United States – Page 81 – understand-culture

Long-term planning

The Technical University of Dortmund in Germany:

What will the city look like in the future? How do we deal with climate change? What will tomorrow’s transportation look like? How do we use the limited space we have? Spatial planning is an interdisciplinary engineering and social science field that deals with spatial developments in living, working and environmental conditions.

The different spatial levels range from the living environment and residential quarter to the urban district, the city as a whole, the region, the state and federal levels, and even the European and international levels. On all spatial levels, different technical orientations, such as urban development, housing, traffic, landscape, are considered in their interdependent relationships and effects.

Plan your week

Stephen Richards Covey (1932 – 2012) was an American educator, author, businessman, and keynote speaker. His most popular book is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. His other books include First Things First, Principle-Centered Leadership, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, The 8th Habit, and The Leader In Me: How Schools and Parents Around the World Are Inspiring Greatness, One Child at a Time.

A viewer of the video summarized: Three principles for effective weekly planning: 1. Review mission and roles (in work, community, home; don’t forget the “relationship” with yourself) 2. Choose big rocks i.e. the single most critical task that will move the needle. 3. Schedule the week i.e. dedicate time and plan the big rock activity into your schedule. Then plan other activities around it.

Medieval Erfurt

Time travel to the Middle Ages: Explore Erfurt’s Old Town with DW reporter Lukas Stege! Next to the famous cathedral, he takes a stroll around the historic Krämerbrücke.

The Merchant’s Bridge is the longest inhabited bridge in the world. Then, Lukas takes on a special culinary quest: trying to get hold of a vegetarian Thuringian bratwurst in Erfurt. Find out whether he is successful in the video!

Good. Bad. Ugly.

People in the business world, especially Germans, often say that professional presentations should present the good, the bad, and the ugly. In other words, get all of the facts up on the table. Be honest. Be transparent. Be professional.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a 1966 Italian epic spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood as “the Good”, Lee Van Cleef as “the Bad”, and Eli Wallach as “the Ugly”. It was an Italian-led production with co-producers in Spain, West Germany, and the United States. Most of the filming took place in Spain.

The film is known for Leone’s use of long shots and close-up cinematography, as well as his distinctive use of violence, tension, and highly stylised gunfights. The plot revolves around three gunslingers competing to find a fortune in a buried cache of Confederate gold amid the violent chaos of the American Civil War (specifically the Battle of Glorieta Pass of the New Mexico Campaign in 1862) while participating in many battles, confrontations, and duels along the way. The film was the third collaboration between Leone and Clint Eastwood, and the second with Lee Van Cleef. (Wikipedia)

Nietsche on planning

“Making plans and making resolutions brings with it much good feeling, and he who has the strength to be nothing but a plan-maker all his life will be a very happy man. But he will occasionally have to rest from this activity, in that he executes a plan — and then comes the anger and disillusionment.”

Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher (1844 – 1900)

“Pläne machen und Vorsätze fassen bringt viel gute Empfindungen mit sich, und wer die Kraft hätte, sein ganzes Leben lang nichts als ein Pläne-Schmiedender zu sein, wäre ein sehr glücklicher Mensch: Aber er wird sich gelegentlich von dieser Tätigkeit ausruhen müssen, dadurch dass er einen Plan ausführt — und da kommt der Ärger und die Ernüchterung.”

Technical University Munich

There is no mandatory length of a thesis. Most well-written master’s theses have between 50 and 80 pages, Bachelor’s theses typically have between 40 and 60 pages. However, depending on your topic and your writing style, more or fewer pages may be appropriate.

Be aware that your thesis will only be evaluated based on the written document and the defense. If you did some nice work (that you might have shown to your adviser at some point) and forget to add it to your written document, it cannot be evaluated.

Hildegard on planning

“As the fire carries the flame within itself, so it is necessary for the powers of the rational man to have a work before him.”

Hildegard von Bingen (1098 – 1179), German mystic, abbess and scientist, Catholic saint

“Wie das Feuer die Flamme in sich trägt, so ist es für die Kräfte des vernunftbegabten Menschen notwendig, ein Werk vor sich zu haben.”

Why the Schlieffen Plan failed

The Schlieffen Plan was the blueprint for Germany’s army to avoid a two-front war with Russia and France. It was supposed to be the solution for a quick victory against arch enemy France by invading Belgium and the Netherlands to circumvent French defenses.

Helmut von Moltke adapted the original plan by Alfred von Schlieffen and ultimately failed when the Germans were beaten at the Battle of the Marne. The video explains the numerous reasons why the Schlieffen Plan was doomed to fail.

goals of others

“Planlosigkeit erreicht spielend Ziele – andrer.” In English: “A lack of plan easily achieves goals – of others.”

Manfred Hinrich (1926 – 2015) – German philosopher, philologist, teacher, journalist, author of children’s songs, aphorist and writer.

Bismarck on planning

“Ich gewöhne mich nachgerade, nicht Pläne über acht Tage hinaus zu machen, denn der liebe Gott lässt mich doch nicht in seine Karte sehen, und tut ohne Zweifel gut daran.”

“I’m getting used to not making plans for more than eight days, because the good Lord doesn’t let me look at his map, and it’s no doubt a good idea to do so.”

Otto von Bismarck (1815 – 1898)