As a native of Britain, I have lived and worked in several German speaking countries. Therefore it is a personal interest of mine to pass on to others my experiences from that time and from my current activities in an international environment. One of my key work areas is to prepare international expatriates and business partners for working with Germans.
Communicating in Germany
Directness and straightforwardness are part of the German way of communicating and can come across rather bluntly. I you want to learn more about communicating in Germany watch the following video.
Nicola Garratt-Gnann
"Home is where my close family lives" and this is now Tübingen in the south of Germany. It is a lively, international town with a charming old town centre and crowded by young people during term time. And if you are looking for some fun then you can even punt on the river Neckar like in Oxford on the river Cherwell close to where I was born.
International teams - adapt or not?
During my trainings here in Germany I often observe that people really want to understand the mind-set of others. More and more colleagues are from abroad and teams, virtual or local, have become truly international. Often the following question is asked: "Can we assume that our international colleagues are aware of our ways?" I then ask my participants to consider the following.
Getting to know people
Do you know why in intercultural trainings the German way of approaching friendship is compared to a coconut? Read on to find out why.
Lake Constance - "The Swabian Sea"
One of my favourite places is "down" by Lake Constance (Bodensee). On a clear day looking over Kressbronn (Germany), you have a beautiful view across the lake. Just gazing out onto the water and relaxing allows me to feel in touch with the three countries I have learnt to love after I left England.