Tagged: comparison

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Key Management Style Differences between Germany and the USA

Management style differences between supervisors from companies in the USA and Germany are often surprisingly pronounced. In fact, they account for some of the most difficult-to-navigate territory when it comes to business cooperation between the two countries. In my seminars, questions arise repeatedly about why a supervisor / colleague / counterpart from the USA is acting (or reacting) in ways that are difficult for the German half to understand.… read more

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Communication Style in the USA vs. Germany: Just Humor Me

Communication style in the USA can be deceptively tricky for Germans to decode, much less replicate (and vice-versa). I’ll take a few moments of your time here to highlight an aspect of cultural differences in communication between Germany and the USA that can potentially lead to the biggest misunderstandings, which can in turn derail both business and personal relationships.… read more

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Cultural Differences in Business between the USA and Germany from A to Z

Welcome to Intercultural Reflections, a blog touching on the various cultural differences between Germans and Americans. I spend a lot of time focusing on how these differences affect the business relationship. Sometimes, though, I highlight topics of more general interest.

While I hope you visit– and stay– for all the posts and join the conversation, I understand that time is often short, the Internet is full of information, and sometimes you just need what you need, fast.… read more

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Three (-ish) Dos and Don’ts of Greetings: You Had Me at HELLOOO!

Greetings—and their cultural nuances—are easy to overlook in preparing for business communication. They’re brief, standard, issued multiple times per day without thought, and have little to nothing to do with the conversational or written content that follows.

And yet, failing to recognize a greeting’s cultural undertones can lead to confusion and even offense when interacting with folks from other areas of the world.… read more

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Business ABC’s: Education

Education (noun): The process of teaching or learning, especially in a school or college, or the knowledge that you get from this. (dictionary.cambridge.org)

Here we are again…if it’s Friday, it must be „The ABC’s of Business“, this time sponsored by the letter „e“. … read more

Business ABC’s: Communication 3

Business ABC’s: Communication

This post comes courtesy of the letter “C”, as in “communication”. When it comes to business between Germans and Americans, it is often this very topic that makes or breaks the relationship, which is why I’ll devote the entire entry to communication alone.… read more

From Benefits to Brainstorming: Business ABC’s 2

From Benefits to Brainstorming: Business ABC’s

Howdy, and welcome to the Thank-Goodness-It’s-Spring (on the calendar, anyway) edition  of Intercultural Reflections

I will continue A,B,C-ing my way through the American business landscape…today’s blog comes courtesy of the letter „B“, as in…

Benefits: Germans may be surprised to learn that some of the job benefits they take for granted—and are even codified in labor law—are not a requirement (and thus sometimes not on offer) for their American counterparts.… read more

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The Right to Rejuvenate

Micronesia. Tonga. Kiribati. Marshall Islands. Nauru. Palau. The United States of America.

These countries all belong in a group together, but for what?

No, they don’t all enjoy year-round tropical beach weather. Just ask our friends along the U.S. North Atlantic coast who are digging out from the recent late-winter Nor’easter.… read more

European Schools, American Schools: 12 Key Differences 2

European Schools, American Schools: 12 Key Differences

Ah, the hot-button topic of education…and the endless discussions of what is and what should be. The trend out of the States now seems to be lavishing praise on the utopian education system in Finland while throwing fifty shades of shade at the education-trend-of the-minute known as Common Core (I am supposed to capitalize that, right?)
Well, can’t help you there, folks.… read more