When Madhusudhan and Bahubali landed in Germany on 9 February, it quickly became clear that the first impression was welcoming – and typically German. “We arrived on a Sunday, so all the shops and supermarkets were closed. But Kai had gone shopping for us specially, so we were able to cook and had all the things we needed in our holiday flat,” Madhusudhan says. That was the very first time Kai, Madhusudhan and Bahubali had actually met in person during the winter – a key step for further cooperation.
When people from different parts of the world work together, good communication is the number one priority – and sometimes a face-to-face meeting too. That was also the case for Kai Bernard from the IT-Team: After a lot of online meetings, he finally got the chance to meet his two colleagues, Madhusudhan Palagiri and Bahubali Savadi from Bengaluru, in person.
From Teams to Neutraubling
Although they had already spoken to each other in online meetings via Microsoft Teams, that face-to-face encounter was a real game-changer: “For me, meeting the two of them was hugely valuable,” Kai explains. “Just being together in person made a lot of things easier – even just because there was no time difference. And it's not easy getting a full understanding of the structures and roles in Krones headquarters from more than 7,000 kilometres away.” Madhusudhan and Bahubali were similarly able to benefit from their trip to Neutraubling, as Bahubali recalls: “International cooperation also works digitally, of course, but it's a whole lot more enjoyable when you get to know the other guy in person. I now know exactly who is in charge of which area and have a clear picture of who I’m talking to about my concern.”
Spicy curry meets frosty climate
“In the mornings I would always collect the pair and we would walk to the office together. Thanks to the shared desk system, they always managed to book themselves into my area, so we were able to communicate directly,” says Kai. “Then in the evening we usually cooked something together – preferably Indian, so that Kai was able to work on his tolerance for spicy food,” Madhusudhan chuckles. The subject of food brought plenty of laughs for one or other of them throughout their stay: “When Madhusudhan and Bahubali first saw the salad bar in the canteen, they asked me in astonishment whether raw salad wasn’t just something for goats!”, laughs Kai.
At the weekend Kai transformed himself into a sort of tour guide, organising a rich and varied programme for Madhusudhan and Bahubali. “On Saturday we enjoyed two highlights on a drive to the mountains of the Bavarian Forest: the German motorway and snow, a first for Madhusudhan and Bahubali,” says Kai. “And on Sunday we went on a trip to Prague to visit the capital city of the Czech Republic,” Bahubali adds. Of course, there was also the obligatory guided tour of Regensburg, taking in the cathedral, Stone Bridge and Wurstkuchl, the medieval sausage kitchen.
In addition to their cooperation at work, cultural exchange also played a large role. “I believe it's only natural for both sides to have certain preconceived ideas about the other's culture, but it’s also fun questioning your own ways of living and thinking in order to explore new perspectives. At any rate, we always had something to laugh about, such as Madhusudhan’s panicky fear of the unusually cold climate. He had taken clothing suitable for temperatures as low as 30 degrees Celsius below zero – but when I collected Madhusudhan and Bahubali before work on their second day, they were already standing out there in their T-shirts!” Kai remembers.
To be continued – this time in India
What remains is a thoroughly positive conclusion. “I think we really modelled the ideal way to get on with other people, one that is characterised by mutual respect and a productive approach to work,” says Kai. “That’s right, we simply threw all our reservations overboard and just got to know each other as people,” Bahubali explains. “And when we encountered cultural differences, it was never annoying. On the contrary, often it was an ice-breaker that we could laugh about together and would be a source of amusement from then on,” Madhusudhan adds. “What’s more, with around 9,000 employees outside Germany Krones already has a wide and varied working culture where diversity is encouraged through exchanges such as ours.”
Five months later, with each of them in their home country, Kai, Madhusudhan and Bahubali are still reaping the benefits of the experience. “The trip and the time we spent together have significantly improved our work. We took the opportunity every day to tackle major projects and discuss issues which online meetings simply don’t give us the time or the right framework to do. The only downside is that we are already missing Kai,” says Madhusudhan. Fortunately, though, there is already a solution to that: Kai will be visiting Madhusudhan and Bahubali in Bengaluru around the turn of the year, when the roles will be reversed. They are hugely looking forward to this – to seeing each other again, making new impressions and continuing the success of their intercontinental cooperation.
