The Fundamental Principles of Business Culture
CultureGerman business culture is marked by organisation, planning and perfectionism. Business relations are very formal, and they reflect the German values of order, privacy and punctuality.A strict vertical hierarchy is established and respected, and the decision-making process is held at the top of the company. The Germans respect authority and subordinates rarely contradict or criticise their superiors publicly.Germans do not need a personal relationship in order to do business and work and personal lives are rigidly divided. To build and maintain business relationships, it is essential to follow the established protocol and respect the formality of the communication style. Business lunches will be organised later in the relationship, and will be great opportunities to establish a closer relationship.
Plan and Target Orientated
The Germans pursue excellence in all their endeavors, carefully weighing and analyzing each possibility before settling on a course of action. They place great value on clarity, expecting straightforwardness instead of subtlety; if any ambiguity arises they will hold firm until clarification is provided. Once the most advantageous decision has been reached, there can be no deviation from it - only unwavering commitment to perfect execution!
Task Oriented Over Relationship Oriented
For German business professionals, the experience and credentials of a potential partner are paramount. Professionalism reigns when it comes to industry relationships – any personal connection is often secondary or even unnecessary for success in striking a deal. Maintaining legendary longevity within your own company goes far in cultivating trust among German contacts as well.
As a part of this business-only mindset, Germans may find excessively polite language and customs to be unnecessary and obstructive to whatever task is at hand. Whereas in other cultures, people may build rapport before easing into asking the controversial questions, Germans expect to be asked the most difficult and pressing questions first. This is not because they are rude. While they are still courteous, they often arrive straight to their point without euphemism. In the same way, a German will most likely openly disagree with you and point out your errors instead of speaking ambiguously for reasons of diplomacy and politeness. From their standpoint, softening one’s words convolutes both meaning and the process of negotiation. Despite this strictly business approach, Germans are open to cultivating business friendships – especially in the long term. They enjoy building rapport as long as it doesn’t complicate business
Considerations
With their penchant for asking questions and analyzing perspectives, the Germans are known to be keenly adept at critical thinking. While they may appear overconfident in their own practices, they remain open minded when it comes to new ideas or solutions - a testament of their flexibility. Despite hierarchical structures based on experience within German organizations, workers will not abide by any leadership that is predicated solely on status as opposed to expertise; instead valuing those who rise through knowledge rather than rank.
Germans value strong credentials, require rigid adherence to protocol, and devise innovative solutions during negotiations. Demonstrating respect for the process is key in establishing a positive relationship with German colleagues; any sign of cutting corners will be met with hesitation and mistrust. Multifaceted protocols are often employed by Germans as insurance against unpredictability or disharmony - illustrating their commitment to trustworthiness and dependability within business dealings.
