Quiz: Working In Germany

Just nod your head to every person and say "Hallo"

Hand them your business card before talking

Shake everyone's hand, wait for them to say their name before you give them your full name

Keep a formal distance and simply mumble a subdued "Guten Tag"

Is having a bad day and doesn't want to be bothered

Is preparing for an important meeting and needs to focus without distractions

Is temporarily tending to personal matters

Is showing her discontentment with the team

Talk about family & friends

Discuss current events (sports, news)

Just comment on the weather and move on to the agenda

Use any of the above sparely and go straight to business

A sports coat/blazer and slacks

Jeans, dress shirt and suit jacket

Pant suit or suit

Any of the above - depending on the type of industry

You receive a cake and small gifts from your co-workers

You better expect to be pranked by your colleagues

Your co-workers expect you to provide cake and Sekt (German bubbly) for everyone

For privacy reasons, nobody is supposed to know your date of birth and it’s business as usual

Always work late

Make sure to leave the office on time

Work late in on special occasions which require team overtime

Remind team members to stick to the office hours

"Fräulein" and her last name

"Frau" and her last name

"Frau" and the academic title/s (if applicable) and her last name

Option B or C

To speak freely on any topic on the agenda - brainstorming leads to creative solutions

To speak on topics that touch one’s expertise

To voice opinion outside one’s expertise when asked by leadership

Option B & C

You need to build a strong personal relationship with their leadership team

You have to win their trust by being sincere and honest, by presenting convincing data and facts

You need to make your case in perfect German, and avoid (American) English

Option B & C

Keeping your hands in your pocket when talking to someone

Avoiding eye-contact

Moving chairs & tables around in someone’s office

All of the above

The pinging sound of microwaves from the kitchen

"Mahlzeit!"

Nothing. Everyone is out eating.

The sound of fingers pounding on keyboards. Lunch is for losers.

Walk into his office and raise your concern;Germans like the direct approach

Make an appointment to speak with him

Ask a colleague to set up a three-way talk

Go through HR first and make sure they think it's a good idea

You use the "sandwich" technique - praise, criticism, praise

You tell them directly what you dislike about their performance and suggest routes to improvement

You need to let them save face, so you take part of the blame

You rely on the team to redirect individual members