This video was telecast back in 2013. My video notes:
Economy
- Small, medium enterprises, known as Mittelstands, like Faber Castell employs 2/3 of German’s workforce. It may be a SME, but Faber Castell produces 1/6 of the world’s pencils. It is the leading exporter after China and USA.
- Mittelstands stay with traditional products, stay away from computers, stay as SMEs and try to do whatever they are doing really well.
Company
- Company built loyalty employee through subsidising meals etc.
- Communal responsibility rewarded by shared team bonus.
- CEO-level representation of women in Germany is two per cent.
- Germans work the shortest hours in Europe.
- German work attitude – start work at 7.49am on the average. 8 hour day include an hour for lunch. More productive. Don’t use mobile phones, Facebook, no gossip, no private email during work.
- Highly regard manufacturing skills. Go for apprenticeship at around 15 years old. Work at Mittelstand often for life.
- Cautious with spending.
- Value job security.
- Good tax break if wife is not working. 2/3 of mums with children under 3 are stay-at-home mums. Tradition – don’t want children to be in nursery for whole day. Stigma for mums that go out to work: Rabenmutter - a raven mother – one who doesn’t care about her children.
- They join clubs being part of a community.
- Get horns when make mistakes on road.
- Against the law to be noisy on Sundays.
Education
- Forest kindergarten. Children create own games, interact with nature. German kids in school only by 6.