Holland and Germany in baking fever...
and what can be learned from this for German-Dutch business relations. Currently, the Sunday TV routine on German and Dutch couches is once again about competitive baking. I have watched the show in both countries and identified interesting aspects. Because the understanding of TV entertainment in a culture says a lot about how their natural business conduct is.
Show Concept: Sheet Cake Meets Decorated Cake
The German format is more two-dimensional: contestants who bake, a jury that evaluates. Done. After all, it’s about the cake – and winning. The crowning (or rather “aproning”) of the baker of the week on SAT1 makes this even clearer. Omroep Max forgoes such “poespas” and prefers to focus on multidimensional perspectives in the conversations. This makes the format seem more “chaotic” by German standards. This multidimensionality is often reflected in the Dutch approach to shaping business relationships as well. Prefer to let things simmer on several flames, try different approaches. (Self-) ironic comments included, without ever losing respect. On the German side, it is initially more important to create clarity so that transparency can emerge. Create a precise schedule. Leave as little as possible to chance. Set boundaries. Keep things (initially) clear. They will become complicated soon enough. At Sat1, the producers have little confidence in the TV skills of their baking jury and have equipped both jurors with a script whenever the comments stray even slightly beyond the pure evaluation of the sweet participant masterpieces. This leaves less room for spontaneity and originates from the fundamental German need for security. The two Dutch baking experts get more leeway and are even allowed to dance the tango sometimes. These different approaches often lead to confusion and misunderstandings in German/Dutch negotiations as well. Those who want to be successful must first engage with the other side’s paradigm.
Host: “Peace, Joy, Pancakes” Meets Self-Ironic “Do Whatever You Want”
SAT1, with host Enie van de Meiklokjes (a Dutch name, but born and raised in Potsdam), has really avoided any risk. Her outfits are sometimes quite cute; otherwise, the German audience is always on the safe side with her: kind and friendly, at most an innocuous joke here and there, but never playing with misunderstandings or triggering emotional outbursts. But that is exactly what the Dutch audience expects from the carnival-hit-hardened André van Duin: reasoning about the show’s topic (or about the fact that there isn’t one), cheeky remarks about contestants and jury alike. He entertains the audience with the skillful tightrope walk between cheekiness and affection that the Dutch love (and which Germans often perceive as too close or even intrusive). Not unlike on the German-Dutch business floor: Dutch people more often opt for the exciting but riskier variant (“it will be fine”), Germans more often play it safe in business (“it could go wrong”). Both are equally successful or dangerous.
Jury: Value Judgments Between Person and Project
The feedback from the jury in the German and Dutch shows also reflects what is seen on the stages and behind the scenes of business life: The Dutch jury is very direct in their criticism of the baked goods, friendly in their appreciation of the bakers (even when the baked goods are really failed). The German jury sees bakers and baked goods more as a unit and comments on the evaluations accordingly. This happens similarly in business meetings. Because Dutch people pay more attention (and value) building interpersonal relationships at the beginning of contact, things can go wrong during the collaboration without the entire project being questioned. In Germany, the people involved often play a role subordinate to the project’s result. Is it any wonder now that fruit cake on a sheet dominates German cake counters, while Dutch bakeries are ruled by colorful, complicated sweets? Note: The author cannot bake at all but is full of admiration every Sunday for the achievements of the hobby bakers on both sides of the border. “Heel Holland bakt”, Sunday evening 8:20 PM NPO1 “Das große Backen”, Sunday, 5:50 PM, Sat1