Rewriting The Rules: How New Work Can Help Us Think Differently About The Way We Work And Live
And how it can change the life of working moms
When I got pregnant, I was super clear on one thing: I will not stop working.
I was raised to earn my own money, to be self-sufficient, and I know I can add value. Plus, I need work for myself, for my identity. For just being that I am still myself.
5 months after my son was born, I felt ready to go back to work.
At least, I thought I was.
I started emailing my manager, suggesting what I’d be doing and prepping for my return.
The return to work
Then the day came.
First day of daycare. I cried. It was harder than I imagined.
Do I really want to do this? Is it really worth it?
The full guilt wave hit me.
I also felt a lot of resentment to my husband, who didn’t seem to have all these feelings.
But: yes, I really wanted to do it.
Was it worth it? To be honest I was struggling some days. Is what I am doing relevant enough to not see my son the whole day?
For me it worked out because I was lucky enough to have a manager who supported me through it. I worked remotely, I could schedule my day in a way that fit my life.
And I was able to craft my job to something I at least partly felt fulfilled by.
I didn’t follow the classic 9-5. But I delivered at work and was able to be a mom.
I was there for drop-off and pick-up, and in between, I worked hard and delivered. I spent time with my son between 5:00-7:30, and if needed, I’d finish things in the evening.
I wasn’t physically in the office.
I wasn’t boxed into strict hours.
I felt good about my son being in daycare (once I got over the emotional rollercoaster).
And I still delivered results—driving a culture transformation program and working on the global Procurement strategy.
But here’s the truth: this is not the norm.
I see so many women going back to work, struggling to find that balance and getting over the guilt.
This is one of the reasons I started my own business—to change the way we work and live. To support working mothers, but not just them.
So many people would benefit if we rethought how we approach work.
In last week’s newsletter, I shared a bit about the concept of "New Work." It’s a term that’s more popular in Germany, given that its founder, Frithjof Bergmann, was a German professor of philosophy in the U.S.
But even though this concept emerged in the 1980s and it “only” seems to be talked about in Germany, I believe it holds so much relevance today.
And it goes beyond the typical discussions about “the future of work” that we often see online.
It’s not just about “the future of work”—it’s about creating a work-life that actually works for us and has a social impact. It is about the impact on people.
And that’s why I’ve made it the foundation of my framework.
I’m excited to take you through my initial thoughts.
Keep in mind, this isn’t set in stone—it will evolve as I gain more insights. And that’s the point: curiosity and a willingness to think differently are key to building something that truly impacts the way we work and live.
So, let’s dive in.
NEW WORK - an out of the box interpretation
Let me start with this.
I’m super nervous to share this with you. It’s not perfect. It’s a work in progress. It’s just me, working on this for a while, putting my thoughts out there.
But...
When I read On the Way to New Work and started adding my own reflections, it felt like things were falling into place.
The book talks about Strong Me, Strong Us, Strong Society, and I couldn’t help but feel there was more to explore.
While I’m not reinventing the wheel, I’ve come up with my own take on it. And I’m excited (and a little anxious) to share that with you.
Here we go…
It Starts with Me
The foundation of it all is you—knowing yourself, taking ownership, and discovering what truly drives you.
When we embrace self-responsibility, find our purpose, and commit to self-determination, we become more empowered in every aspect of our work and life.
It’s about showing up as your strongest self, ready to contribute in a meaningful way.
Stronger Together
Next comes the power of “we.” When individuals come together with leadership, collaboration, and a shared purpose, the magic happens. It’s not just about working alongside each other, it’s about lifting one another up and working towards common goals.
A strong team isn’t just a group of people—it’s a united force.
Impacting Society
Once we have the "me" and "we" pieces in place, we can extend that strength outward to create a better world.
This is where we focus on strong us—making an impact on the bigger picture by supporting the UN principles in causes like climate action, gender equality, and quality education.
When we work not just for ourselves or our teams, but for society as a whole, we create a lasting impact.
For now, I just want to leave you with the framework—without diving too deep into explanations, as I know it’s already a lot to take in.
For me, this is more than creating a great company culture. It starts from within, grows with the team, extends to the company, and ultimately reaches out to impact society. After all, isn’t that the real goal?
But stay tuned… more details are coming. I'll be sharing my thoughts, ideas, and hopefully some real-life stories to bring it all to life.
My goal is for this to constantly evolve—through more learning, conversations, and staying curious with some out-of-the-box thinking.
Let me leave you with one definition of New Work I took from Kira Marie Cremer:
New Work is all about evolving how we work, helping us become more fulfilled and stronger as individuals.
In today’s ever-changing world, it tackles the skills shortage, boosts our quality of life, and helps build a better future for society.\
One last thing …
When I sit down to plan this week’s newsletter, inspiration can come from anywhere—and I mean literally anywhere.
This week, I couldn’t stop thinking about writing a book. Then, almost by chance, the German online book club I’m in featured a book on their list… about writing!
The author shared his journey—how he became a writer, the struggles he’s faced (and still faces), and some practical tools for storytelling.
One quote really stuck with me:
"Don’t tell me the moon is shining, show me the glimmering light on broken glass." Anton Chekhov.
So, today I’ve TOLD you that “the moon is shining.”
Next week, I’m hoping to SHOW you “the light on broken glass” as I bring the New Work idea to life.
Stay tuned!
Keep staying positive, stay curious (about yourself too!), think outside the box, and keep moving forward.
Constanze
My inspiration
“On the way to new work - Wenn Arbeit zu etwas wird, was Menschen staerkt”; Swantje Allmers, Michael Trautmann, Christoph Magnussen; 2022
“New Work" - wie arbeiten wir in Zukunft”; Kira Marie Cremer; 2024