Working in NZ #1 – “Here, borrow my car”
Now this is a post which probably only a “genuine” German could really understand…
We arrived in New Zealand after a long haul flight from Europe. Stepping out into the arrival area in the airport loaded down with boxes and baggage – my son Jannik cuddling his favorite pet toy, my wife and I looking around for the HR manager from Author-it who had agreed to pick us up at the airport.
It was a great feeling to know that somebody from Author-it was waiting for us. As promised, the HR manager from Author-it was standing there, very patiently because we needed to pass through the New Zealand MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the New Zealand Biosecurity Customs), waiting ages whilst they cleaned and disinfected our hiking shoes!
Finally, we made it and were greeted with a big hug from the HR manager. We had been bursting with curiosity about our new home land, and after all the emotional up and downs of the last few weeks, this was a great welcome and just what we needed.
Shortly afterwards we were presented with our official “Author-it survival kit” – two boxes exclusively packed for us:
Box number 1
- Groceries – basically enough food and supplies to get us through the first couple of days.
Box number 2
- A copy of the local yellow pages
- Details of various insurances required in New Zealand
- Street maps of the city
- ‘Tips’ for searching for a house etc.
This was absolutely brilliant for us and has definitely helped us to get organized.
But that’s not all, the HR manager even lent us her private mobile phone! This had never happened to me before in Germany.
A couple of days later she saw how much running around we were doing and told us to borrow her car! She was flying to the south island for two weeks, so we may as well make use of her car she said. We were stunned by the level of generosity we’ve been shown, and we will be eternally grateful for the great support our family received during our challenging “settling-in” period.
Later I have realized that this is a just a part of Kiwi life. In New Zealand you’ll find this not only in your private life, but in business world as well: From the very first day I have felt comfortable at Author-it, and welcomed without any pre-judgement or conditions.
I’m sorry if you think I’m being a little harsh on my country of origin, but in Germany an HR manager would simply never offer to lend his/her car to a new staff member. Or provide a welcome pack with groceries.
I wonder if anyone else has any examples of Kiwi hospitality?
Posted by Ralf Wittgen, Director Global Services, Author-it Software Corporation
What Kinda of Car do you drive?
Comment by Games Car — December 6, 2008 @ 12:40 am
Herzlichen Glückwunsch! You stepped outside your “comfort zone” to leave Germany for such a different culture!
I am an American living in Vienna for the past 3 years with a German partner from Düsseldorf whom I met while I was living in Mexico and she was traveling through. Soon we are moving to Hamburg where many of her corporate consultancy and training clients live.
The friendliness and generosity of your Kiwi associates is also something you might well encounter in Texas or the South of the USA or in San Francisco, California.
The “no problem” “no-sweat”, entspannen, ist alles in Ordnung attitude is very reminiscent of my years in Mexico.
As to Germany, well, for all of its vaunted “efficiency”, from discussions with my partner and her business, corporate types, I gather that far too many German and Austrian corporations have an under-achieving culture.
Huge German corporations are de-incentivized internally because everyone simply wants to do “what is required” and no more. They push buttons, count beans, stay within quotas which are deliberately set low so that they can routinely “achieve goals”, and are content that they have “done their job” sufficiently to receive a paycheck.
Lots of German corporations are holding workshops, workshops & leadership trainings up the ying yang and never achieving results because while the workshops seem to be the perfunctory requirement to claim that you are a “progressive” company they are given inside of a culture that is not truly interested in Transformation.
Passion for the product, passion for innovation, passion for the CLIENT are rather foreign concepts.
I am sure that this is true for many cultures all over the world, unfortunately, but I will confine this to Germany for the sake of your Blog inquiries.
You sound like you have an Entrepreneurial zeal, Ralf, a visionary enthusiasm that chafes at “business as usual”.
Viel Glück!
Comment by David H — November 30, 2011 @ 9:41 pm
As an addendum I will say that where you find the most zeal, true enthusiasm for the product and customer service in Germany and Austria is typically in small “start-ups” and Web-related or App-development companies. These young guys and gals are a different breed and are fun and refreshing to work with!
Comment by David H — November 30, 2011 @ 9:49 pm