Germany: First Name or Title? - Part 1
From ExecutivePlanet.com
Addressing others with respect
First names are usually reserved for family members, as well as friends and close colleagues.
Moreover, in German business culture, it's not uncommon for colleagues who have worked together for years to remain on a formal, last name basis. This can reflect, on the one hand, a pronounced institutional hierarchy in German society which requires a degree of formality [much less than in, for example, East Asian and South America, but much more so than in very casual North America and Australia/New Zealand].
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On the other hand, the formal “Sie” form of “you” can also be used to impose psychological and emotional distance between oneself and another person, if this is desired. English native speakers who speak German often find it tricky to navigate between “Sie” and the familiar “Du”. Foreigners coming from hierarchical cultures may especially find it difficult to overcome their natural insecurity and disorientation if invited by an older German to “duzen” [use the familiar “Du”].
The point here is that if the German offers to “duzen”, the foreigner should not worry about insulting [loss of “face”] or showing disrespect to the older or higher-ranking German.
The general rule would be to always use “Sie” unless someone specifically offers you the “Du”. [Note that among students and younger people, “duzen” right form the beginning is the standard.]
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In business, it is often the case that a multinational American company has an English-speaking corporate culture, with all colleagues being on a first name basis. You, as a visitor, may also be invited to use first names with your contacts. This will not be problematic in a multinational group, but it can prove to be tricky when you suddenly switch to speaking German with a German member of that group, especially if he has a very senior rank and is older than yourself. What do you do when, in English, you have been addressing him by his first name, but now, in German, your instinct tells you it would be very strange to use “Du”? Go with your instinct, and do what would be “normal” in the given language.
In other words, do not necessarily switch to Herr So-and-So [too drastic], but do use “Sie” to establish a balance between familiarity and acknowledgement of rank. Again, only switch then to “Du” if the individual invites you to do so. If you are in a situation where you simply are not sure, do not hesitate to ask a German of similar rank to yours what is appropriate. [Note: it is not uncommon, especially in younger high-tech companies, where “duzen” is the company policy across the board.]
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