In 2015 Oracle published a study of 1,511 employees in five European countries. In Germany, 60 percent said they expect more recognition of their work from their direct supervisor. It was the highest share in the study. According to the report, only 28 percent of German companies recognize good performance in any form.
Words for Work With Nothing Wrong
einwandfrei — without objection: flawless
tadellos — without blame: impeccable
nichts zu beanstanden — nothing to object to, the stock phrase of inspection reports
Da kann man nicht meckern. — You can’t grumble about that. Said as real praise.
Nicht schlecht. — Not bad. Often meant as clear approval.
A Grade for Every Player
After big football matches, German newspapers publish an Einzelkritik, an individual review. Each player gets a school grade from 1 to 6 and a one-line verdict. After Bayern Munich’s Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid in April 2012, the Munich Abendzeitung gave goalkeeper Manuel Neuer a 1: Im Elferschießen dann der Held des Abends, then the hero of the evening in the penalty shoot-out. Philipp Lahm got a 2: Kurbelte viele Angriffe nach vorne an, got many attacks going.
“Success” Is the Middle Grade
German amateur bands, from village brass bands to fire brigade bands, perform before juries in Wertungsspiele, rated performances. The 2026 rules of the Saxon firefighters’ association are typical. Each piece is scored on ten criteria, from intonation to overall impression, up to 100 points. The band then receives a rating from fixed bands. Hervorragender Erfolg, outstanding success, needs 91 points or more. Plain Erfolg, success, covers 61 to 70 points. Below 60 points the band is recorded only as teilgenommen, took part.
The Sports Badge
The Deutsches Sportabzeichen, the German sports badge, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2013. It is earned against fixed tables, not against other athletes. Candidates pass one exercise in each of four groups: endurance, strength, speed and coordination. Each exercise earns 1 point for bronze, 2 for silver or 3 for gold. Bronze level is needed in every group. Proof of swimming ability is also required, every five years for adults.
The Defective Copy
New books in Germany have fixed prices by law. One exception is the Mängelexemplar, the defective copy. A book with visible damage or faults may be sold below the fixed price. It must be marked, usually with a stamp reading Mängelexemplar on the bottom edge of the pages. The publishers’ and booksellers’ association adds the reverse rule. A new book stamped as defective without actually being soiled, damaged or otherwise faulty may not be sold below the fixed price.
Hotel Stars by Checklist
The German hotel classification began on 1 August 1996. It is run by the hotel and restaurant association DEHOGA. Stars are awarded by a catalogue of criteria, and the catalogue for 2025 to 2030 has 239 of them. Die Einstufung erfolgt nach objektiven Kriterien und wird regelmäßig überprüft. The rating follows objective criteria and is checked regularly. Most criteria carry points. A room of at least 22 square meters including the bathroom earns points. So do double beds with a mattress width of at least 1.80 meters. Three stars need at least 270 points.
The Chamber Exam Scale
Apprentices in Germany who take their final exam before a chamber of commerce are scored on a fixed scale of 100 points. Each band is defined by how far the work meets the requirements. From 100 to 92 points the work meets them in besonderem Maße, to a special degree: very good. Below 67 down to 50 points the work zwar Mängel aufweist, aber im ganzen den Anforderungen noch entspricht. It has defects but still meets the requirements as a whole: sufficient. Below 50 points the requirements are not met.
Service Desert Germany
Servicewüste, service desert, is the standard German complaint about unhelpful customer service. The management professor Hermann Simon is credited with coining it in 1995. By 2001 a management yearbook called Servicewüste Deutschland a widely voiced cliché. In 2024 a GfK survey for the Foundation for Future Studies found that only 27 of 100 Germans think Der Kunde ist König, the customer is king, still holds. In 2019 it was 48. The foundation offered an explanation. Wenn die Dienstleistung zur vollen Zufriedenheit vorhanden ist, wird dieses als Normalzustand gesehen. When a service is delivered to full satisfaction, it is seen as the normal state.
Criticize the Work, Not the Person
Hart in der Sache, weich zum Menschen — hard on the matter, soft on the person. A common German rule for criticism. The SPD’s party school uses the variant Hart in der Sache, fair zu den Menschen, hard on the matter, fair to the people.
sachlich bleiben — to stay factual, to keep to the matter
sachliche Kritik — criticism of the matter
Kritisieren Sie immer die Verhaltensweisen — always criticize the behavior, never the traits, as a management guide for dental practices advises
The first motto is the German form of a principle from the Harvard negotiation method of Roger Fisher and William Ury, published in 1981 as Getting to Yes.