Questions – understand-culture

German consensus-style decision-making

Question

“As a practical matter, how does German consensus-style decision-making differ from the American top-down approach? Is it more efficient? Does it produce better results? Is it easier to implement because of the buy-in of all the parties? Can these factors even be measured?“

Answer

Well, you can’t get more practical than making decisions and implementing them.

You ask three questions. 1. Differences between German consensus-building and American top-down decision making? 2. Which is more effective, and easier to implement? For every decision is only as good as its implementation. 3. Can decision making styles be measured?

Question 1 – Differences. This is a very complex topic. Please see my analysis on the divergences between Germans and Americans in their decison making in the lefthand navigation.

Question 2 – Effectiveness. Both countries, societies, economies are successful. Not without problems, not without ups and downs, but still the largest and fourth-largest economies on the planet, with more than a handful of first-rate global companies. So we can safely say about both cultures – therefore business cultures – that they know how to make decisions and implement them.

Which approach to decision making is more effective is an extraordinarily complex question, and would have to be considered on a case-by-case basis. I would not want to be the person who has to come up with a method for such analysis.

But that comparison is not all that relevant, anyway. American and German collaboration is not about judging which approach is better, but instead about first understanding the differences between the approaches, in order to define how best to combine their inherent strengths. “In order to”: the reason for, the task, goal, the great pay-off.

Imagine what Germans and Americans could achieve if they truly understood their respective decision making logics, then sat down to map out how they make decisions together! This is the true high art form of working across cultures.

Question 3 – Measureable. I’m not sure if “measure” is the right term. But there certainly are indications – let’s even call them KPIs (key performance indicators) – for decision making processes which work and those which do not work. See the five divergences between German and American decision making which I address. These can be understood as KPIs.

German fear of letting go

Question

There are a lot of benefits to doing product development regionally. But our colleagues in Germany are not open to that. Nothing is made in U.S. We buy internally from Asia or Europe. Why? The German fear of letting go. We had no other choice but to find a source in the U.S. Under the radar, of course. How can we convince our German colleagues to let go a bit of control?

Answer

Who likes to let go of control?

Sincerely, folks, I can fully understand the perspective of headquarters in any company operating globally. All those regions, far away, foreign cultures, unfamiliar markets, colleagues who you may or may not trust as competent, constantly coming up with all sorts of half-baked ideas about how “the company can make a lot of money.”

Especially when it comes to product development. Remember, the German economy is the fourth largest in the world with only about 80 million people. And the strength, the core, of the German economy is their science and technology, in the end their products.

And what is at the core of a product? It’s development: science, engineering, manufacturing. Who wants to give up, or even share, that core?

Now, if you are sourcing within the company from other regions, then your German colleagues will have to react at some point. Because if that sourcing goes well – technically just as good as what comes out of Germany, and less expensive, and more flexible to the needs of your customers – well then Germany will have to respond to that company-internal competition.

“Let’s give it a shot“

Question

One line I often hear in the U.S. is „let’s give it a shot“, and „this is simple, let’s make a small commitment and see how it goes.“ Is the core thought here to get the foot in the door and build the relationship with a small, low-risk try-out?

Answer

That is a very interesting﹣and accurate﹣observation. Although we at CI have not yet begun a research project on the topic of relationship management, I am confident that it is a clear difference, and important one, between Germans and Americans.

Let me explain what I think is at play here.

Persuasion is in the end always about asking the receiver of the message to make a decision: to respond with „yes“ or „no“ to the product or service offered. Or to the idea, concept, suggestion, proposal offered within a team.

The bigger the yes-no question is, the greater is the risk that the receiver will tend to say „no.“ Conversely, the smaller the yes, the less risky, thus, more likely one will get a yes.

Americans might be more inclined than Germans﹣again, we at CI have not yet done the analysis ﹣to move the relationship with the customer forward via incremental steps, via small yesses. It is not only a trust-building measure. It makes it difficult for the customer at a later stage to say „no“ after having said „yes“ several, or even many, times.

This American inclination is also consistent with another, much stronger, inclination in the U.S.: trial-and-error. As long as the risk (or investment) is not too high, Americans are willing to „try things out“, or as you write to „give it a shot.“

Low-risk try-outs can be of very high value. They produce experience (data), which can help the decision-making process. And frankly, many things simply have to be tested in order to know if they work. There is a reason why so many companies in the U.S. offer potential customers a trial period. Whether it be a physical product or service, „Try it out!“ helps to get the sale. „See for yourself!“ is effective.

So, reducing risk is one reason. A second reason is that trial-and-error is deeply imbedded in American thinking. A third reason might be the American tendency to take complexity and break it down into its component parts.

Reducing complexity is a form of risk management. Americans are sceptical of large, complex, systematic solutions, whether they be products, services, or approaches in general. They’re seen as too risky. See CI’s thoughts on this under Learn_Persuasion_Analytical.

Why do Germans believe that there can be only one right solution?

Question “Why do Germans believe that there can be only one right solution?”

Answer

„Alle Wege führen nach Rom“

„There‘s more than one way to skin a cat“, an American idiom which communicates that there are different ways to reach the same goal, to complete a task, to „get the job done.“ When Germans are asked for an equivalent idiom they always say „All roads lead to Rome.“

But do the two idioms really have the same meaning? First let‘s understand the meaning of „All roads lead to Rome“ via its history.

During the days of the Roman Empire everyone was to know that Rome was the center of all life. Every road in the Roman Empire either led directly to Rome, or was linked to one of the major roads which did lead directly, or more directly, to Rome.

Not only did this fact help to point out the dominance of Rome in the Roman Empire, it also enabled trade. One of the reasons that the Roman Empire lasted several centuries was because travel was easy. „All roads lead to Rome.”

But not only trade. Also Roman troops. „All roads lead to Rome“ signaled that no matter what one did, no matter how one tried to get around it, one had to do things the Roman way. The well-planned and -guarded Roman road system was designed to make sure that the provinces couldn’t organise resistance against the Empire.

In modern times the phrase „All roads lead to Rome“ has since taken on another meaning, that something is set up so that disparate means will eventually achieve the same goal. The key word is „eventually“, for not every path to Rome was equally fast, efficient, affordable and safe.

Americans are a pragmatic people. They care far more about the results than they do about the method. They believe strongly that there are several, if not many, ways to „get the job done.“ As an immigrant people, with a multi-ethnic society, the pursuit of the „one right solution“ would be close to impossible.

Nor could that pursuit be reconciled with the American deeply-held understanding of freedom, individualism, individual rights. And the American experience has demonstrated that the varied, flexible, situation-specific approach to „skinning a cat“ also leads to success.

Scientific

There Germans are very strong in the natural sciences, mathematics, physics and engineering. They have a national cultural inclination to take a scientific approach to whatever problems they address. Science aims to discover the truth, the solution, the correct answer. It is a pursuit.

Germans believe that there, indeed, can be only one truly best approach, one best solution, one optimal way to do something. In that they are not wrong. Although all roads did lead to Rome, not all were equal. Depending on the situation, one route was best. Put another way, the parties traveling should try to identify which route was right, best, optimal. A pursuit.

So for the Germans, the „one right solution“ is the best solution at any given time. And because the pursuit of that route‘s optimization never ends, at a later time there will be another „one right solution.“

But also human

The Germans are human beings and not scientific machines. It should be of no surprise that such a capable, ambitious and self-confident people would view their approach to a given task as „the right solution“, the best route to Rome, the optimal way to „get the job done.“

And their success verifies to and for them that this is the case. Until proven otherwise they, understandably, are not always willing to consider „another route.“ Why take the risk? Why change things? The English figure of speech would be „never change a winning team.“

Unless, of course, another approach has the potential to become the new optimal way. That is where an additional factor, or motivation, comes into play. It, too, is deeply human.

Fear

What if an alternative approach also leads to the same, or better, results? And what if the logic embedded, or at the root, of that approach is not familiar, or even foreign, to the Germans and the logic behind their approach?

If there is a competition of approaches, and the one wins over the other, then the consequences for the losing side are significant. Those on that side need to adopt and adapt to the other logic, to the other approach. And if that approach is unfamiliar (not from the same family, meaning culture), it can be difficult to learn it, to take on, even to understand. For any culture, not just the German, this all means change, insecurity, risk.

„All roads lead to Rome“ also meant that the provinces, areas subjugated militarily by the Roman army, remained subservient to Rome. Command and control over the roads (transportation, logistics, troop movements) was synonymous with power. Rome as headquarters, the provinces as regions.

Power

The discussion, often battle, over the „right way“ to do something – internal processes, IT systems, product development, go-to-market strategies – is not only about businesses working more effectively, it is about power.

This is even more true when different cultures come together to collaborate. Colleagues in mono-cultural companies – or companies in which one culture dominates – share the same logic behind their approaches. Variations in approach are no more than variations on the same theme.

Collaboration in companies with several cultures involves a more complex discussion and debate about which approach to take, which method is best, about the „right solution.“

And since the Germans focus very strongly on „how the work is done“, they instinctively recognize that power is rooted in who has the say about the „right solution“ understood as process, method, approach, about the „road.“

The discussion about the „one right solution“, therefore, is at a far deeper level a debate, a battle, about who has the say about the route, way, road.

German thoroughness and American speed and flexibility

Question

“Ok, we understand the idea that the overall goal of integration is bringing together the best of both worlds – German approach and American approach. For example, German thoroughness and American speed and flexibility. But how do we react when we find ourselves bringing together the worst of both worlds – sloppy work and far too slow?”

Answer

This is not the easiest of questions to respond to. There is no specific point of entry. It is clear that collaboration is not going well. I suspect that the organization has not been addressing culture. Or that if it has, then most likely not in the right way.

I would have to know much more about the situationt in order to provide any meaningful advice. So let me just make a few general points.

Par for the course
That is a figure of speech. The MerriamWebster Dictionary states: “the score standard for each hole of a golf course; an amount taken as an average or norm,an accepted standard.”

I hope that my statement – that your problem is “par for the course” – is consoling. For the problem you are experiencing is no surprise, is rather normal, and in many ways healthy. No one on either side is doing anything wrong.

Don’t panic. Remain calm. Continue to engage with each other. You’ve entered into a complex relationship. It requires time and patience to work things out.

Human Beings
Always remember, especially in the “heat of the battle”, that you are colleagues. You are in this together. You succeed or fail together. This is personal. And it should be personal. You are human beings and not machines. We human beings make machines. And we live in the Machine Age. But we ourselves are not machines. We do not interact with each other as if we were parts in a machine.

Subject Matter
Begin – together – identifying the key points of difference. Literally, what you are fighting about, what you are struggling over. Proceed point-for-point. Don’t be afraid to let the emotions out. Don’t try to suppress them. But always be honest and sincere with each other. And, at all costs, do not be political with each other. Do not treat each other as means to an end, but instead as ends in and of themselves.

Culture
Then, point-for-point, engage with each other about the your respective logics, about the deep-lying drivers of your thought and therefore of your action. Explain to each other how you think, why you think that way, where it comes from.

This will not be easy. Most of us don’t usually reflect on this. We think that our approach is universal and not country- or culture-specific. Identifying and then reflecting about our deeper-lying drivers is difficult enough. Explaining them to colleagues from another culture is even more of a challenge. We are simply not used to doing it. It is unfamiliar to us.

Germans don’t celebrate successes

Question

“Our German colleagues seem to be much more reserved in celebrating successes. Whether it’s a business, personal or even sporting event, they do not seem to celebrate victories. I was wondering why?“

Answer

I know what you mean. Americans are often quite surprised by how reserved the Germans are, modest, even stoic. Especially after successes.

Americans inflationary

What Americans might call a success is often for Germans “just doing our job.” We Americans, if we’re honest with ourselves, know that we have become inflationary in praise.

Just look at the terms we use: great, fantastic, awesome, super, etc. Very rarely would Germans use comparable terms in their own language.

In fact, America has become inflationary in general: McMansions of the 1990s and 2000s; oversized portions of food and drinks; grade inflation at just about all levels of education; inflated working titles in the private and public sectors; federal monetary policy (“quantitative easing”); trophies awarded to youth sports teams far from the top of their league.

Thankfully, a debate has begun in the U.S. challenging all of this over-praising. For the danger in inflationary praise is losing touch with reality.

Germans deflationary

At the same time the German approach can be too deflationary. Nicht geschimpft, ist genug gelobt – literally means, not chewed out is praise enough.

Many Germans with experience working with and for Americans have very positive things to say about how in the U.S. people are praised for good work and for team successes.

They feel motivated by it and wish there were more such positive thinking in German organizations.

If not understood, this cultural difference can have very significant (negative) influence on American-German collaboration.

In the end, Americans and Germans who collaborate need to sit down together, discuss these cultural differences, then decide how they jointly define success, as well as if and how they want to celebrate them.

It can be done. It isn’t rocket science. First understand the differences in approach. Then integrate those approaches.

Why is there no sense of urgency in Germany?

Question

“Why is there no sense of urgency in Germany?”

Answer

„Urgent“

MerriamWebster defines urgent as: calling for immediate attention, pressing. Among its synonyms are: burning, compelling, critical, dire, imperative, acute, immediate, crucial. Among its antonyms are: incidental, low-pressure, minor, negligible, trivial, unimportant, non-threatening, safe, stable.

When it comes to urgency, Americans and Germans can diverge in two fundamental ways:

What is urgent?

A situation which Americans might interpret as requiring urgent action might very well be one in which Germans do not see the urgency. This difference could be based on a few, several or many factors, each of which need then to be clarified between the two parties. A common, but not simple, situation is when a customer demands rapid reaction. Speed.

Because Americans and Germans differ in how they understand what makes for an optimal relationship between two business partners – customer and supplier – an American is far more likely to view a customer request as urgent, especially when that customer communicates their urgency, than a German would view that request.

How fast is responsive?

If Germans and Americans agree, at least to a working degree, that a situation requires urgent action, there are nonetheless differences in how both parties define what is fast, slow or just the right reaction time. We know that the two cultures define differently short- , medium- and long-term. This difference is equally at play when it comes to responding to a matter, problem, request, situation.

In other words, agreement on the urgency of the matter does not guarantee the same reaction times. For Americans it could be within three days (including weekends and holidays), whereas for their German colleagues it could be ten days (not including weekends and holidays).

Haste

Another way to look at this is to contrast what in each culture is considered to be haste or hasty action. MerriamWebster define haste as: rapidity of motion, swiftness, rash or headlong action, undue eagerness to act. Among its synonyms are: fastness, fleetness, speed, hurry, quickness, rapidity, rapidness, speediness. Among its antonyms are: slowness, sluggishness.

The Germans are no fans of haste. In fact, hasty action is in their culture often a sign of ill-preparedness, poor planning, acting before thinking. Germans are methodical, careful, thoughtful. They prefer to get whatever they do right the first time. Any kind of rework, and change in direction, they calculate into their original reaction time.

„To turn on a dime“ ― an American figure of speech meaning the ability to change directions quickly, deftly and whenever necessary ― is a quality Germans respect. However, for them it is often a strength necessary primarily because a suboptimal decision has been made.

Shared Logic

It is important to keep in mind that within a well-functioning society ― like the German and the American ― there is a shared logic in those areas which are fundamental to their respective stability, success and future.

A culture‘s, therefore business culture‘s, understanding of urgency is shared by all who interact with each other. Whether a given situation is urgent or not, and if so, to what degree, is defined by a common cultural understanding of what is important (urgent). And that understanding is shared by people on both sides of the transaction: colleague to colleague, team lead to team members, customer and supplier.

In other words, what in the American business context is considered urgent, or very urgent, or extremely urgent, or absolutely asap, might be considered in the German to be less so, or even not at all. As long as the two transactional parties are in synch with eachother, the urgency will be handled properly.

And vice versa. Now, Americans can often be perceived as not responding to the urgency of a situation, „urgency“ in the sense of the problem, which if not addressed, could lead to constant and long-term negative effects. Quality – whether it be in a physical product (craftsmanship) or in work results (competence) – is so critical to Germans, that almost anything related to it is urgent, permanently urgent, day-in and day-out.

Who‘s faster?

Stated simply, but accurately, Americans break down complexity into into its component parts in order to focus on what is essential. This allows for focus, rapid reaction, and calculated risk taking. Sharply delineated decisions – isolate and keep narrow in scope – can be made quickly, and revised just as quickly, depending on immediate outcomes as well as on external factors over which one may have little to no influence. Americans consider flexibility to be one of the most critical success factors of any human endeavor.

In contrast, Germans link decisions together. They then analyse the decision – in reality several decisions – carefully, methodically, taking into consideration many, if not all, influencing factors. Germans think through, then act.

When they do then decide, they remain firm, are not easily pushed off their path, consider external factors, but stay on course. For some they maintain their composure, for others they don‘t recognize when (or are too stubborn) to change course.

Who handles urgent matters more effectively?

Certainly each would claim that they do. And each side has valid arguments. But, in many cases they are comparing apples with oranges, or perhaps more accurately, apples with pears. Americans isolate, analyze pragmatically, move fast, react just as fast, change course as often as is necessary in order „to get the job done.“

Germans connect, analyze deeply and stringently, more slowly, but when they do, they do so on many fronts at the same time. They stick to their course or action, and change only if convincing arguments can be made that their original decision making was flawed.

From the American perspective, the Germans can be terribly slow, plodding, unresponsive, almost incapable (or unwilling, or both) of responding with a sense of urgency. From the German perspective, Americans are often cowboys, „shooting first, then asking questions“, or „going through the wall with their heads“, hasty, impatient, making mistakes left and right and calling it euphemistically „turning on a dime.“

clearly define roles and responsibilities

Question

“Although I have worked with German colleagues for 15+ years in a global context, I still see the strong push from them to clearly define roles and responsibilities. This occurs with people who have already established trust and confidence in working together, as well as with new colleagues, and when timelines are short.

Where does this need for such clarity come from, even prior to beginning any work towards the objective? How can we balance this need with the need to react faster in the market?“

Answer

I can attest that in the German business culture there is a very high need to define as clearly as possible who does what, meaning roles and responsibilities. German organizational charts should be taken very seriously, for example. They are always up-to-date, carefully constructed, and accurate in portraying how a German team is set-up.

And yes, the Germans come together on a regular basis to establish and maintain a common understanding of who does what, and who does not do what. Why?

Germans work independently

For one, the Germans work – and like to work – independently. They define the team structure, the tasks to be completed, roles and responsibilities, lines of communication, key processes, etc., then they go to work. The frequency, duration, depth and nature of their communication during the work is different than in a comparable American team.

The more independent the team members work, the more important it is to clearly define roles and responsibilities up front. If done well, it leads to speed, quality and efficiency. A high level of clarity about roles and responsibilities is especially important when timelines are tight.

This is not a paradox. Nor is it a paradox when German colleagues who know and trust each other well also focus intensely on first clarifying roles and responsibilities.

Germans encroach

There is another purpose, I believe, in the German context for putting so much time (as judged from the American perspective) into clarifying who does what. The Germans have a tendancy to enroach on each other’s area of responsibility, on each other’s mandate, work scope, roles and responsibilities.

Merriam-Webster defines encroach as: To gradually move or go into an area that is beyond the usual or desired limits; to gradually take or begin to use or affect something that belongs to someone else or that someone else is using.

The path to success (promotion, prestige, higher pay) in German companies is usually via size. The larger your organization, the larger its revenues, the more people it has, the greater its scope (roles and responsibilities), the better.

Germans can be very territorial, which means they are to a certain degree wary of each other. They are careful to “protect their garden”, as they say. Protect from encroachers.

I believe – without being a psychologist of the German people – that it is very important for Germans to be able to say: “This is my job. It belongs to me and to no one else. I own it. And no one else will take it away from me.”

Americans don’t encroach

Americans, on the other hand, also value the importance of clarity in who does what. They approach it more fluidly, however. They prefer to get only a required degree of clarity in order to then get started with their tasks quickly, knowing that through the actual work they will gain on-going clarity about roles and responsibilities.

Secondly, Americans are far less inclined than Germans to encroach on each other’s work scope. Americans in the workplace certainly aren’t angels, nor are the Germans devils. But Americans have very low tolerance for internal bickering about who does what.

American team leads reserve the right anyway to “move players around on the field”, meaning making constant adjustments to who does what.

Finally, the way in which teams in the American business culture operate requires that flexibility in roles and responsibilities. Any restrictions or overly-defined internal rules inhibit rather than enable rapid-reacting teamwork.

Depending on the team, individual tasks meld together, overlap, work so closely hand-in-hand that clear lines of delineation between them would be difficult to define.

Two cultures. Two approaches to clarifying who does what. Plenty of potential for misunderstanding, problems, suboptimal collaboration.

“How can we balance this need with the need to react faster in the market?”

I think you may know my response to the question. Sit down together. Address the issue. Step 1 – Understand the respective cultural approaches. Step 2 – Combine the inherent strengths of both.

Not specific enough?

Ok. Get clarity on who does what at a basic level, the fundamentals. Talk it through thoroughly. Your German colleagues will expect it. Do it with them. It won’t kill you. In fact, it will give you deeper insight into how they work.

Then remain in constant dialogue for the duration of your collaboration on those areas not clearly defined: the overlaps, the hand-offs, the grey areas. That’s where the potential for misunderstanding and friction will occur.

It’s also where the critical questions of your teamwork will pop up. It’s where collaboration actually takes place. It’s where you’ll either succeed or fail together.

Germans don’t feel comfortable with aggressive sales

Question

The Germans do not feel comfortable with aggressive, hard sales, including the American version of it. Americans, on the other hand, perceive their German colleagues as being sales-shy.

Taking this important cultural difference into account, how can we maintain forward movement in the U.S., especially since we often cannot predict whether a customer will commit or the size of the opportunity?

Answer

This is a complex situation. And a highly important one. But it can be managed. And managed well.

First: Continually explain to your German colleagues the nature of the American business environment, especially the important of marketing, of sales, of building relationships. In the context of this question, the importance of aggressiveness in sales.

Because marketing sales is understood differently in Germany, you have no other choice but to remind your colleagues time and again of the logic in the U.S. Including that American customers are comfortable with aggressive sales, expect it, and they, too, have aggressive sales people in their organization.

Always use concrete examples. Particularly effective is showing them how competitors are aggressively going after the same opportunities. And use examples from other sectors of the U.S. economy which illustrate the need to be aggressive.

Second: always acknowledge the rightness and legitimacy of the German logic. Honor the strengths of the German approach to marketing and sales. Which is also aggressive, but in a German way, in a more discreet, quiet, unemotional, determined way. Anticipate their unease with what you will be asking them for, with what you will be proposing to them.

Third: spell out for your German colleagues what forward movement concretely looks like. Spell out what aggressive sales means literally, “on the ground”, in your conversations with customers and potential customers. Once understood, your German colleagues may just respond with: “Oh well, that is not so aggressive. That makes perfect sense. Or front-line sales folks would essentially do the same. Ok good, we can work with this. We can help you with this.”

Fourth. “especially since we often cannot predict whether a customer will commit or the size of the opportunity?” That’s all about risk. And you will see many Q&As on CI which in one form or the other address the differences in how Germans and Americans understand risk.

There is only one way to handle that: explain to your German colleagues what you can and cannot predict. Give them the best, the most accurate, risk-assessment as you can. In fact, perhaps the better term is success-assessment or hit-rate.

Very important, whenever you provide Germany with these assessments, you need to explain not only the factors involved, you need to explain what those factors mean, the deeper logic. Again, your German colleagues are German and not American. What you as Americans take as a given, as self-stated, as not needing explanation, as universal, is not any of those things.

When you, for example, provide an assessment of the chances that the customer will commit, explain, and in detail, what the factors are which move the customer in the one or in the other direction. The same goes for the size of the opportunity.

Folks, this will require a lot of patience on your part. You will have to do a lot of explaining. And explaining of things which for you as Americans in the U.S. business context are seldom discussed, seldom debated, seldom questions. It is what it is.

Well, you are working in a global environment. Or more precisely, you are working in the US-German environment. You have no other choice but to address the deeper-lying cultural differences. Good. Do it. Get good at it. Combine the strengths of two great cultures. To the benefit of your customers. And to the detriment of your competitors !

Germans reluctant to commit to projects

Question

“Our impression on the American side of the Atlantic is that the German business culture is reluctant to commit to projects which have unknowns and are not guaranteed to succeed. In our business culture we are under constant pressure to produce results. We Americans can appear to be pushy, emotional and fiery. How can we reconcile the two approaches?”

Answer

Let’s consider this question from a high level, without going into the details. What are the questions within this question? I think they are the following:

The first is commitment. We know that Americans and Germans take different approaches to commitments. How they define them. How they decide whether to enter into them. If agreed to, how they maintain and fulfill them. What are those differences and how do they influence collaboration?

The second is risk, the two culture’s respective understanding of risk. Well, what are those differences and how can American and Germans get a common understanding of the risks involved in individual projects?

The third is pressure. More specifically, the pressure to produce results. In the U.S.: What results? In what form? How quantified? When are they expected? Can these be answered and explained to the German colleagues so that they understand the situation on the ground in the U.S.?

The fourth is about Americans coming across to Germans as pushy, emotional and fiery. Can the three topics above be so explained by the American colleagues such that their German colleagues will understand and be open to searching for ways to reconcile the two respective – and successful – approaches?

And let’s remember what the term reconcile means. Let’s go to MerriamWebster online: “1. to restore to friendship or harmony; 2. to make consistent or congruous; 3. to accept something as unpleasant; 4. to check against another for accuracy.”

Interestingly, each one of these four definitions applies the task at hand:

Get into harmony, into synch, with your German colleagues. In order to do that you need to constantly explain the logics operating in the U.S. Make your responses to customers consistent with both the American and the German approaches, in other words an integrated approach.

There is no other option. Integration means compromise, which in turn is always a bit unpleasant. Constantly check with each other, and with the customer, that things are accurate, meaning accurate in meeting the needs of your customers, but within the key parameters of how you do business.

The customer is not king. And the customer does not want a supplier, especially in a sophisticated and complex business, to be a serf. Serious customers want serious suppliers. And serious suppliers are not s