ACT 1 – Hans and 200 American Engineers Hans is German, a senior-level manager, in a major, global German company. He is an excellent manager, very experienced, and a first-rate engineer. About 50 years old, Hans is married, and has two children. He is respected and liked. Hans is a good guy, a solid guy. […]
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ACT 2 – Burgers and Beers Hans flew over to Chicago on a Saturday. The weather was beautiful. It was early autumn. He checked into his hotel. Then went for a long walking tour of downtown Chicago. Hans took it all in with wonder. Looking for any and every opportunity to speak with the […]
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ACT 3 – Obama or McCain The dinner started off just fine. The food was good. The atmosphere started out very positive. Then Hans asked his American colleagues who they favored, Barack Obama or John McCain. It was October 2008, just weeks before the presidential election. Maria, a Democrat, was a native of the Chicago […]
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ACT 4 – Hans probed further Hans probed further: “Well, I think Obama is really great. He is so smart, a real intellectual, not like George W. Bush. I mean, Bush could hardly formulate intelligent sentences.” Nancy cringed, but tried not to show it. Maria was in full agreement, but smiled discreetly. Jack, no […]
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ACT 5 – “Oh, no!” “Oh, no!” thought even Maria. Hans is going in the wrong direction here. Jack quickly pulled out the dessert menu and waived for a waiter, hoping to change the subject of the conversation. Nancy was furious. All three Americans had had some degree of experience with, well, rather opinionated Germans. […]
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ACT 6 – From furious to outraged And the Americans? Maria started off amazed at how well-informed Hans was about the U.S. Jack was also impressed, but thought that Hans was a bit too enthusiastic. Especially as an outsider picking such sensitive topics about the U.S. Nancy went from furious to outraged, but without showing […]
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ACT 7 – What Hans did not know That was Tuesday evening. The five colleagues met several more times during that week. What Hans did not know, however, was that many of the Americans in the organization asked Maria, Jack and Nancy how the dinner and the other meetings with Hans had gone. All were […]
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ACT 8 – What the Americans did not know When Hans and Evelyn met for lunch on Thursday, they, too, discussed their dinner Tuesday evening. Hans was clearly disappointed. He had hoped for some vigorous debate. Nancy seemed particularly disinterested and disengaged. Like most Germans, he wanted to address topics of substance, and not waste […]
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Act 9 – What went wrong? SmalltalkIn smalltalk situations Germans consciously choose topics which Americans consider to be controversial. In stark contrast, Americans choose topics which Germans consider to be superficial. Those two approaches could not be more different. “Family”America and Americans have been very present in the lives of Germans – especially West Germans […]
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Act 10 – The Cost of Cultural Misunderstanding If this and other differences in how the two cultures communicate are constantly at play when Germans and Americans collaborate, what influence or impact will the differences have: LeadershipOn the productivity of the working relationship within the leadership team: meaning between Hans and his German direct reports […]
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