Making cultural peace with the Germans

On the other side, we have taken the skills of the talented people from Germany, US and Asia and developed implementation processes that fit the cultural expatiations. By combining and leading these mega forces we are able to get all the relevant options on the table and quickly adjust to meet business needs around the world quickly. This allows us to make quicker decisions, meet the needs of the various cultures and adjust thinking. We now see that total cost of ownership is found in all aspects of the „plan, build, run“ process and that you can really bring the complete structure working well. It was a matter of blending these global families together to form the right balance.

Another huge cultural difference between IT in the US and Germany is the difference in the way the employee thinks about the company from a personal standpoint. In the US, being in IT means a salary position and even in higher-level positions, the expectation is that you have to be available during and after normal work hours. Within Germany workers are backed by the unions and certain rights as to what can be or can’t be are provided. One must insure that any on-call duty, off hours activity or working from home is properly covered, and that the work and its demands are properly approved by the works council. Tasks have to show the people the importance of both "having rights" and also extending themselves. This takes proper planning and design to ensure that a global company is meeting the various demands around the world.

Get the best of both worlds

To get the best of both worlds, we have used the expertise of our German IT team to outdo competitors on the field of quality. We have used the lean thinking of Asians and the quick to the market of the American styles with a continuous improvement process allowing for constant forward movement.

Through the experience of leading a global company I have learned that the only way to success is in allowing different styles and approaches to business. This is the only path to best results. Everyone wins. The challenge is genuine but with a little tenacity and open minds, being global will be more than just a word.

End the end running a global department is like baking a cake; you have to know each ingredient and properly measure and blend them together to have it come out right. Too much or too little of one thing or another will end up with unacceptable outcome. To bridge various cultures one has to listen, plan, and bring people processes and ideas together, allowing the team to succeed makes everyone feel that their contribution was worth the effort."