(Image description: The “Dutch Windwheel“ is to be built in the port of Rotterdam in the coming years – a futuristic project. Read more here https://dutchwindwheel.com/en/index)
Here a link to the original Article (German language):
Part 01
Blog: 10 Fehler, die man als deutsche Führungskraft in den Niederlanden vermeiden sollte – Teil 1
Part 02
Blog: 10 Fehler, die man als deutsche Führungskraft in den Niederlanden vermeiden sollte – Teil 2
What should a German manager in the Netherlands be prepared for and, above all, what mistakes should he or she avoid?
Mistake 1: Decisions from above
It is well known that the hierarchies in the Netherlands are flat. However, ‘flat hierarchies’ don’t just mean being on first-name terms with your colleagues or going to meetings in smart jeans. It also means that official channels are short and decisions are preferably made within the team. Even if one person does end up making the decisions, Dutch people at least want to feel that they are involved. Otherwise, rebelliousness against ‘the person or persons up there’ is inevitable.
Mistake 2: Asking instead of requesting
‘Flat hierarchies’ also means communicating at eye level. Requests such as ‘Please do this by then and then’ only trigger one thing in most Dutch people: Resistance. At best, they think ‘I’ll still decide that myself’; at worst, they say so. Not mincing one’s words is not a very pronounced Dutch virtue 😉 Dutch people generally don’t want to be told what to do, they want to be convinced. For example, by explaining why, why not and why not as a manager – if and when possible.
Mistake 3: Direct leadership style
Leading a Dutch team should actually be a simple task. Because as soon as the background to a task is known, Dutch people show initiative and independence. This is also normally expected of them; there is hardly a job advert without this phrase. In return, you as a manager are expected to be a participative and co-operative leader. In Dutch eyes, the ideal manager is the ‘best among equals’. And someone with the right instincts to lead such a ‘bunch’! Perhaps this is the reason why Dutch people are still considered relatively difficult.
Mistake 4: Insisting on your position
According to the Dutch understanding, if you hold a higher position and are a manager, this alone does not give you the right to exercise power or expect respect from your employees. It takes more than that! You have to work hard to earn respect: Through performance, knowledge and behaviour. In the Netherlands, personality counts at least as much as position.
Mistake 5: Displaying status symbols
Since as a manager you are ‘among equals’, you behave accordingly. Luxury cars, expensive clothes, academic titles, inappropriate use of technical jargon to show off your knowledge or special equipment requests for the workplace – none of this is part of the Dutch imperative of being ‘normal’. Privileges and status symbols must be justified and justifiable, otherwise they will not be accepted.
Mistake 6: Not delegating
Strictly defined task and responsibility competences, which are still common in German companies, will not be found in the Netherlands. Managers are expected to delegate tasks and allow employees to work independently. This in turn requires a high level of trust in the expertise and reliability of employees.
Mistake 7: Managing as a specialist
In the Netherlands, managers are usually generalists. They have a degree in business administration or an MBA or similar and are ideally equipped for their managerial and coordinating role. What they are less equipped for is a role as a ‘leading specialist’, as is often the case in Germany.
In the Netherlands, your employees are primarily responsible for technical expertise. And if expertise is required in a meeting, simply take this person with you or let them go on their own. Dutch employees expect to be given this freedom.
Admittedly, as a German manager you may have to take a deep breath. Nevertheless, you should initially take a step back with your expert knowledge and keep to the background with your professional support. Otherwise you will have a bad reputation as a supposed ‘know-it-all’.
Mistake 8: Insisting on tight planning
Do you like to prepare well for a project and analyse all possible and impossible risks before you get started? Then you need to rethink your approach. Because most Dutch people don’t like planning that is set in stone from A to Z. This has a restrictive effect on Dutch people, as they lack the opportunity to react to unexpected events and adapt their planning accordingly.
What’s more, Dutch people often get going much more quickly than some Germans would like, along the lines of ‘Let’s get on with it and see where the ship strands’. In such situations, don’t insist too much on strict planning, even if it goes against the grain, and rely on the improvisation skills of your Dutch employees. You will see: The ship will only run aground in the rarest of cases!
Mistake 9: Only talk about factual matters
The strict separation between work and private life, which is still common in Germany, is less pronounced in the Netherlands. Dutch people are happy to disclose personal information at work and not only that – they also ask others about it. As a manager, you are also expected to share personal details about yourself and take part in small talk or Friday afternoon ‘borrel’. From a Dutch point of view, it is also allowed to be ‘cosy’ to a certain extent at work.
Mistake 10: Addressing conflicts directly
Despite all the Dutch directness, there is one thing that many Dutch people shy away from: addressing conflicts openly. Not only would conflicts and the emotions that go with them affect harmony and personal relationships. The Calvinist past also plays a role here. According to the motto ‘Behave normally, it’s crazy enough as it is’, it is not appropriate to talk loudly or show emotions openly in public. Dutch people only show their emotions among themselves and within certain limits, as well as in groups – football fans send their regards.
