Q&A Archives - Page 2 of 5 - understand-culture

In the German culture why does a yes or a no need to be absolute

Question

“In the German culture, why does a yes or a no need to be absolute and not conditional upon changing input factors? In other words, is a qualified yes or a qualified no acceptable in Germany?”

Answer

Yes, the German culture allows for a qualified yes and a qualified no. In fact, what culture could not? Life, reality, the interactions between individuals and groups demand this day in and day out.

Especially fast-moving, complex and sophisticated economies depend on contingency-planning, on the ability to act in ways which imply that the parameters of a given situation can change at any time.

That is the very definition of the term flexibility. Merriam-Webster online writes: “characterized by a ready capability to adapt to new, different, or changing requirements.”

And it lists the following synonyms: adaptable, adjustable, alterable, changeable, elastic, fluid, malleable, modifiable, pliable, variable.

As antonyms it lists: established, fixed, immutable, enelastic, inflexible, invariable, nonmalleable, ramrod, set, unadaptable, unalterable, unbudgeable, unchangeable.

So yes, the German culture does allow for qualified yes and a qualified no. One could argue that they are especially good at it, when one considers their precision, how well they plan, coordinate and manage actions taken at the same, or near same, time. The Germans are proud of their ability to develop complex, interrelated work processes.

Which means the question is not so much whether the German culture allows for a qualified yes and a qualified no, but rather the following questions:

How do Germans define what is qualified?

When in the German context is a qualified yes or a qualified no a response which a German can deal with, factor into their work, coordinate with other situations, versus when do Germans prefer to hear either a clear yes, a clear no or a clear “I don‘t know at this time”?

Stated another way: When is yes or a no too qualified, too unspecific, so that it cannot be dealt with in the German contingency logic? Germans will often say: “Come back to me, please, when you have a higher degree of clarity of what it is you are asking for.”

Every culture‘s contingency logic has its own bandwidth, borders, poles, extremes, degree of tolerance (pick your term), within which they operate, plan, factor in potential sudden change.

Perhaps the German bandwidth is narrower than the American. Perhaps not. The Germans would argue that they are more flexible than the Americans. See the intercultural divergences in leadership approaches. See how the two business cultures handle processes.

The German contingency logic works. Germans and Germany are exceptionally capable and successful. Remember, Germany is the third-largest economy in the world with only about eighty-five inhabitants. The American bandwidth, the American contingency logic, works also. Americans and America are equally capable and successful. They are, however, two different contingency logics.

Contingent yes, contingent no, this appears to be a rather simple, straightforward topic. Americans ask themselves: “Why can‘t the Germans be more flexible?” Germans ask themselves: “Why can‘t the Americans think things through first, before acting, then inevitably changing course?”

This is a very complex topic. The fundamental divergence in contingency logics involves the following topics: agreements, decision making, leadership as well as systematic (German) versus particularistic (American) thinking.

The challenge – with great upside potential – is developing a common, or near-common, understanding about contingency planning, of how flexible a yes and a no should be.

It was all show

Question

“In the Disney Store the young saleswomen dressed as Mickey Mouse were so nice, so sweet to us and our children, as if they wanted to take us in their arms and cuddle with us. Just as quickly, however, it became clear that it was all show. That sudden realization could under certain circumstances lead to Kauf-Unlust (purchase-aversion, -reluctance, -disinclination), after having been so „touched“, and given in the impression that you are the greatest customer in the store. Am I being too critical?”

Answer

Sell wares

What a great anecdote! So common in German-American interactions. Let’s have some fun with it. Point by point. And a bit tongue-in-cheek on my part: a figure of speech implying that a statement is meant as humor; it should not be taken at face value.

The Disney Store. Stores are businesses. Their goal is to sell their wares, to make a profit. They do so when many customers come in and purchase those wares.

Saleswomen. Yes, those were salespeople in the Mickey Mouse costumes. They are paid to welcome customers to the store, with the hope that they will purchase items. The saleswomen come to work each day dressed in normal clothes, then change into costumes, at the end of the day they switch back into their clothes and go back home.

“… as if they wanted to take us in their arms and cuddle.“ Children﹣your children!﹣are the target group. Disney is primarily about children. Cuddling is what children want to do with their favorite Disney characters. The children then go from the cuddling to seeing something in the store which they want. Seeing the glow in their childrens’ eyes, parents have a difficult time saying no. What a great business model!

“… it was all show.“ Well, yes, you were at Disney. What were you expecting, a collaborative, rational cost-benefit analysis right then and there between you, your wife and children on the one side and the salesperson in the costumes on the other? (tongue-in-cheek)

Ernüchterung

„That sudden realization (Ernüchterung)….“ What a perfect word﹣Ernüchterung﹣for this anecdote! It can be translated into „disillusion“ (removing the illusion) or „sobering“ (making you feel serious and thoughtful).

But an even better translation is „disenchantment.“ To enchant means to attract and hold the attention of someone by being interesting, pretty, etc.; to put a magic spell on someone or something. Magic spell. That’s it! That’s what Disney is all about, enchanting children (and adults, too).

„sudden realization.“ Clearly you and your wife know that a certain degree of „show“, of selling, is normal. And your children, regardless of how young they might be, are also aware that they are in a store, and that stores are about business. Children see their parents pull out their wallets to pay for items. Children often hear from their parents that they cannot have certain things because they are too expensive. The realization could not have been all that sudden.

„That sudden realization could under certain circumstances lead to Kauf-Unlust (purchase-aversion, -reluctance, -disinclination).“ This is the key point of your question. It is the key intercultural point. You are aware of it and have imbedded it into your question. And rightfully so!

Let’s spell it out, but only briefly. For we have done so under Persuasion_Learn.

Buyers and Sellers

We know that in all cultures products and services have to be sold. And that means at some point an interaction between the two parties: buyer and seller. What does that interaction look like, however?

Our topic is Persuasion, which is a sophisticated word for selling. There are all kinds of selling. In different business sectors. At different levels. Between different disciplines. But the core activity is persuading. Selling. So how do Germans and Americans respectively sell, how do they persuade? Stated more precisely, how personal should it be?

For your (German) family visiting Disney in Orlando, Florida, the selling in the Disney Store was a bit overdone, overly sweet, „as if we were the greatest customers in the store“, as if they wanted to „cuddle with us.“

Warning to Americans

Therein lies the difference, the message, the warning to Americans. Put simply: yes, you want to establish some kind of connection to the person to whom you want to sell something. And maybe that connection could and should be personal. But how personal from the German perspective?

And to what degree is it truly personal vs. business-personal, in the sense of a means to an end? The Germans are much more likely to believe that you mean it truly, really, authentically, when you work to establish a personal connection, a personal relationship. Remember, Germans separate between personal and professional far more strongly and clearly than Americans do.

If Germans sense that a person, an American, is not truly interested in a personal connection, that they are faking it﹣a means to an end﹣they might experience Ernüchterung, disenchantment.

And we all know the what feels like to be disenchanted. The magic is gone. One has been tricked, deflated, disappointed, and becomes angry and hurt. „You didn’t really mean it!“

Enchantment may help you close one sale. There may never be a second sale, however.

Germans able to personally connect

Question

“Are Germans able to personally connect in/out of the workplace? Or has the formalistic nature of German society gradually removed the intuitive person from the individual entirely?“

Answer

I am not quite sure that I understand the question: “personally connect”; “in/out of the workplace”; “formalistic nature of German society”; “the intuitive person”.

Let me address those four pieces individually:

personally connect

How can a society as large, as sophisticated and as successful as the German be made up of people who are not capable of personally connecting? German society functions exceptionally well. The indicators are quite clear: health, justice, stability, security, economic achievement, democracy, etc. The Germans know how to connect personally.

in/out of the workplace

If above were a true statement, then it would be true for both the private and work spheres. A culture’s logic – regardless of the topic – is at play in both the private, public and work spheres.

formalistic nature of German society

I’m not sure what is meant by formalistic. There is the formal and the informal. All societies have their mixture, their combinations. There are differences between Germany and the U.S. But, is Germany more formalistic than the U.S.? I suppose it depends on the situation.

removed the intuitive person from the individual

I’m not sure what that means.

I suspect that imbedded in the question is a misperception of the German people. Or the questioner has had certain experiences interacting with Germans that may have given the impression that Germans have problems or limitations in their interactions with each other and/or with other cultures.

And that those problems are partly a result of their formalistic (formal, regimented, inflexible) society. It would be interesting to hear anecdotes or experiences from the questioner.

The title of the question – It’s all persönlich (personal) – indicates that the point being made might be that Germans are not very personal. If this is the impression made on the questioner, I can understand it immediately.

Misperception

And it is legitimate. From the American perspective. But certainly not from the German point of view, nor from the perspective of those who have come to know the Germans.

They are a very personable people, with big hearts, deep earnestness, and a willingness to help whenever they are asked. But again, see my comments above under personally connect.

The intercultural question – and critical to German-American collaboration – is: What are the cultural differences which can lead one side to have an image (an understanding or misunderstanding) of another people which is not aligned with that other culture’s self-image?

Persuade in a fairly logical manner

Question

“In my experience, Germans usually try to persuade in a fairly logical manner and in that sense are not dissimilar to Americans. I have noticed a tendency, however, to assume the audience thinks like they do, shares their general views of the world, etc. In selling something (products, ideas) it would seem useful to prepare the ground a bit more before going forward.”

Answer

Your question has three parts. All three are highly relevant. Let’s address them one by one.

„Germans persuade in a logical manner … not dissimilar to Americans.“

Yes, both cultures have so much in common. Their deepest roots are common: Judeo-Christian faith, Greek philosophy, political structures influenced by the Romans, the rule of law, human rights, democracy, market-driven economy, language, generations of close contacts on many levels, and so much more.

And although Americans are made up of many cultures, Americans as a people, and America as a culture, is still primarily European. The German influence on American has been especially significant, in both the past and the present. Americans and Germans are relatives in an extended family.

This fact makes their cooperation that much more complex. Does this sound counter-intuitive? Only apparently so. For the differences﹣deep and subtle﹣are not suspected, not anticipated, therefore neither seen, much less articulated.

Germans and Americans can certainly succeed in their cooperation without addressing these subtle cultural differences, but they can succeed even more if they do. Your question makes that point indirectly.

„… a tendency, however, to assume the audience thinks like they do ….“

Which we all do. Don’t we all assume that our way of thinking is universal and not formed and driven by our particular, specific national culture? Is it not the case, that we see our approach to persuading as human and not as American- or German-human?

When I reflect on my first years in Germany, my operating assumption was that Germans were Americans who just happened to speak German, live in a different country, have a different history, etc. The readers of this are certainly welcome to laugh at me.

And I laugh at myself, too. It did not occur to me until I had lived in Germany for roughly five years that the Germans thought in many ways much differently than I did. It fact, it did not occur to me at all. It was pointed out to me by a German who was working in the cross-cultural field.

It is only when we experience a different reaction to what we think is clear, straightforward, obvious, that we realize – if we’re fortunate enough to realize ourselves or have pointed out to us – that there are other ways of thinking, that there are differences, many very significant, between how Americans and Germans think.

This goes to the heart of the matter, Matt, to understanding those differences in our national cultural hard-wiring, differences in our most basic operating assumptions, the coordinates of our thinking.

„In selling something … useful to prepare the ground .…“

Yes! And it is there that CI is trying to make a contribution. The first step is to understand the differences. In this case between how the two cultures fundamentally persuade.

The second is to anticipate the influence of those differences on how a message﹣our message﹣is understood, or as is often the case, not fully understood or even misunderstood. The third step is to then adapt one’s message so that it, indeed, does come across persuasively.

We „prepare the ground“ by taking those three steps. Please see CI’s analysis on Persuasion.

Clarity up-front

Question

“Before making a commitment our German colleagues like as much clarity as possible up-front. However, developing opportunities in the U.S. business context is an ongoing, interative process together with the customer. The goal is to understand and define their needs.

In other words, the nature of the commitments with the customer can change during the process of iteration. Add to this the American inclination – and it is a shared logic among both customers and suppliers in the U.S. – to take a “Yes, let’s give it a try” approach.

How can we get the two logics to work together in order to serve the customer?”

Answer

The question imbedded in the question above is the following:

Entering into commitments in the American business context is an on-going, iterative process. Americans, both customers and suppliers, reserve the right to at any time back out of a commitment or to end it at any stage.

This is why an iterative approach is taken. Iteration – moving in smaller, incremental steps – allows for flexibility, for changing direction, for adjusting to changing parameters. In the American culture there is seldom such thing as a commitment written in stone.

This is why a high level of communication between customer and supplier is critical to the success of that relationship. Both parties are operating in a dynamic environment with all sorts of factors over which they have little or no control.

There is no getting around this reality. It is in the air that Americans breath. No German, or any other culture’s, approach will change it. Nor should it be changed. It is the American approach and it works well for them.

Key will be, as always, to help the German colleagues to understand this deeper-lying logic in the U.S. You have no other choice than to take the time to explain the American logic.

Once they have understood that logic, or at least are open to its legitimacy, you need to then discuss with them a joint response. Define together, on a case by case basis, how you both interate with customers – American colleagues in the U.S. – and how you will then iterate across the Atlantic.

If you and your German colleagues have a common understanding of the cultural differences between Germans and Americans regarding agreements, information needs, whether up-front or iterative, then you can work out the details.

Accept the German need to have a lot of information up-front. Don’t fight their logic. Work with it. For example, break down commitments into micro-commitments. Then ask your German colleagues what information they need up-front in order to commit to an early-stage piece of a commitment.

In other words, break down a larger commitment into pieces or stages. Then move, together with your German colleagues, stage for stage. Do not be shy about asking them what kinds of information are critical vs. nice-to-have.

A final point:

Germans do not feel comfortable with the American “Yes, let’s give it a try” approach. In fact, learning-by-doing is viewed negatively in German. It’s a sign for: not having learned something, not being trained properly; taking unnecessary risk; making things up as you go along; poor planning.

You need to explain to your German colleagues the following key points regarding learning-by-doing:

First: in many situations there is no other choice but to experiment.

Second: often the risk, the downside, of learning-by-doing is minimal.

Third: Americans customers, as Americans, feel comfortable with learning-by-doing. It has led to positive results for them. They learn important things. Which often has made the efforts very worthwhile.

when is our German directness too blunt

Question

We Germans are known for being forceful, yet respectful. And we want the same from others. But we know that we are often too direct with Americans. So, when is our German directness too blunt? How do we know what degree of directness is simply too much?

Answer

Well, this is a complex question.

“blunt” means: stumpf, plump, ungehobelt, schroff, unverblümt, geradeheraus.

Not so much because there are many different kinds of Americans, with many different kinds of backgrounds, and from many different regions of the U.S.

Getting into the shades of gray is not helpful and not necessary. It is complex because the answer to the question depends on the situation. I’ve lived in Germany now for 25+ years and I still find the Germans often to be too direct.

Now wait, not because the German are too direct. The Germans are the Germans. And they are fine. It is because we Americans are less direct. We are careful about what we say, to whom, when, how, and based on who is present. And that is the big message re: the American logic: context.

Whereas the German logic, which is just as right and good and effective as the American logic, is: say what you mean, mean what you say, don’t beat around the bush, use clear and unambiguous language, and get to the point.

Personality or Facts

Question

“When Americans are in persuasion-mode what is more important the power of personality or the power of facts and Argumente (reason, points, arguments, making the case)? And why is it so?”

Answer

This is an exceptionally critical (as in important) question. It goes to the heart of one of the major divergences in how Americans and Germans persuade. Please read our analysis at persuasion_objective.

It is not so much a question of which is more important. Both are central to being peruasive in the American context. They cannot be – or are seldom – separated.

Your question begs another critical question: How do Americans combine them?

„combine“ not in the sense of a mechanical-kind of 50-50% balance, but in the sense of the logic operating when an American puts personality ahead of facts and reason or the other way around.

This, of course, will depend on the situation: What is the nature of the subject matter? Who is the target audience to be persuaded? What decision (behavior) should the persuading lead to? What is the particular style (capabilities, inclinations) of the person(s) persuading?

Truly persuasive people in the American context are masters of combining the two elements: personality and fact.

The Germans are masters of this craft, also. But in accordance to their, to the German, logic. They place far more emphasis on fact and Argumente.

Why is it that Americans are more open to, more persuaded by, personality? This is a very complex question, one which we at CI have not yet researched. Clearly, though, Americans choose freely both to be persuaded via personality, and to persuade via personality.

A culture’s approach to persuasion is always an unspoken agreement between two parties – the persuader and the to-be-persuaded. How personality and fact/Argumente are combined is driven by national culture. It is a shared logic, shared within the respective culture.

German unsolicited advice

Question

“I like my German colleagues. They are intelligent, focused, hard-working. But sometimes they can really get in your face. I experience, and observe, that they give other colleagues advice, whether it was asked for or not. I find this rather annoying, at times even arrogant. Why do they do that? I wish they would cease and desist.”

Answer

Ok, this is a really serious cultural difference. I need to pull it apart. Please be patient with a rather long response from me. This is also very personal to and for me.

Good People

First things first. The German people are good people. I mean really good people. Deeply good people. Please take my word on this. I have lived and worked here in Germany, and with the German people, for three decades. I could write a book full of anecdotes of how and why they are good people.

Helpful

As good people, the Germans want to be helpful. That includes your German colleagues. Think about, we’re all working anywhere between forty and sixty hours a week, some weeks even more. We spend most of our life working. That means, in turn, we spend most of our life interacting with colleagues, customers, suppliers. If we are good people, if it is our natural inclination to be helpful, well, then we’ll display that behavior in the workplace.

Obligation

Broadly speaking, painting with a broad brush, the German people are more collectivistic than we Americans. This is not about political theory. This is not about philosophy. This is not about forms of government or socialism or communism or communitarianism or any other ism. It’s much more simple, more basic.

The German people work from the group back to the individual. They first and foremostly see the individual as a member of a group. First group, then individual. We could say first the state, then the individual. We Americans are different. Almost the opposite. Individual, then group. Individual, then state. Individual, family, neighborhood, broader community, and so on.

Because the Germans see individuals as only viable within a community, they believe that each individual has obligations over and against their fellow individuals. That’s what community means, a balance between individual needs and wants and those of the community. We’re talking about the balance between rights and obligations. Germans feel that it is their obligation to help each other.

Advice as Help

And giving advice to a colleague, whether requested or not, is a form of help. If a German colleague sees you heading towards a landmine – a mistake, an error, a problem, a blowup – that colleague will point that out to you, and hopefully in time so that you avoid the landmine.

In fact, German thinking goes so far as to say: “You saw your colleague heading right for that landmine and you did nothing about it, you did not warn them? What kind of colleague are you? What kind of human being are you?”

Let’s always remind ourselves, when the German drive us crazy, when we think that they need their heads examined, when we simply don’t want to deal with them anymore, when we think that their approach will ruin the work, ruin the business, ruin relations with our customers, that the German people have the fourth-largest economy in the world, and with only eighty million people. Folks, they must be doing something right. Their approach in fundamental areas must be right, must be working, must lead to success. Folks, it can’t be any other way.

Now, does it mean that their German approach works in every other culture, in every other country, in every other business context, in every other market? No, that is not my statement. Clearly what works in one market, country, region does not necessary translate one-to-one into another one. And that is the point of my work, of our conversations, about the influence of cultural differences on cross-border collaboration. One-to-one importation, one-to-one application, of one culture’s logic into another country seldom works. In fact, the results can be a total disaster.

Jerks

Are there no jerks in Germany, no jerks among the German people, no German jerks? Well, of course there are jerks in Germany, as there are in any culture. And one major way for a German to be a jerk is to stick their nose in other people’s business. German jerks do that all the time. The Germans can be terrible know-it-alls. Arrogant. Insistent. “I’m smart. You’re dumb.” Thirty years here in Germany, do you think I haven’t run into my fair share of German jerks? There have been many a time when I wanted to tear their heads off.

So, yes, you will experience in your collaboration the German jerk. And they will experience the American jerk. There are plenty of us. In fact, in each and every one of us Americans is an American jerk. We all have our moments when our behavior is uncalled for (one of my mother’s favorite terms), literally not called for, not requested, no solicited, unsolicited.

Just this week I wrote a message in LinkedIn which was very poorly formulated. It was stupid. The receiver shot back at me immediately. And rightfully so. I felt stupid, because my message was stupid. John the jerk. Do you think he doesn’t exist? He does, because John is a human being. And human beings can often be jerks.

“German angel, what?”

But jerks are a small minority. And the jerk in each of us is, hopefully, is only a small part of us which comes out only in certain circumstances. In the overwhelming majority of instances when you experience unsolicitied advice from a German colleague, or even from a German stranger, it is not a German jerk, but instead a German angel coming to your rescue.

“German angel, what?” Yup, I mean that literally, without getting into the theology of it. What do angels do? They watch out for us. The see us heading for the landmine and then do something to help us avoid getting our legs blown off. “What, Magee believes in angels?” Yes, he does, indeed.

Ok, let me put it in more rational, scientific, Enlightenment-era (whatever that is) terms. What could be better than to be surrounded by colleagues who want the best for you? What could be better than to be surrounded by colleagues who keep their eyes open for each other? Colleagues who have each other’s back? Who are not afraid to get in your face if they see you heading for a disaster, for a blowup, a train wreck?

And what could be better than to have colleagues who will risk pissing you off by pointing out to you that you’re about to make a serious mistake, even at the risk of harming your working relationship?

Let me tell you something, if I worked in a company – I do not, I am self-employed – I sure as sh_t would want to have those kinds of colleagues, as many as possible. But wait, I do have such colleagues. More than a handful of them. Germans and Americans. Most of them customers who have become friends. I turn to them time and again for advice. And I receive it. Good advice. And it is the Germans who, time and again, offer advice which I did not even ask for. Unsoliticed.

And here’s the thing about angels, whether Germans or Americans or from other cultures, when they save our ass, they don’t ask for anything in return. They do it out of pure care, concern, and love. That’s right, love. It’s the greatest force, the greatest power we know. It’s called love. Don’t believe me? Ask any mother or father of a child. Ask any brother or sister of another brother or sister. Ask any two friends. And wouldn’t that kind of care, concern, and love, be great among colleagues, in the workplace, where we spend most of our lives?

Or let’s flip it around. What kind of life is it to spend forty to sixty hours a week working with people who are not driven, at the deepest level, by care, concern and love? Seriously. What kind of life is that?

So, whenever you get irritated about another German giving you unsolicited advice, ask yourself the following questions: Was the advice, in its substance, accurate, correct, on point? Assuming that you took the advice, was it helpful? What did you pay for the advice, what did you have to give in order to receive the helpful advice?

I think you get my point. Yes, German colleagues often give unsolicited advice. And I thank the Lord for that. And I mean that literally.

Germans and being right

Question

“Why in Germany is there such a focus on being right?”

Answer

Competitive, Capable

Although the Germans are a people of only eighty million, their economy is ranked fourth behind the United States with three hundred million, the Chinese with one billion three hundred and forty million, and the Japanese with one hundred and thirty million.

The Dax30 are some of the most successful global companies. The Germans continue to be among the world‘s leaders in critical industries: automobiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electronics, telecommunications, and especially those based on mechanical engineering.

Many experts believe that the great strength of the German economy lies in its so-called Mittelstand, an umbrella term for small- to medium-sized companies. Many of these family-owned business enjoy very high market shares, some dominating their particular markets worldwide.

During the financial crisis in the United States and Europe it is the German economy which continues to enjoy consistent growth. Its government is forecasting a balanced budget again in the year 2016. And despite discussion and debate about the merits of austerity measures, the German economy is the envy, and perhaps for some countries, the model of how to work.

As a people, the Germans are indeed battlesome, quarrelsome. As Northern Europeans their history as a people is deeply rooted in centuries of conflict, some initiated by them, many not.

The German strive for excellence. On the athletic field they have proven their ability to win. In the modern Olympic games the Germans have consistently ranked among the top medal winners, despite their modest population size. The most popular sport in Germany is soccer. There, too, they produce winning teams.

The Germans are a competitive and capable people. They like to win.

Zukunft sichern

Zukunft, a noun, means the future. Sichern, a verb, means to secure. In their domestic political debates all German parties address what Germany needs to do in order to secure its future. For foreign ears this can sound a bit exaggerated, purposely alarming. But it is meant literally and taken seriously by the German people.

German society involves a significant role of the government. Social services are many and expensive. The Germans are generous with each other. These services, however, can only be financed by a strong economy, which, in turn, requires that German companies offer products and services which command high prices and high margins.

The key to this, from the German perspective, is maintaining a very high level of intellectual and technical expertise. They are acutely aware of how critical it is to their future to train and develop people strong in the natural sciences, mathematics, and especially in engineering.

For Germans, ideas matter. Ideas are the core, the source of their expertise. Knowledge secures their future, not only of their economy and their companies, but also as individuals in their jobs within those companies.

Discussing and debating important issues, topics, subjects is something the German people take very seriously. Depending on the subject matter, they could see them as affecting directly their future, as individuals, companies, as a people.

Could it be that the subjects, topics, issues, questions which Germans consider to be absolutely essential (core) to their success (Zukunft, future) are not necessarily the same as those considered to be core by the Americans?

In other words, those topics which Germans get competitive (argumentative) about might very well be non- or less-core topics for Americans, leading Americans to think, and perhaps say: „Just relax, folks. This is important, but not a life-or-death issue. Let‘s reach some common ground here, then move on.“

Intellectual Curiosity

The Germans are an exceptionally curious people. They want to explore, ask, inquire, in the end understand. They want to move ever closer to the truth.

Some of modern Western civilization‘s greatest thinkers were German: In the natural sciences such as chemistry and biology, in mathematics and certainly in physics, but equally so in philosophy, theology, history, economics, political theory, sociology, and the law. The German approach to higher education, the Universität, of the 19th century was the model for the modern American university.

The Germans are known for being complex, analytical and systematic thinkers. They take pride in, they value highly, the ability to durch die dicksten Bretter bohren, literally to drill through the thickest boards. Conversely, the Germans have little respect or patience for those who take a superficial approach to any questions, task or endeavour.

Stubborn

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines stubborn as „unreasonably unyielding; difficult to handle, manage, or treat.“ It lists the following similar words (synonym): adamant, bullheaded, dogged, hard, hardheaded, inflexible, intransigent, opinionated. stiff-necked. The opposite (antonym) of stubborn is: acquiescent, agreeable, amenable, compliant, flexible, pliable, yielding.

Indeed, the Germans can be stubborn. Some individual Germans can be particularly inflexible. It could even be argued that stubbornness is a German character trait. We will leave that question to the psychologists and sociologists.

The Germans also have a tendancy to be know-it-alls. Their term is Besserwisser, from besser better and wisserknower, from Wissen knowledge. See the link below.

But, if we are honest with ourselves, we should ask „Who likes to be wrong?“, especially on important matters. In fact, stubbornness can be a positive character trait if it means „holding your ground“ or „defending a principle“ or „staying focused on what is right, good, effective.“

Argument vs. Counter-Argument

Depending on how a given culture communicates, interacts, discusses and debates, the Germans can come across as insisting on being right. „Why do they always have to be right?“, one asks in frustration and exasperation. This could be influenced, therefore misperceived, simply by how Germans communicate.

A contributing factor is the Germans belief in the value of dialectical thinking: thesis, antithesis, synthesis. Stated in an overly simplified way, Germans, consciously or unconsciously, discuss topics in terms of a statement made by one person, this then countered or challenged by the other person, in the hope of arriving at a higher level of understanding. What for the Americans is an argument, is for the Germans a discussion.

Discussions with Germans can, indeed, take on the character of a debate. They are taught to think this way, in their schooling, in their place of work. Germans believe in the value of rigorous thinking and debating. Therefore, they can come across as argumentative, a term with a negative meaning, simply because they discuss via argument and counter-argument.

Put people in boxes

Question

“Is it accurate – and helpful – to refer to the American? What do a New Yorker, a recent Mexican immigrant in Texas, and a Californian have in common?“

Answer

Broad and deep consensus

This is an extraordinarily important question. Why?

If the answer is: “John, you cannot generalize about people. There is no such thing as the American or the German”, then CI, my work, your reflecting on intercultural differences has little to no value.

This foundational question is posed to me time and again. Since I intend to address it soon in a more systematic way, I’ll just give you some food for thought, in the form of questions and statements.

If a large, complex society functions well (see Germany, USA), then there must be a broad and deep consensus among its people about how it does some very fundamental things. See the ten topics CI currently addresses. There are more. What is meant is not a lowest common denominator in those things, but a deeply rooted belief about those things.

Immigrant influence

Although America is an immigrant nation, with newcomers arriving constantly and from different cultures, can you name which newcomer-cultures were immediately embraced by the dominant culture(s) within America?

Asked differently: If you are an American, when was the last time you – in the workplace – went up to a colleague who is a recent immigrant (or at least first generation American) and asked them about their culture, with the expressed intent to allow your own thinking (culture) to be influenced by that colleague’s culture?

American history makes clear that the dominant cultures within the U.S. invariably demand of immigrants that they assimilate.

Your success in other American companies

If you are capable at what you do, you are able to transfer immediately to another company within the U.S. and to perform the same or similar work at the same level – or higher – of proficiency. Why?

Because of your capabilites, yes. But primarily because you are an American and would be moving to another American company. Would this be the case if you were to move to a company in the same business sector, doing the same work, but in another business culture?

Let me finish by addressing one difference between Germans and Americans. The topic is Persuasion. The German logic is: “Arguments should speak for themself.” The American logic is: “Sell yourself first, then your product or service.”

People in boxes

If those two statements are true – the one for Germans, the other for Americans – would there be any significant variation – in the context of German-American collaboration – if the German giving a presentation were man or woman; young or old; Catholic, Protestant or non-believer; from Northern or Southern Germany; extrovert or introvert; trained in the sciences, engineering, law, economics or humanities; from a large or a small family; working in the automobile industry or chemicals or software or financial services; in a position high, mid or low in the organization?

Or flip it around. If the statement is fundamentally true about how American persuade, and an American were attempting to persuade a German audience, would it make any significant difference whether that American were male or female; young or old; etc.?

I believe not.

You see, we can “put people in boxes.” We can generalize. In fact, we do it all the time. We look for patterns in order to deal with complexity.

There are such things as national cultures. There are peoples. And peoples have charactistics. They have ways of thinking and acting. Our job is to understand those ways, discuss them, and find out how to best combine them. That is what our work is all about.