Germans document extensively—procedures, decisions, lessons learned, solutions that worked. This isn’t bureaucracy for its own sake; it’s how organizations build institutional memory. When problems are solved, the solutions are recorded so they can be applied to similar future problems.
When mistakes occur, they’re analyzed and the lessons preserved. This documentation serves multiple purposes: enabling consistency, supporting training, providing evidence, and accumulating knowledge over time.
When working in German contexts, expect documentation requirements and honor them. Keep records of what you did and why.
When you encounter documented procedures, follow them or have very good reasons for deviation. The accumulated documentation represents organizational knowledge developed over years—it’s a resource to use, not an obstacle to overcome.
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