Escalation
Germans view conflicts as fundamentally negative and discomforting. Escalating conflict should be an option of last resort. And since effective leadership is expected to anticipate and prevent conflicts within their organization, those conflicts which have “become public” are a sign of leadership failure. Examples
Forum
Germans will avoid an open hearing at almost all costs. The airing of grievances, argument vs. counter-argument in front of the next level of management, only increases tension, making resolution more difficult. Instead, the conflict resolver interviews each involved party separately and on a one-on-one basis. Examples
Evidence
A German manager asked to resolve a conflict is more mediator than judge. And mediation in Germany means gathering and analyzing the facts only. Subjective input, the viewpoint of others affected by the dispute, carry far less weight. Examples
Pace
Hasty decisions of any kind are anathema to Germans. A German manager is expected to work through the mediation process carefully. Adequate time should be taken to gain a clear overview of the elements of the dispute, for an optimal resolution which demands time, is better than a suboptimal resolution arrived at quickly. Examples
Legitimacy
Germans feel uncomfortable not only with resolutions dictated from above, but also with those resulting in a clear winner and loser. A resolution is effective and durable only if the parties involved freely accept it. „Losers” seldom freely accept. Examples