German colleagues will want to know not just what you think but why you think it. Assertions without support carry less weight than claims backed by reasoning, evidence, or concrete examples.
This reflects educational and professional traditions emphasizing demonstrated rather than asserted knowledge. When you make a point, be prepared to explain your basis for it. Data, documented experience, and logical reasoning strengthen your position. Confident assertion without support may be perceived as either arrogance or insufficient homework.
This is not skepticism of you personally but a general expectation that serious claims deserve serious support. Conversely, when German colleagues support their points with evidence and reasoning, engage with that substance rather than dismissing it. The culture rewards preparation and penalizes winging it. Germany Communication
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