Der Kollege, the colleague, masculine. Die Kollegin, the colleague, feminine. Das Schwein. The pig, neutral. Kollegenschwein, the colleague-pig. That translation doesn’t really work in English. So what is a Kollegenschwein? Well, in the German work context it’s a colleague who escalates a conflict between two colleagues or within the team far too early, too quickly, too hastily up to the next management level, meaning up to the team-lead.
“Wait, what’s wrong with escalating a conflict to the next level so that that level can mediate and resolve the conflict? That’s one of the things that management gets paid for.” An American would ask that question. And perhaps someone from another business culture. But not someone in the German business context. Because Germans only escalate a conflict as a option of last resort. And why is that?
For one, you never know how the next level management will react, will resolve the conflict. It could be an outcome much worse that continuing to attempt to work things out amongst yourselves. Secondly, escalating a conflict to the next level in Germany is a sign that you and your colleague were not able to resolve your problems among yourselves, at your working level.
It’s a sign of failure. Because in Germany colleagues are expected to solve their problem among themselves. Third, escalation can be seen by next level management’s peers as a sign that that manager does not have their team under control, that they are not managing well. In other words, escalation embarrasses the boss.
A Kollegenschwein is seen as a Petzer, as a tattle-tail, a rat. Petzen, to tattle, to snitch, to squeal. Oink, oink !
