5 Jahre WIRtschaft

👉 Was wir in 5 Jahren gelernt haben

🌍 Am Welttag der sozialen Gerechtigkeit sind wir vor fünf Jahren gestartet.
Mit einer klaren Botschaft: Raus aus der Blase – rein in den Mainstream!

Damals haben wir Fakten benannt, die bis heute schmerzen:
– 800 Millionen hungernde Menschen.
– Fast die Hälfte der Weltbevölkerung lebt von weniger als 5,50 Dollar am Tag.
– 83 % des weltweiten Vermögens in den Händen von 10 %.
Seither ist die Schere eher weiter auseinandergegangen…

Wir glauben aber immer noch daran: Das muss nicht so bleiben.
💬 Wir träumen von einer Wirtschaft von allen für alle.
Heute – fünf Jahre später – wissen wir: Träume brauchen Rezepte. Und Menschen, die sie gemeinsam kochen.

Was ist in den 5 Jahren WIRtschaft bereits gewachsen?
– Über 50 Rezepte für eine gerechtere, nachhaltigere Wirtschaft
– Eine wachsende Gemeinschaft von Mitköch:innen
– Eine Workshop-Reihe mit Wirtschafts-Impulsen
– Die feste Überzeugung, dass Wirtschaft dem Leben dienen soll
– Eine Vision: Eine Wirtschaft, in der alle einen Platz am Tisch haben

Die Küche ist bis heute unsere Metapher für den Ort, wo wir gemeinsam gestalten können.

Die Küche steht für den globalen Wirtschaftsraum.
Wir alle, die arbeiten, sind Köch:innen.
Jede Entscheidung ist eine Zutat.
Jede Haltung würzt das Ganze.
Jede Kooperation verändert den Geschmack.

In unserer Küche geht es nicht um Konkurrenz, sondern um Qualität.
Nicht um Effizienz um jeden Preis, sondern um Wirksamkeit mit Menschlichkeit.
Nicht um Wachstum um seiner selbst willen, sondern um Werte, die wachsen:
Gesundheit. Natur. Zufriedenheit. Gerechtigkeit.

Und wir haben gelernt: Gute Gerichte entstehen nicht unter Erwartungsdruck.
Sie entstehen, wenn ein Team sich vertraut.
Wenn Freude mitkocht.
Wenn Überzeugung die Hitze liefert.
Wenn Menschen sich menschlich begegnen.


WIRtschaft ist kein Projekt.
WIRtschaft ist eine Haltung.

Sie wächst überall dort, wo Menschen Verantwortung übernehmen – im Unternehmen, in Organisationen, in Initiativen, im Alltag.
Sie wird real, wenn wir beginnen, anders zu entscheiden, anders zu führen, anders zu wirtschaften.

Wir laden weiter ein zum Mitkochen.
Zum Ausprobieren.
Zum Verändern.
Zum Dranbleiben.

Denn eine Wirtschaft, in der alle einen Platz am Tisch haben, entsteht nicht von allein.
Aber sie entsteht – wenn wir sie gemeinsam gestalten.

Click here for the WIRtschafts-LinkedInChannel



Das „Skill-Omelett“: Kompetenzen & Fähigkeiten anstatt Titel & Zertifikate

* 1 Kilo Mut zur Lücke: Lücken im Lebenslauf oder fehlende Diplome werden erstmal ignoriert.

* Eine Handvoll Praxis-Tests: Echte Aufgaben statt theoretischer Fragen.

* Transparenz & Klarheit: Definition, welche Fähigkeiten für den Job wirklich nötig sind.

* Ein Schuss „Growth Mindset“: Die Bereitschaft, fehlende Fachkenntnisse on-the-job nachzuwürzen.


Preparation:

Was wäre, wenn wir Fähigkeiten, Motivation und Talent mehr schätzen würden als Titel und Status-Dünkel? – also echte Chancengleichheit für Talente unabhängig von ihrem sozialen Hintergrund. 

Innovative Firmen setzen auf das so genannte „Skill-based Hiring“.

Der Ansatz: Nicht das Zertifikat zählt, sondern was man wirklich kann. Das öffnet Türen für Quereinsteiger, Menschen aus bildungsfernen Schichten oder Geflüchtete, die ihre Abschlüsse nicht einfach anerkennen lassen können.

Nicht das „Woher“ (welche Uni, welcher Titel, welcher Nachname) zählt, sondern das „Was“ (was kannst du, was willst du lernen). Wir ersetzen die starre Kruste des Lebenslaufs durch die Flexibilität echter Talente.

1. Die Titel-Schale knacken: Wirf die Filter der HR-Software raus, die nach „Master-Abschluss“ oder „Lückenloser Lebenslauf“ sortieren. Diese Filter sind oft die größten Gerechtigkeits-Killer.
„Wer nur nach Zeugnissen sucht, übersieht oft die echten Talente. Schau auf die Fähigkeiten, nicht auf das Papier!“

2. Die Skill-Basis anrühren: Definiere 3–5 Kernkompetenzen (z. B. „Problemlösungskompetenz“, „Empathie“, „Python-Coding“). Suche gezielt nach diesen Fähigkeiten, egal ob sie im Ehrenamt, im Selbststudium oder in einer klassischen Ausbildung erworben wurden.

3. Das Blind-Tasting (Anonymisierung): Wenn möglich, schaue dir zuerst Arbeitsproben oder Skill-Profile an, bevor du Namen, Alter oder Herkunft liest. Das verhindert, dass das tief-sitzende inneren Vorurteile (Bias) die Urteilskraft verfälschen. (siehe hier auch unser Rezept zur Anonymisierung von Bewerbungen)

4. Sanft garen (Einarbeitung): Ein Skill-basiertes WIR braucht Zeit. Unterstütze Quereinsteiger durch Mentoring. Das Investment in die Weiterbildung ist der Kleber, der das Omelett zusammenhält.

Das Ergebnis:

Ein Team, das nicht aus den gleichen „Klonen“ besteht, sondern aus einer bunten Vielfalt an Hintergründen. Das ist nicht nur gerecht, sondern macht dein Unternehmen auch krisenfester und innovativer.

Lassen wir die „Zertifikats-Gläubigkeit“ hinter uns. So bekommen auch Menschen eine Chance, die aufgrund ihres Lebenslaufs oft durch das Raster fallen, obwohl sie fantastische Fähigkeiten besitzen.

Have fun cooking!

We are very curious about the experience with this recipe.

Try this recipe right now.
Anyone who has tried or modified the recipe, feel free to comment!





This recipe is from
Kerstin Seeger

AI with customization instead of click automation

* Digital maturity - Knowing how digital tools work

* Energy awareness - Computing power is not free

* Clarity of purpose - What do I really want to achieve?

* Distinguishing competence - Find or let think?

* Responsibility - for climate, resources and the future

* Courage for simplicity - Less technology can have more effect

It feels like AI is increasingly replacing simple search queries, often for queries where this is completely unnecessary. At the same time, AI requires many times more energy.


👩‍🍳 Preparation

1. understanding what is happening in the background
A classic web search uses existing indexes.
An AI search, on the other hand, generates each answer anew - with high computing effort.
👉 An AI request can be 10 to 40 times more energy than a simple search.

2. check your own search reason
Ask yourself a simple question before every request:
Do I want to find something - or do I want to understand, develop or decide something?

Promptly aware:
- before promptly clarifying exactly what I need.
- Be precise instead of polite. No "thank you" or "please" in response
- Bundle context: rather one good complete request than many small questions
- Structure before length: give clear instructions, e.g. role, task, desired format

3. consciously reduce language - politeness also costs energy
Process AI models every single word.
Even seemingly harmless additives such as
"please", "can you", "thank you", "dear AI"
are calculated in full.

👉 You do not improve the result,
👉 them but consume additional computing power - and therefore energy.


🔥 Serving tip

Not every question needs artificial intelligence -
But every decision requires awareness.


🌍 Effective for the following SDGs

This recipe supports:
SDG 9 - Industry, innovation and infrastructure
SDG 12 - Sustainable consumption and production patterns
SDG 13 - Climate action


Have fun cooking!

Anyone who has tried or modified the recipe, feel free to comment!





This recipe is from Frank Brown

Human rights as a basic ingredient of entrepreneurial activity

* 1 Clear stance: Recognize human rights - always and everywhere.

* 1 pinch of courage to take responsibility

* 1 corporate mission statement or values paper that reflects this attitude

* 1 team that is aware of the importance of this issue in the company

* 1 portion of willingness to engage in dialog with employees

* 1 Clear guideline for dealing with suppliers & service providers

* 1 tablespoon transparency - use generously

* Optional: Partnerships with civil society organizations

Preparation:

1. define the stance - clarify the foundation

Start by explicitly anchoring human rights in the mission statement or corporate values.
This definition acts like an internal compass needle in the company.

2. focus on the supply chain

Gather an overview: Who delivers what? Under what conditions do they work?
Where there are uncertainties: follow up, demand transparency, check alternatives.

3. making human rights tangible - starting at home

Checks working hours, participation, co-determination, health protection, wages and management style.
A moderated team dialog often works wonders - spaces in which people are heard are human rights in action.

4. setting positive examples - cooperation spices things up

Purchase products from suppliers who work fairly, socially and sustainably.
Strength of local providers, social enterprises or workshops for people with disabilities.
Every conscious purchasing decision is a mini human rights contribution.

5. serve everything transparently - show impact

Share your journey on the website or in the sustainability report:
What did you check?
What have you improved?
What is planned next?
Honest openness creates credibility and motivates others to become active as well.

Serving tip

This recipe is a long-term journey and not a quick cooking course. It tastes particularly good when you cook it together with customers, employees and suppliers.
This creates a culture in which human rights are not seen as an obligation, but as an expression of modern corporate responsibility.


SDGs to which this recipe contributes:

SDG 8 (Decent Work), SDG 12 (Sustainable Production & Consumption), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions), SDG 17 (Partnerships).


Have fun cooking!

Anyone who has tried or modified the recipe, feel free to comment!





This recipe is from
WIR like WIRtschaft - Frank Braun

Meaningful giving - with heart, mind and impact

* 1 pinch of mindfulness for what really matters

* 1 handful of appreciation for customers, partners and employees

* Ideas for sustainable alternatives

* A dose of creativity

* Some time for real connection


👩‍🍳 Bake sustainability into each of your Christmas and anniversary gifts.


Alternative 1: If you want to give something new as a gift, choose wisely:
- Organic because you respect the environment.
- Fair, because human rights are not a matter of taste.
- Regional, because short distances bring double the pleasure - when giving and enjoying.

How about an organic fair trade gingerbread from the local bakery or a homemade cookie mix with fair trade ingredients?

Alternative 2Make it personal - instead of random.Let employees bake their favorite cookies and wrap them up nicely - with little stories or personal greetings.This creates gifts that connect hearts and hands - and deepen relationships.
Give meaning instead of things.Or work with a kindergarten where your children go and have them paint bags and fill them with seeds for the next gardening season.

Alternative 3Sometimes giving up is the best gift: an honest letter to customers, partners and suppliers can do more than any bar of chocolate.Write that you would rather invest the budget in a specific local social or ecological project - and invite them to join in.This creates connection, trust and impact beyond the holidays.


🌱 RESULT

This recipe contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
🎯 SDG 8 - Decent work and economic growth 🎯 SDG 12 - Sustainable consumption and production patterns 🎯 SDG 17 - Partnerships for the goals

Have fun cooking!

Anyone who has tried or modified the recipe, feel free to comment!





This recipe is from
Frank Brown, fairbinden.eu

Hello clarity - Sustainable shopping with the ESG Score

* 1 pinch of courage for transparency

* 1 large portion of data love

* 1 Benchmarking system that makes sustainability visible

* 100 g Commitment to fair procurement

* 1 tbsp Time savings through smart comparability

* A pinch of responsibility - for the environment, social issues and good corporate governance (Environmental, Social, Governance)


👩‍🍳 PREPARATION:

Sort ingredients:
Instead of just shopping according to price, delivery time or color, products are now also sorted according to their sustainability value.

Add ESG Score:
This clever rating system makes it clear how sustainable standard products are - from office chairs to adhesive tapes.

Stir well:
Companies and public procurers can finally make well-founded, sustainable purchasing decisions - without having to carry out complicated analyses themselves.

Season with clarity:
The ESG Score brings light into the darkness and shows at a glance which product is ecologically, socially and ethically convincing.

Serve:
Procurement becomes a lever for sustainability - simple, comparable and effective.


🌱 RESULT

Purchasing that not only works, but also takes responsibility - measurable, transparent and future-oriented.

💡 Tip from the WIRtschaftsküche:

If you want to know how sustainable standard products really are, you can find all the information at 👉 esg-score.org/en

Have fun cooking!

Anyone who has tried or modified the recipe, feel free to comment!





This recipe is from
Frank Brown, fairbinden.eu

Resistance as a spice - objections refine the proposal

* 1 pinch Sociocratic methods (e.g. consensus decisions inspired by Sociocracy 3.0)

* 2 good spoons active listening (e.g. theory U - The 4 levels of listening according to Otto Scharmer)

* 1 keen sense for Hidden fears and pretended concerns

* 1 hearty portion Trust in the skills of all employees

* 1 clear management stance: Equal rights in the process

* 1 shot Transparency about goals, benefits and risks

* Optional: External moderation for delicate phases

Results in: A culture of change in which objections do not block, but rather refine and strengthen proposals.


👩‍🍳 PREPARATION:

1. Appreciate resistance: They are not disruptions, but ingredients that improve the recipe.

2. Listen and sort: Understand which concerns are substantive and which are merely pretextual.

3. Organize participation: Using sociocratic methods to give everyone a voice - even quiet voices.

4. Check management attitude: Trust can only be built if managers really take employees seriously.

5. Create transparency: Openly shows why the change is important, what risks are seen and how they are being countered.

6. Do not force consensus: Instead of unanimous consent, consensus is often sufficient - in other words: no serious objections.


👉 RESULT: 

Jointly developed solutions that are hardened and refined by objections.

Have fun cooking!

Anyone who has tried or modified the recipe, feel free to comment!





This recipe is from
Frank Brown

Well seasoned instead of blindly trusting - using AI responsibly

* 1 well-trained AI model (not to be confused with omniscience!)

* 2-3 portions critical thinking

* 1 clear pinch Ethical guidelines in the company

* 1 shot Transparency about data sources & models

* 1 good piece Sensitivity to discrimination & bias

* Optional: AI governance team or external consulting

* A lot Education and training for employees

Results in: Productive, fair and responsible human-machine collaboration


👩‍🍳 PREPARATION:

1. Define responsibility:
Anyone using AI in a company needs clear rules: Where can AI provide support? Where not? Who is responsible for decisions? Ethical guidelines and an internal AI Code of Conduct can help here.

2. Classify AI correctly:
AI is not a search engine - it hallucinates, invents, simplifies. What sounds plausible is not necessarily correct. Always cross-check - especially with critical topics.

3. Make people aware of bias:
Every AI model bears traces of its training data - and therefore cultural, gender-specific or social distortions (bias). Therefore: question content, promote a variety of perspectives and examine sensitive areas of application particularly closely.

4. Create transparency:
Employees and stakeholders should know, where and how AI is used in the company - and which decisions are made on a machine basis.

5. Serving education & training:
Employees need tools for classification: training on the opportunities, risks and ethical use of AI is part of every company that takes responsibility seriously.

6. Do not leave AI alone:
Good AI applications are hybrid - the machine provides suggestions, the human decides. Responsibility always remains with the human being.


🍽️ SERVING SUGGESTION:

Ethically deployed AI can speed up processes, promote new ideas and make everyday working life easier. But only if it not as a path of truthbut as a tool with limits.

📌 Tip from the chef

Regular reflection in the team - for example in the form of "AI check-ins" - helps to keep the deployment up-to-date, fair and responsible.

Have fun cooking!

Anyone who has tried or modified the recipe, feel free to comment!





This recipe is from
Frank Brown

Step by step to sustainability - climate-friendly travel on the job

🛒 Ingredients for approx. 1 company

* 1 pinch of critical questioning (for each planned trip)

* 2-3 bundles of meaningful multiple appointments

* 1-2 BahnCards or climate tickets

* 1 environmentally friendly mobility mix (rail, public transport, bicycle, e-car sharing)

* 1 travel policy with sustainability note

* 1 portion of CO₂ compensation

* 1 tool for measuring emissions (CO₂ dashboard, travel tool or similar)

* 1 cup of employee training & certification

* 3 spoonfuls of motivation (e.g. via bonuses or train vacation days)

* Some courage to change and set an example


👩‍🍳 How to make the recipe

  1. Check travel requirements:
    Question before every trip: Does it really have to be on site? - If not: serve a digital meeting.
  2. Bundle several appointments:
    A good meal instead of snacks - a longer journey with several stops saves emissions and effort.
  3. Choose means of transportation responsibly:
    Avoid short-haul flights - opt for rail! Rail travel saves CO₂, reduces stress and gives you time to work.
    On site: Rely on e-mobility, sharing, public transport or job bikes.
  4. Compensate & control:
    Flights cannot always be avoided - but they can be offset! Tools for measuring emissions help to keep an overview.
  5. Stay & behave sustainably:
    Prefer green hotels, don't change towels every day, bring a water bottle. Small deeds - big impact.
  6. Establish a framework with travel guidelines:
    Revise travel guidelines: Rail instead of short flights, economy instead of business, give preference to climate-friendly providers.
  7. Build knowledge & motivation:
    Train, inspire and reward employees for sustainable mobility - e.g. with bike-to-work or extra leave for train travel.
  8. Bleisure instead of burnout:
    Combine work and private life occasionally - less travel, more motivation, better CO₂ balance. Combining business (work/job) & leisure (free time) = Bleisure

📌 Tip from the chef

This recipe is best "cooked" together: with clear guidelines, internal communication, managers as role models - and the willingness to break new ground.

Have fun cooking!

Anyone who has tried or modified the recipe, feel free to comment!





This recipe is from
Frank Brown

The zero-waste ice cream parlor

* Communication skills

* Creativity

* Knowledge of the circular economy and packaging regulations

* Entrepreneurs:inside with heart, head and hand

* Stamina

* Willingness and readiness for change

A waste-free ice cream parlor is an illusion? We believe it is possible.

Become a zero-waste hero with your ice cream parlor. To do this, you need to start with a benevolent analysis of all raw/recyclable materials used in the ice cream parlor.

As a rule, these are: cups, wafers, ingredients for the ice cream, containers, advertising materials, crockery, but also downstream items such as the energy used, water, cooling systems, etc.

Then draw up a list of potential areas for improvement and divide them up into easy-to-implement topics and big issues. It is important not to overwhelm yourself and your staff in the first few meters of the journey - because it is a process.

Involve your employees as well as customers and suppliers in the decision-making and transformation process (by asking for their wishes and perspectives and perhaps in the form of surveys).

Then take one easy-to-implement topic and a thick board from your list. Once this has been completed, move on to the next most important topic.

Celebrate your interim successes.

Here are some topics that we believe are easy to implement:

- Use reusable cups instead of disposable cups, e.g. VYTAL, RECUP (and similar reusable systems) for drinks or REBOWL for ice cream etc., alternatively: edible cups

- Switch to a green electricity provider

- Use organic materials for spoons, in-house stainless steel cutlery

- Become a refill station and dispense tap water free of charge

Thick boards could be, for example:

- Design suppliers' containers to be waste-free

- CO2-optimized delivery, pay attention to short distances

- Switch to organic, fair and regional ingredients

It is important in this process that you take your customers, employees, suppliers and the public along with you with a good communication concept and thus turn them into your supporters.

Here you can find more information and inspiration on the Zerowaste Heroes page: https://www.zero-waste-helden.de/unternehmen/eisdiele

Have fun cooking!

Anyone who has tried or modified the recipe, feel free to comment!





This recipe is from
Roland Mietke (member of the board of Zero Waste Germany e.V.) and Frank Braun (member of the board of Transition Netzwerk e.V.)