United States – Page 2 – understand-culture

Optimum pairings

In one episode of the American television show Community, when eight people have to divide into partners, they first divide without considering any variables or long-term consequences. Shortly afterwards, however, they are so annoyed with their imperfectly chosen lab partners, that they decide to find a way to be in their optimum pairings.

This leads to them spending all night, and most of the following day, trying to decide what those optimum pairings are. They try several different systems to find new partners, including dividing by hair-color/gender/race, old/young, highest/lowest GPAs, and finally by rating each other then pairing the most popular with the least popular, etc.

After a failed attempt to implement the rating system, the 8 people succumb to fighting, angry at each other for the rankings they received. Finally, more than 12 hours after beginning the optimization process, the characters realize that their class is about to start, but none of them have done their work.

They go to class, and the teacher is so angry with them for not doing their work, and not even knowing who their partners are, that he forces 7 out of the 8 “partners” to all share one set of lab equipment, while the rest of the class no longer has to share.

Scientific Management

Frederick Taylor was an American engineer from Philadelphia whose studies in the early 20th century had great influence on American industrial processes. His Principles of Scientific Management focused process standardization, systematic training and the definition of roles and responsibilities. It led to the term Taylorism.

Success Factor

If surveyed few Americans would mention processes as critical to success. Instead they would state factors such as customer orientation, innovation, rapid reaction time, and pricing. Results are more relevant than how they were achieved. Examples

Success Factor

German Approach

If surveyed Germans would rank internal processes, how the work is done, just after people as the most critical success factor. However, often it seems that people serve processes more than processes serve people. Examples

American Approach

American View

German internal analysis of processes quickly leads to a form of navel-gazing. The longer and more intense the analysis the faster and further the company distances itself from the external world: customers, competitors, the market.

German View

Americans appear disinterested or unaware of the central importance of processes. Especially in times of crisis, when their German colleagues focus on structure and processes, their American colleagues seem to not engage in the internal discussion and analysis.

Advice to Germans

Analysis of how the work is done is important. But be sure to focus on its causal connection to the results for your external customers. Engage your American colleagues by starting with the market and your customers, then working back into your organization and its internal processes.

Advice to Americans

Be patient. Listen carefully. When Germans talk processes, they‘re talking output, and the business bottom-line. They are one and the same.

At their core Germans are European craftsmen. Success is based on craftsmanship. It‘s all about how the work is done. Get engaged in the discussion about processes. Add your pragmatic American business thinking.