German culture strongly prefers preventing problems to fixing them after they occur. The logic is practical: problems that never happen require no solving. This leads to substantial investment in planning, quality design, thorough preparation, and proper training—effort spent preventing problems that would otherwise require costly correction later. You see this everywhere: careful preparation for important occasions, quality systems that design out defects, training that builds capability before it’s needed, documentation that preserves lessons so mistakes aren’t repeated.
When working with Germans, expect extensive preparation phases. Don’t mistake this for excessive caution or slow decision-making. They’re investing effort upfront to avoid problems downstream. Join this preventive orientation—think about what could go wrong, address risks before they materialize, and invest in doing things right the first time.
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