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Focus on Germany
August 06, 2009
By Kimberly Blanchard-Cattarossi and Sabine Havenstein
As Europe's largest economy and the world's largest exporter, according to the April 2009 Economist Factsheet, Germany is also the most populous country in Europe. Approximately 19 percent of its 82 million inhabitants are of foreign or partially foreign descent, notes the Federal Statistical Office in Germany. While this segment of the population is not yet fully represented in the corporate classroom, trainers should consider the need to tailor programs for an increasingly diverse audience.
Germans tend to identify themselves as a highly cultured nation with valuable contributions to the world of science and technology. This underlies the current thinking on training and development in Germany where a high value is placed on educational background and intellectual ability. Credentials, degrees, certifications, and intellectual prowess influence both status and self-image.
Training and coaching are important in German corporations, and programs that are well designed and well executed are highly revered. Labor regulations, promoted by unions and government, require larger corporations to meet annual training standards.
Trends in Training
German business training has undergone significant changes in recent years. Traditionally, education was seen as hierarchical in nature. Deductive reasoning, thoroughness, and systematic thinking were emphasized. Now, students and trainees more often are encouraged to question those who fail to offer compelling arguments or supportive data.
This interaction does not necessarily indicate resistance or disagreement, but simply may reflect the participant's active interest and the level of involvement he or she has come to expect. Today's trainees may request examples of practical application and evidence from actual experiences to support training content. Nevertheless, theory and conceptualization remain high priorities, and thorough overviews of both historical and contextual background often are expected.
Expectations for Trainers
Most trainees will not be satisfied with brief explanations or less than comprehensive presentations. Subjects presented in a superficial manner will be viewed with skepticism, and omissions may be openly and actively challenged.
German trainees expect instructors to be organized and informed. Therefore, it is generally wise to focus on a few topics in depth and allow for group discussion and exploration. Materials and presentations should reflect an effective use of technology and modern facilitation media.
Punctuality and materials preparation are important to most German participants. They expect trainers to be well prepared and provide a systematic approach throughout the training. At the same time, trainers are expected to be flexible enough to allow the inclusion of spontaneous topics or a change in agenda to cover topics important to the participants. So, it is recommended that trainers have a preset agenda and schedule, but be flexible if needed.
Professionalism and Interaction
As in many other aspects of the German business environment, questions and input from the group should be addressed in a respectful way and taken seriously. Responding to questions with an emphatic, "That's a great question!" may be perceived as patronizing or condescending by German participants.
Participants might ask trainers about the purpose or goal of a specific module. Trainers should be prepared to provide good reasons for why they are doing things the way they do; otherwise, learners might perceive a lack of leadership on the trainer's part.
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