The Stanford Business Reporter

Issue date: 10/31/05 Section: International

Beer and career. I didn't think those two words had much in common, other than that they rhyme, until I started thinking about my experiences in Europe over the past six years.

Let's start in 1999 when I moved from the US to the Czech Republic. In managing a small group of engineers, all of the engineering and leadership skills I had learned up until that point were put to the test. I quickly learned the importance of having great people on your team. The Czech Republic is full of quality people, at a very low cost. Coincidentally, that's how I would characterize the beer as well: high quality, low cost and just $.30 a pint back then. No wonder Czechs drink the most beer, per capita, in the world.

I moved on to Dresden in Germany in 2001 to start a company with practically no knowledge of the language or the city. In the former DDR I found a hands-on spirit in the people that was inspiring. Unfortunately, this did not translate to the government or the laws around starting a business. This was reflected in the local pils as well, which was brewed and distributed locally. This was in stark contrast to the sweeter and heavier beers (hefeweizens) more representative of 'West Germany'. I will avoid making a comparison to that culture in this article, but let's just say that the cultures in the East and West are very, very different.

Fast forward to the present: I spent a majority of my summer internship working for a very large company in the Netherlands. There is a political phenomenon there called the 'Polder model' which, by definition, means the intent to reach a consensus despite differences of opinion. Culturally, this has translated into everyone working towards a state of equilibrium instead of striving for excellence. So, if you try and raise your head above the crowd, it will get 'chopped off'! My work experience was reflective of this philosophy: More process-focused, less product-focused. In a large organization, bureaucracy is bound to take over at some point, especially if that is what everyone is striving for. If you've ever ordered a beer in this wonderfully diverse country, you will know that it is also more about the process than the product. The generic beers are served in tiny (0.3 ml or 10 ounces) glasses with a lot of head, which the bartender then proceeds to 'cut off' with a flat spatula-like instrument, leaving a smooth level surface on top. The quintessential Polder model in action.

Motto of the story: You'd be surprised what you can learn about a culture by enjoying a local beer in a local bar. Hmm… Budweiser anyone?

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