In a way, no matter how much you prepare yourself for business differences in other countries, it feels silly when you experience those differences for the first time. Even though you know Germans are more direct, do you know how to respond, because it is going to happen eventually, and you might find yourself taken aback.
Perhaps the most discussed difference is the German approach to communication. In the States, many will often add some cushion to feedback, and a compliment sandwich is frequently used. However, Germans have a refreshing amount of directness. It is all about efficiency and respect, and some people take indirectness as a waste of time and disrespect. They also assume you are professional enough to handle honest feedback, which is good and necessary when working a job, no matter what country it’s in. This type of directness can also accelerate a learning curve dramatically because you know exactly what needs to be improved.
The German relationship with time and planning was also fascinating, and a type A person’s dream come true. While American business culture thrives on pivoting and in the start-up world, fast failures, Germans prefer the art of planning. Changes are met with careful consideration here rather than enthusiastic embrace. Now, this doesn’t mean that Germans are inflexible, they just focus more on efficiency and respect for others’ time.
Working in a co-working space with hundreds of other small companies also provided a glimpse of Berlin’s flexible work culture. My supervisor spends his summer in Berlin and his winter in Brazil. Like him, many others have pivoted to nontraditional work hours or working spaces; however, you best believe they are still getting all of their work done by 5 pm Friday. Work-life balance is very important to people here. Now that might mean you work until 7 pm one day, but then you don’t have to come into the office until 11 am the next day. Not many people are found working over 40 hours a week. There is also an assumption now that if you can deliver high-quality work on time, your physical location during certain hours is irrelevant. This flexibility has also proven to increase productivity and job satisfaction for many companies, as employees feel trusted and empowered to manage their own schedules.
In the end, this internship taught me that international business isn’t about adapting your style to match others; it’s about understanding the different approaches and the values that drive the differences. No one can say German business culture is better or worse than American approaches; however, it’s different, and those differences create learning opportunities. Following this experience, I value honest feedback and the recognition that there are multiple paths to success. However, I also recognize that business culture can be different from company to company, and it requires genuine curiosity and immersion to understand international business culture thoroughly.
