Strength through Differences

Transatlantic cooperation is about combining the inherent strengths of Germans and Americans, two of the leading cultures in today’s global economy. It is not primarily about cost reduction, which all too often is short-sighted, unimaginative, generating fear and internal competition. Combining strengths based on fundamental differences is an approach, not a paradox.

Participants

The great potenial lies in people. In Germans and in Americans, whose success depends on their ability to work together. Participants are colleagues in cross-Atlantic teams. They communicate constantly with each other. Work along common processes. Influence and participate in decision making. Develop common products and services. Serve the same internal and external customers. Some of these colleagues are long-term delegates. Many are managers and specialists who travel regularly across the Atlantic. Most, however, rarely leave their home base. They are one team, nonetheless.

A Third Explanation

Transatlantic cooperation is complex. It often leads to frustration, impatience, anger. People search for explanations, for causes of the problems, which they conveniently find on the other side of the Atlantic. The “other guy” is either incapable or unwilling. But seldom do we consider a third explanation. The “other guy” – our colleague – is both capable and willing. He or she simply has a different approach, a different method, logic, tradition. And what’s more, their way leads to success just as well as our approach. Discovering the third explanation opens the door to cooperation.

Person. Profession. Culture.

German-American cooperation operates on three levels: personal, professional, cultural. The personal level is about psychology. We are not psychologists, do not address the psyche. The professional level is about the very substance of the work. We are not business consultants. The cultural level is about the thinking behind the action. It is about approaches, methods, logics, traditions, ways of doing things. We are translators in the deepest sense of the term. We make the differences in thinking and acting transparent, understandable, workable.

Goals

The seminar addresses three questions:

Where do we differ in our fundamental approaches?
What problems – but also opportunities – are created by these differences?
How do we minimize the problems, while exploiting the opportunities?

The seminar does not distribute “cookbook recipes.” The subject material is far too complex. More effective and sustaining is the activation of a way of thinking. Not a new way, but a way which perhaps has yet to be fully employed. Reflection, comparing and contrasting. Explaining and understanding.

The seminar is a structured discussion based on talking points, multimedia examples and white papers. Time-consuming role-plays are avoided. The seminar topics are offered in two-hour modules.