“werk4”? What does it mean?
Werk is a multifaceted German word; it can mean oeuvre, job, work, creation, act, but also – works, a job, a place where work is done, a plant or a factory.
A Werk is more than a mere completed job. A Werk comes alive through the skill of its creators. This skill encompasses not only the abilities of the creators, but also their attitude.
As a successful Werk grows, it frees up new resources and opportunities, expanding beyond its original concept.
Successful Werken – working together – is founded on useful and positive visions of the future. It is the product of the perfect combination of hands-on effort, confrontation and letting-go. It requires courage and restraint.
“4” as the symbol of time, or, “What do we really want?”
Change, they say, is the “only constant.” This perception of change, however, leads to a restless sense of time wasted. It promotes defense mechanisms ranging from aggressiveness and reactive self-centeredness to passivity and resignation.
Mindful transformation, moreover, reminds us of our responsibility to the time that we live in.
For what are we willing to give up our most precious resource, time? Collaborative development provides an answer to this question and explains why we are willing to put effort into a project.
Change – beyond that driven by reaction to internal or external factors – prompts us to examine our meaning and purpose. It gives us a sense of what we can afford to let go of without loss.
Cooperations
Marion Brandstetter
Hans Glatz
Michel Haas
Manfred Höfler (ICG)