Archive for October, 2006
Approaching Cultural Differences
Markus, a reader from my blog, described in a comment the cultural problems he has with some Indian students who are obviously spending some time in Germany and whose non-adoption “pisses him off”. And he asks me if I had some sort of advice. First and foremost: It’s exactly about that. Cultural differences are differences, otherwise they would be similarities. So far for the tautology ;-.) And now a bit more constructive: Most importantly, it is a complete misconception that since these Indian guys have touched ground in Germany, will all of a sudden push a switch which makes them work and behave like Westerners. Likewise, Germans in India will still work and behave like Germans and not adapt to the “Indian way”. The following message goes out especially to all my German brodas and sistas in da house. My strong suggestion is not to fall into the risk of German polarization, either by trapping into any sort of alleged supremacy for a culturally biased concept or doing exactly the opposite, by succumbing to the “dictatorship of relativism”. The latter contends that the grass is always greener on the other side and that a “multikulti”-society is a goal by itself. Both forms will just broaden the rift.
So basically you have to stand the tension of insurmountably being different and at the same time in a polite and not judgmental conversation trying to dig down to the underlying attitudes which drive the visible behavior. Carving them out like an artist with his statue-in-the-becoming and putting them vis-à-vis each other. For example: Germans are known that they are very particular on punctuality and in a reliable manner “keeping a word”, after 3 years in the subcontinent I feel safe to say: Indians tend to interpret such sharp time-bound edges more freely. Yet, no reason for daylight murder or even postcolonial arrogance. So what Markus could do – if this was for instance an issue with his students – call in a session exclusively about “cross-cultural sensitivity” and make the case that punctuality in German is very important and that people feel personally insulted if you don’t keep to what you commit on. Nobody in the whole world likes to be insulted, so this kind of setting a common ground is well suited to start building some mutual understanding. And reversely, in order to not have it appear like a top-down lecture, curiously ask questions about “whys” and “hows” towards the Indian fellows. From my experience, Indians will be more than glad to share what drives their values.
One message, however, I do have for all my Indian brodas and sistas in da house who stay in Europe. Don’t behave like sissies. For instance, Germans are very experimental when they travel, particularly when it comes to trying food. Some Indians from my experience are obsesses with their food and would pack Indian ready-made dishes along with a gas stove. The milder shape, yet still sad, is to consequentially chase one Indian restaurant after the other in Germany and whine about “well, food is a big problem” and “there is no spice”. Admittedly, there are many vegetarians in India. But this is not an explanation by itself, because there are many vegetarians in Germany, too. Nobody is going to force you to eat “Schweinebraten” (pork) and swallow hectoliters of beer if you don’t want to. But trying and somehow getting adopted to the huge variety of e.g. Italian pasta available in Germany or the countless salads would certainly be an enrichment of experience and display the desire to make that little step. Not to mention that Germany has the biggest choice of breads in the world with numerous toppings like cheese and creamy vegetables which account for a never ending variety of culinary opportunities.
So in a nutshell: Differences are there, but bridges can be built. The prerequisite is clearly to talk to each other, listen, ask questions and ultimately make those little tiny steps towards each other. Peace.
German Article on Indian Culture
in my blog entry a few days ago, I wrote about the interview which I had given to Nina Klotz, a journalist writing for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ-Jobs).
Today the arcticle was published: Here the overall story about the various angles of the issue. What I really like is not falling into the famous German “multi-culti”-trap by glorifying everything which is non-German as immediately better. Ath the same time the article is not putting anything or anybody down. Cultural differences are there, they can’t and ought not to be talked away. One either can stand them or better go back where you come from. And here is a collection of quotes to the topic also highlighting the case.
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Video Test
Recently installed an account with YouTube and filmed the last 30 seconds of the music in the Schottenhamel beer tent of the Oktoberfest 2006 to pay duly farewell with the “Bayerischer Defiliermarsch”. Here it is:
Wies’n Final 2006
To be a bit more nuanced about what I wrote in the paragraph below: “And I wouldn’t like to be at any other place in the world at this time” does not refer to the time between mid-September and beginning of October as the magic Wies’n (=Octoberfest = Beer festival) takes place in my home town Munich. And this year, due to the holiday today got even extended by two days. What is the summary: Out of 18 days, I missed only 4. And three of the four, I simply couldn’t go as I was not even in Munich. I hope this is excuse enough ;-)
Yesterday, I got invited by the great team from the investment boutique Proventis in Munich and we really had a great time as the pictures can tell.
I also brought a friend with me, Christian Reichert as I got to get to know him in Bangalore two years back when he was writing his PhD-thesis, so today he is actually Dr. Christian Reichert.
Today, thank god, last and final day of this cruel act of self destruction I will have a rather relaxed chill out with a friend from India coming over: Arjun Sekri and his wife, members from my Bangalore chapter of the Young Entrepreneurs’ Organization (YEO). Arjun runs Daily Bread Gourmet Foods Pvt. Ltd., company that produces some 100 odd sorts of bread every day and sells them through a brand of his own as well as though distribution channels. So I hope to present him our Bavarian Breze (“Prezl”) as the masterpiece of German baking-craftsmanship, ideally consumed together with 1 to 5 liters of beer :-)
Interviews on Start-Up in India
Interestingly, in the last three days I gave two interviews about more or less the same topic. How is it to start-up a business in India. The funny thing is that it happened to one leading German newspaper, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) and the leading Indian business newspaper, the Economic Times of India (ET).
The FAZ got its spot on India particularly this week as the Frankfurt Book Fair will highlight India this year and the ET as Vikas Kumar is writing a story about expat-entrepreneurs in India. What I told both journalists as two core messages from my experience to which I can deduct each and every other story or detail:
1. “Whatever you say about India, also exactly the opposite holds true.”, is a quotation from my Indian lawyer Dr. Kainth which brings the complexity of India to the point.
2. If you ask me still after three years what is the most, most surprising thing in India than it is this huge, huge, huge difference. Between what? Not rich and poor people. That is there, right. But I knew it from the beginning. It is that huge, huge, huge difference between the brightest, smartest and nicest people and the biggest idiots, morons and crooks. After three years, I finally allow myself to let the muzzle of political correctness fall and speak out what I perceive.
Still and maybe just because of that, the official Indian tourist slogan is so very true: “Incredible India”. And I wouldn’t like to be at any other place in the world at this time.
Holtzbrinck Internet Summit & Wies’n 2006
Lot of activity has been happening in the last days. I felt honored to be invited to the Internet Summit of the Verlagsgruppe von Holtzbrinck in the beautiful Krallerhof in Austria. It was clearly one of the most high-caliber events I ever attended with 70 people from the industry, many of them CEOs and senior management of the Holtzbrinck Group. Event the owner and CEO, Stefan von Holtzbrinck, and the CFO Jochen Gutbrod were attending throughout the entire 2.5 days.
It was a fantastic mix of presentations, Q&As and networking in the sidelines of the event in a very focused, yet unassuming atmosphere. I will write more about this event on the blog of Holtzbrinck eLAB in the next days when it does live.
Rushing back on Friday, I changed into Lederhosen and rushed to the openBC event in the Hippodrom Tent of the Oktoberfest. Sitting with Lars Hinrichs, the CEO of the company, we talked about the upcoming name change to “XING”. He admitted that the initial feedback from the members has been “horror”, but the wind has by now calmed down already and the company will of course carry on with it. The next is my opinion, and nothing but my opinion. Lars has not said that, it’s MY view: I believe that as openBC is from its website a “pre-IPO” company this sort of name change is also part of a “story” which might at the first glance look like actionism, but might also bolster the credibility for an aggressive international strategy. Although the name “openBC” in my opinion is not bad at all, such a “re-launch” always carries a certain dynamic which investors might appreciate. End of my opinion :-)
Back to the liquid facts: Lars and me enjoying a “Mass Bier” in the sunset of the Wies’n (=Oktoberfest) 2006. Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit.
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