How you can bridge the culture gap between Germany and the US

November 6th, 2019 by Claudia Müller & Danilo Tesi

How can you bridge the culture gap between Germany and the US? The Culture Guy Christian Höferle* is giving straightforward answers, as you would expect from a German guy. He lived in the US for one year in 1988 and moved permanently to the US in April 2004. Since then, he is advising companies and managers on how to bridge cultural gaps between their native culture and the foreign cultures they work with. Read our interview to get insights and tips that will help you to understand cultural differences and the way people in Germany think and work.

What was the first culture gap you noticed when you moved from Germany to the US?

Which culture gaps between the US and Germany do you still notice?

The direct vs. indirect issue stayed the same. Also, Central European citizens tend to be rather risk-averse and have a preference for long-term planning. Concepts are designed to be future-proof. In the USA, what’s relevant is what sells now, what solves my problems now. Future benefits of products and services are less relevant as long as they fulfill a market need at this very moment. In fact, many European companies operating here take issue with this clash between long-term and short-term orientation.

How would you define the term ‘culture’?

Culture is everything. Nothing is possible without culture.

What are your three golden rules for anybody who wants to work with Germans and bridge the culture gap?

Respect the German outlook on the world. Don’t try to impose your vision on them or anyone for that matter. I actually have four pieces of advice inspired by Don Miguel Ruiz:

1. Don’t take anything personally
2. Don’t assume
3. Always do your best – meaning, do the best you can at any given moment with the resources available to you, and
4. Be impeccable with your word – do what you say and say what you do.

By the way, not to assume is often way more difficult than it sounds at first.

Do you think that bridging culture gaps in business is more important now than it used to be?

Did the world of business become smaller because of globalization?

I don’t think so. Distances may appear smaller because of technology. However, take us as an example. We have an entire ocean between us and we can talk with little to no delay. I could even be at the airport Schiphol in 9 hours to meet you in person. That doesn’t mean that I understand the Dutch any better than 20 years ago – for that, I’d need to make an effort. So, we still need to make ourselves available and be receptive to the worlds of the people we deal with.
Also, politically speaking, we have been experiencing the rise of anti-globalization parties in many parts of the world. Nationalist and protectionist views seem to be conquering the mainstream. That goes to show that the process of globalization didn’t necessarily bring cultures closer together. In all fairness, though, my views on this might be affected by the fact that I live in a country that is at a political crossroad at the moment.

What would you recommend to Dutch companies who want to do business in Germany?

My first tip to the Dutch: don’t assume that Germans will appreciate your extreme directness even if they are among the very direct cultures themselves. Germans can be quite surprised about how direct Dutch people are at times.
My second tip would be for the Dutch to accept that many Germans have a desire for hierarchies and structure – some more, some less. Most Germans in business want to know who is responsible for what and who has the authority to make decisions. This can seem strange to Dutch people at times as they tend to interact on eye-level with literally everybody. Germans sometimes try to be a little bit more like the Dutch in this regard, however, they do like their (academic) titles and transparent hierarchies which is something the Dutch should not underestimate. So, when in doubt, play it safe and stay on the formal side of things until your German counterpart tells you otherwise.
My third tip for the Dutch: Germans don’t like to take risks as much as you do. Most likely, they won’t trust anything new and unknown as easily as you will. So, if you’re looking for early adopters, don’t try to find many of them in Germany.

‘Humanity binds, culture divides.’ True or false?

Culture divides if we allow it to divide us. What separates humans from other life forms is our free will and our power to choose. So, we have the choice of whether we allow a culture to divide us or if we embrace the differences.
It’s easy to see yourself as a victim and find excuses like ‘Oh, that culture is so different, and because it’s so different, things are the way they are now.’ In other words, you can let the circumstances define yourself, or you can enter new situations and encounters with an open mind, expecting the unexpected.
It’s a mindset. I don’t believe that culture divides us in and of itself, so I’d always recommend looking for commonalities rather than for what divides us.

Could there be a reason for you to return to Germany?

*Christian Höferle is a German native and has been living in the United States of America since 2004, where he operates a cultural consulting and training firm, The Culture Mastery, LLC. He studied at the University of Passau, Germany, where he majored in Political Science. He lives in Atlanta with his wife and two children. Check out his website The Culture Mastery and get in contact with him on Linkedin