Clara Vuille-dit-Bille, Junior Consultant, und Emanuel Schmid, Junior Consultant
Setting a new course in 1996: Martin Huschke has been a consultant and partner at int/ext Communications for 25 years. In an interview, he explains why he has no soft spot for routine, but certainly for social commitment.
In 1996, you made an important and, in retrospect, lasting change of course. What were your motives 25 years ago for becoming a consultant and later a partner at int/ext?
Before joining int/ext Communications, I was an editor and then advertising and sales manager in a scientific publishing house. After a while, I noticed that a large part of the daily work routine had become routine, which I didn't like at all. This situation, which was unsatisfactory for me at the time, prompted me to look for a new professional challenge. Although I had just become a father at the time, I had no doubts about the timing of my decision. I drew my motivation from the desire to break out of routine. A short time later, I successfully applied for a job at int/ext. The job change was like night and day for me: I suddenly had more competencies and more responsibility. The tasks were more varied - from writing texts to consulting work to conducting presentation courses. Some time later, I also started teaching at the Swiss PR Institute (SPRI) as a lecturer. Two years into my employment, I already received an offer for the position of partner, which was a sign of appreciation for me. Being able to take on more responsibility in this role and working in a small team where everyone is pulling in the same direction motivates me to this day.
"I want to use my communication knowledge for a good cause."
As a board member of CO13, an association for professional and social integration, what importance does social commitment have for you?
A big one. I like to support people who, for whatever reason, don't have it so easy in life. I believe that everyone has the right and the chance to live a full and happy life. Prior to my involvement with CO13, I was on the board of the Northwestern Switzerland Association for the Hard of Hearing. At that time, our agency had successfully designed and implemented the multi-year campaign "Loos emol" - an awareness campaign for good hearing. When the president of the association asked me if I wanted to be on the board, it was a no-brainer for me. I benefited so much from the campaign that I also wanted to give something back. It was a similar story at CO13. In 2012, int/ext launched the campaign "Hello! I'm a person, not an illness" on behalf of IG PRIKOP, an association of various psychosocial institutions. This was about raising awareness about people with mental impairment. After this campaign was completed, the CO13 executive director asked me to join the board. I accepted because I saw how important such institutions are and because I could use my strategic communication knowledge for a good cause.
What advice would you give your younger self today?
Follow your impulses and intuition more - because the mind always finds reasons why you shouldn't do something. Intuition, on the other hand, is unbridled and closer to the heart. So it's all about being courageous and following your heart's desires. If you stand by your impulses, however, it's quite possible that you'll also be ticked off. That's why it's important to stay true to yourself and listen to yourself.