Nonverbal Communication In German Culture

To be successful in business everyone needs to understand how to act. This seems like a simple statement, but when it comes to most people they do not know how to act in the world of business. If they were to be dropped off in a professional setting, they would be in a whole new world and not know how to act or what to say. Now, knowing how to act in America is one thing, but going to a different country brings on a multitude of new customs and habits to learn. All countries contain different customs and ways of communicating, Germany is a good example of the difference in culture. German culture differs a lot from American culture when it comes to nonverbal communication, concepts of personal space, personal titles and their concepts of time.

One of the most significant differences is that Germans are a lot more formal in public. It is not common in Germany to wave and yell at someone across the street or outside at all, they are very reserved and this tends to draw negative attention. Eye contact is also a very important part of German culture. A lot is judged on eye contact. If someone meets your eye contact when talking it means that they are listening and agree with what is being said, if eye contact is avoided than it is taken that one does not agree with what is being said. Within a business meeting when the meeting is over, in Germany they do not clap, instead they show that they enjoyed the presentation or meeting by rapping their knuckles against the table top. Nonverbal communication is significantly more formal and reserved in Germany than in the United States, to be successful with business there one needs to really be more conservative and not as loud in public and business

Germans really believe in being on time and are always very hardworking and task focused. In the United States people are hardworking as well, but a difference is that the Germans tend to be perfectionists and tend to really focus on the task at hand while at work. Americas tend to lose focus at work and get off topic, which is not necessarily bad but it is good to know how Germans act in the work zone. In a German office protocol is needed and Germans are almost religious in maintaining these protocols due to the fact that they seem to question hyperbole, promises that appear to be more than they really are and any sort of display of emotion. In a business office in Germany they do not run on an open-door policy and everyone likes their private space. This is a significant difference from the United States, which is a lot more social in work areas, so when traveling to Germany one needs to understand this concept in the