In the early 2000’s while I was working in Ramstein Germany as an International Military Policeman I came across a situation I as a 21 year old couldn’t and never thought that I would be a part of. I came from being stationed in Great Falls Montana and being around all American Military members, an all American community and one language that I already understand to the polar opposite.
I was an United States Air Force Security Force member that was assigned to a North Atlantic Treaty Organization Head Quarters. Being part of an organization that has many different nationalities from numerous countries all working together offers a few communication problems and issues. Communication and interactions were a vital part in making the wheels turn in the organization. As the text states, leadership is an important part on getting the masses to mesh.
While reading the text I started to think about my time in Germany and how I dealt with the differences within the police force. There were a lot of similarities but it was the thought process and communication that was the problem when trying to be on same page in the situations. The other issues other than the language barriers were the stereotypes of the countries where the police were from. We all had prior or post ideas of the individual from certain countries. So getting over those preconceived notions to be able to communicate was a real concern. The “person to person” interactions were extremely relevant while the leadership to keep everyone on the same page was just as important.
The three years there were more fun and a healthier work environment than my U.S. station. Once you open you mind and believe in your team members you can overcome any communication barrier that may be in front of you. I still have friends for my teams there and communicate with them through social media. The picture below is from an international military police ski expeditions to southern Germany. I am the third from the left with the yellow jacket. I was the only American in the group. Great time!!
Moran, R. T., Harris, P. R., & Moran , S. V. (2011). Managing Cultural Differences. New York: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Tracy Alan Plessinger says
Your experience in Germany seems like it was quite rewarding and it is good that you have maintained contact with the people that you met while you lived and worked there. My daughter is a pre-med student at Grove City College in Western PA and over Christmas break both last year and this year she traveled to Honduras on a medical missions trip. This year her team saw over 1,500 patients in three days in the clinics that they set up. Also, this year she organized and lead the team. She, like you, has maintained contact with many of the people that she worked with in Honduras. I believe it is this kind of close interaction that you and my daughter have experienced that allows cultures to get to know each other and ultimately work together for common goals.