“Often our colleagues in the U.S. seem to follow processes and procedures slavishly, even when it is obvious that the situation requires deviation. Why are they not capable of making the necessary judgement calls based on the situation?”
Undisciplined
“On the American side there are far more processes and procedues than on our German side. And everything is documented in great detail. Yet time and again our American colleagues don’t follow what has been documented. Can someone please explain this to us?”
Worst of both worlds
“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?”
Roles and Responsibilities
“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?“
They wear us down
“Germans love processes and procedures and rules. Our American point of view is: ‘Processes are man-made. We can change them.’ Our customers in the U.S. find it difficult to do business with us as a German company: ‘Too inflexible.’
We are constantly debating internal business rules. We struggle to get things done. We can’t get our German colleagues to change. They always find a way to logically disprove what we are trying to do or they keep pushing for more data. It’s like a legal battle. They wear us down. Help! What can we do?”
