 HUMMEL
At the end of the 1960s, a psychologist called Stanley Milgram, based at Harvard University, conducted an experiment in which he wanted to measure the size of the world in terms of how connected it is, i.e. how close we all are.
This resulted in the expression "six degrees of separation", the notion that we are all only six people away from knowing each other. If this experiment was carried out today, no doubt there would be even fewer degrees between us all.
As we speak, the world is becoming smaller and flatter, in particular due to the new information technology - the PC, the fibreoptic cable and all the new software that is continually being developed and refined.
With this technology the world is also becoming more transparent, meaning that what you do as a company or as an individual will have greater consequences than was previously the case. People, amongst them the highly intelligent and experienced modern consumer, will notice and they will take notes, checking that what you say is also what you do. Consequently, what goes around comes around. This interconnectedness and interdependence means that we, as human beings across cultural, ethnic and national boundaries, have to start thinking more as a TEAM.
It is about 'we' before 'me'.
TEAM thinking has played a key role at hummel ever since the company was founded in 1923. Firstly, this is true of our specialisation within TEAM sports, especially handball and football, about which we are extremely passionate and for which we have produced equipment ever since the company was founded. Secondly, in terms of being and feeling part of a greater whole, of thinking and working as a TEAM within our company and with our suppliers, customers and partners around the world in the more than 40 countries where we are present.
This oneness thinking is something that can also be transferred to sports. It is only when we dare to lose ourselves in what we do, our work or our favourite sport and become one with the activity that we are really maximizing our potential as well as enjoying what we do to the fullest. That is when we experience flow. This is something that the Japanese call "mushin", or "no mind". The fusion of thought, feeling and action. Such as when a footballer has scored a fantastic goal but cannot really explain or even remember how it happened. This is because he or she was in "the zone". This is very important for us at hummel, and more important than beating or thrashing the next man. That is old-school thinking and something that belonged in the old world order. The most important thing for us is to live out our passion, to have fun, going for and with the flow and enabling others to do the same.
Besides the fact that the world is becoming smaller, it is also becoming a more fast-paced world of rapid changes. A world where the average lifespan of companies within some sectors has in recent years fallen from 65 to 12 years, and where especially web-based trends sometimes emerge in the morning to already die out that same evening.
In a world like this, we at hummel believe it is important to remain open to change, for which reason we send our designers around the world to gather the latest trends. However, we also think that stability and long-term thinking are of the essence. We very much believe in long-term partnerships and staying true to where we come from, our history and our heritage.
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