The basic income: From a culture of ‘we should’ to a culture of ‘we want.’ — Götz Werner, Founder of dm drogeriemarkt

#SocietalChange — Humans Of New Work

What does work mean to you?

First of all, that work is not related to income. When a mother changes her baby’s diaper or a father brings his kid to school, that’s also work. When we do something for others, it’s work. We do things because we see a purpose in them and not because we get paid. Income only enables us to take action for others.

One thing you like or dislike about your job?

As an entrepreneur, you think about your fellow human beings, how to better serve your customers. That’s where we need new ideas for the challenges of daily life. What I don’t like and what we need to change is the entrepreneurial attitude.

How is the human placed at the core of your work?

The human is always the purpose, the goal. That’s what one should never forget. With everything you do, you need to ask yourself, ‘why and for what am I doing this?’ The answer has to be people. It’s about having a consistent customer focus, and that’s where I get in contact with three customer types — the colleagues are always the most important customers. They’re the ones who put your ideas and projects to the test. Then there are the clients who buy your products, and they appreciate the services and enable you to provide them again. And, lastly, the suppliers that help to fulfill the customers’ needs.

One thing you’d like to change about the work system?

In my experience, there’s no such thing as a work system. We come into the world to grow and surpass ourselves. For that, we need work. Income is what allows us to take action for each other and with each other. Additionally, we need to meet one another on an eye-level. We need more confidence and appreciation for the contribution of our fellow human beings. Those who consume need to say ‘thank you, ’ and those who produce should say ‘you’re welcome.’ We need a ‘thank you-you’re welcome’ society. However, this is the consciousness we still need to work out.

Götz Werner stands for entrepreneurship on behalf of humanity. As the founder and board member of dm drugstore, he is a strong advocate for basic income being an opportunity for a positive development for the world of work and society. In 1972, he developed the idea for a discounted drugstore, an idea that had been rejected by his former employer. So he decided to put his concept into practice himself and, one year later, opened the first dm drugstore in Karlsruhe. Today, the corporation ranks among the largest in Europe with 3,000 stores and 50,000 employees. At its core, what holds the culture together is the original essence with which Götz created the first shop.

“I was lucky to meet the right people. Among them was an important encounter with my friend and advisor Hellmuth J.ten Siethoff, who recently passed away. He posed three questions: ‘Is your company there for you or are you there for the company?’ ‘Are your employees there for the company or is the company there for the employees?’ and ‘Are the clients there for the company or is the company there for the clients?’ I dealt with these questions and the answers had a decisive impact on dm’s lasting company culture.”

For Götz, it was evident that to create a framework at dm it was important that as many entrepreneurially minded people as possible make up the team. This would result in the staff finding meaning in what they do who would, in turn, become conscious of the needs and problems of their co-workers, therefore, finding it possible to find creative solutions to any challenges faced.

The entrepreneur deals intensively with societal pressures and changes. The concept of a basic income is one area in which prosperity could be rethought. That’s how Götz believes the first article of the German basic law — the dignity of men is unimpeachable — would actually become reality.

“It’s a scandal that despite our enormous excess of goods and services people are allowed to live in bitter poverty. With the help of basic income, we’d move from a culture of ‘we should’ to a culture of ‘we want.’ It would be a society tailored to the individual. Your basic needs are taken care of, now show what you can contribute to society using the skills and talents you have. It’s unimaginable how much this would loosen the pressures and release positive energy.”

However, Götz often finds himself confronted with the same arguments questioning the feasibility of basic income.

“Firstly, the argument that with basic income no one will work anymore. If you ask the person using this argument if they would opt to not work as well they are quick to claim, ‘I would but others wouldn’t.’ Secondly, I hear the argument that no one would opt to be a trash collector. That’s simply a wrong assumption. We need to value and appreciate people who are doing these jobs for us more. Thirdly, a basic income is not financeable. That’s just nonsense. We don’t live out of money, but out of the goods and services that we produce. The question of financing is a question of how to purposefully distribute the cash flows in this country.”

For Götz, the basic income is the Archimedean point which he believes could change the world for the better. Until we have come that far, we need a new way of thinking because that’s where the seed for change is planted.

“We are what we think and what we think defines how we see the world. With what we think about ourselves, it’s easy. You make reasonable decisions, act fair and kindly, are motivated and responsible. But what about the others? That’s what we need to think about again, thoroughly.”

Originally published at www.humansofnewwork.com.