share the #wandelust of inspiring people by creating a platform for exactly that.

One thing is certain:

At Co-Matters, we see so many people in our work who enjoy change, who like to deal with growth and further development. We want to focus on these people in order to give others a better insight into the facets of #wandelust and into our work.

Develop your #wandelust

Here is an exercise in three steps on how you can train your #changing desire on yourself:

1. What personal goal do you rate on a scale of 1 to 10 with an importance of 10 (do not proceed until you have found a goal of 10)?

2. Think of someone who is a role model to you. Write down which trait you find so attractive about your role model that you think of them.

3. How does this quality help you with your goal? What would be a first step in this direction for you? If you can answer those for yourself, you are already a step further! And then stick with it.

If you answered that for yourself, you're already a little further along! The reassuring thing is that we only stick with it when it is really important to us.

There is one more thing I would like to point out to you:

It is not important that we are always ahead, that we are always the best, but that we keep moving. With our body, our mind, and our heart. How else are we supposed to stay fit, capable of learning and open to other people?

That is my understanding of #changing. Have fun listening to people and their own #changing desire.

So what's up with the L?

For us, the word "#wanderlust" is not just a term made up of the words "change" and "desire", but something of our own. And own terms are allowed to look own.

We want to be a little different, we enjoy being different, and are happy if you pause for a moment and think: Wait a minute, something's not right.

Bettina Schnabel