Cultural Differences
Q. After checking with your superiors, you need to make small changes to your proposal. However, when you explain this to the Germans, they appear to be annoyed. You do not understand as you believe the changes are small. What's causing the upset?
Germans do not like the unexpected. Sudden changes are unwelcomed.
Q. These same changes will change minor terms of the original proposal that they have already decided on. You think maybe by applying a little bit of personal experience, you may win them over. What happens next?
Germans depend on objective facts. Emotional involvement is unacceptable in negotiations. Once a decision is made, they will rarely change their minds. You will not win them over and you will have succeeded in leaving a poor image of yourself in their minds.
Q. You have emailed an executive for a decision which is timely in order for positive results to occur. Three weeks have passed and still no response. How do you get an answer which is timely in order to save the project?
You don't. You must be patient. If email is addressed to an executive, it may normally take some time to receive an answer and especially when they are on their 6 week paid holiday leave.
 Back
|
|
