I hear this a LOT from my American friends.
⏳ In Germany, decisions seem to take forever, and implementation feels slow—but is “slow” really a bad thing?
⚡ In top-down cultures like the US, decisions are quick and flexible. People are open to change as new information comes in. Flexibility is valued.
🤝 By contrast, in consensual cultures like Germany, decisions are made after thorough discussion and tend to be final. This can seem frustrating to Americans, but Germans often see constant change as chaotic and unreliable.
Neither style is better—it all depends on your priorities!
💡 If you value speed and flexibility, top-down works. If quality and commitment are key, consensual is more effective.
⬇️ I’ve illustrated these two styles, labeled A and B, in the graphic below.
Which one aligns more with how you or your team make decisions? Share your thoughts in the comments!
📚 For those interested in diving deeper into these cultural dynamics, I highly recommend Erin Meyer's book, The Culture Map, where I first came across these very insightful concepts :)
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