Intercultural exchange in Delhi

GICON®-InTraBiD prepares 22 Indian managers for their stay in Germany

In mid-February 2017 Peter Rösler, freelance project manager for GICON®-INTRABID, traveled to India for a two-day workshop to prepare a group of Indian managers for a four-week stay in Germany as part of the BMWi manager training program, entitled "Fit for Partnership with Germany".

GICON®-InTraBiD takes on an intermediary role between all parties involved in order to facilitate potential business opportunities during their subsequent stay in Germany.

Three questions posed to Peter Rösler:

1. Mr. Rösler, GICON®-InTraBiD already has contacts with India. Why is it nevertheless important in the run-up to the course to prepare the participants in their home country?

The on-site workshops enable us to directly clarify initial questions from the participants in a familiar and relaxed environment. This helps us to understand the business situation on the ground and to approach potential partners in Germany in a targeted manner. We also attach great importance to direct support. A further advantage is the contact to former participants: we use the opportunity for a domestic meeting to observe how they were able to exploit their acquired knowledge and contacts.

2. What are the contents of the workshop?

At the most recent preparatory workshop, managers from various regions of India, representing a variety of industries and an equally large variety of desires for cooperation with German companies, all came together in one room. We looked at how we can structure these ideas and desires. The two days were packed with knowledge transfer, group activities and rounds of questions. In addition to shedding light on intercultural aspects, another important topic was the presentation of Germany as an attractive business location.

The primary focus was the SME (Small and Medium-sized Enterprise) structure. SME’s are the types of companies with whom our participants want to do business. Above all, this is due to their flexibility, their high specialization in market niches and their openness to new contacts, the exploitation of the latter is otherwise associated with considerable financial and time expenditures. Also included are insights into German mentality and corporate structure, practical support in the search for suitable business contacts as well as tips for the preparation of presentations.

3. Sounds like a packed program. Was there any time left to gather some cultural impressions or was that limited to the drive between the airport and the hotel?

I like to compare this with a “touch-down”, in which I hit the ground running in the respective partner country, disseminate as much knowledge about the program in a relatively short time and fly directly back to Germany. I do have the opportunity to observe the culture, but it is mostly limited to meetings and local appointments with the participants. However, these experiences are also essential for us, as we come to understand what motivates the managers in their surroundings, what expertise they bring with them, and what support we can provide. You often learn more about the country and its people this way, as compared to simply visiting the sights.