Get to know Sandra and book your conflict mediation

Even as a young adult, I realised that I wanted to find a fulfilling profession that was meaningful and fun and that I didn't just need to earn money. Just like my father, who, as a bell expert, was not only able to combine his profession and hobby, but was also able to fulfil himself and can still do so even as a pensioner. He found his "vocation" - and it doesn't end at 65 and not at 80. My grandad - the mayor of a town in Baden - used to say: "Don't talk, just do it" and "It's no good just grumbling about 'those up there' - try to do better yourself, only then will you have the right to grumble". That also left its mark on me.

During my psychology studies, I founded Impulse e.V., a student organisation consultancy for non-profit companies, with a fellow student in 1993 - my first start-up experience. Incidentally, this consultancy was still in existence 10 years after the foundation, when we were long gone. This is where I gained my first experience with teams and tensions and conflicts in teams.

After a brief interlude as a personnel consultant - where I myself was part of a team with huge elephants in the room - I was one of the first psychologists to join Andersen Consulting, an American management consultancy. Incidentally, it was there that I first met Stephen Covey and the 7habits. As a change manager, I got to know many companies, executives and management teams and realised that they often live in soulless cultures and initiate change projects that are not actually implemented. Tensions and conflicts within teams, between teams and departments are always part of such transformations. I also realised that the best ideas and strategies are useless if those who initiate them do not participate in the change themselves and do not take those affected with them.

I entered the start-up world for the first time in 1999. In the middle of the dot.com bubble. It was a bit like the wild west in Germany. Boo.com from England became infamous (they raised almost 180 million in 1.5 years), Alando, Ciao.com, 12snap and many others were successful in Germany. The business plans impressed with "hockey sticks" - predictions, money was generously distributed - and squandered. One of my sayings at the time was: "the founders spend more time choosing their company cars and helipads than choosing their team".

The dynamism that develops in start-ups and the energy that is released has left a lasting impression on me and inspired me.

In 2002, I moved to Infineon Technologies, where I was initially responsible for the assessment of top management, then worked in corporate strategy and then had the opportunity to build up a team as a line manager. Here I learnt, among other things, that I do well with a mixture of good tactics, a focus on topics and a genuine interest in people. And that it's often not technical expertise that causes issues to fail, but interpersonal skills. I learnt a great deal and realised more and more that I was missing something. I realised that I lacked the entrepreneurial spirit and sustainable implementation. I realised that I had often hidden important parts of my personality so as not to appear "unprofessional". The traditional structures and hierarchies of the corporate world increasingly slowed me down and made me feel like I was going round in circles.

Based on this feeling, I became self-employed in 2009, today I would call myself a "solopreneur" and worked with management teams and managing directors of small and medium-sized companies. In 2013 I founded Koru Consulting GmbH together with Michael and work with entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs. My 2-year training as a systemic coach had a strong influence on me. Among other things, I learnt to integrate my intuition as an important part of my work and to work with my head, heart and hands, and to discover the body as a "tool".

There are of course many great books that I have read and continue to read. The book Reinventing Organisations by Frédéric Laloux inspired me greatly. By reading it, I recognised the common thread of my previous work and was encouraged in my view of the needs of modern organisations: Creating an environment in which employees can develop freely in order to make the best possible contribution to the well-being and success of the organisation.

When I was studying psychology, I founded Impulse e.V. with a fellow student in 1993 - a student organisation consultancy for non-profit companies, which continued to exist for a few years after we left.

In 1999/2000 I moved into the start-up world for the first time, in the middle of the dot.com bubble. I advised startups that wanted to set up their HR department professionally, had an "HR check" at the start and conducted team workshops with the newly created departments. In 2013, I founded Koru Consulting GmbH and in 2017 I was able to join the exciting startup starwings GmbH as co-founder and later as managing director. The aim of starwings was to create a blockchain-based dynamic distribution of company shares. Our corporate culture was completely self-organised. Personally, I am married to a serial entrepreneur and am active in the "Founders Kite Club" and "Entrepreneurship Organisations" networks.