Isn’t it a good feeling if somebody asks you for an advice and you can help? It is an even better feeling if you get paid for this advice! This is in short words the description of the job of a consultant!

Being the manager of trust7 for 16 years I have given many advices, free ones and paid ones and I am very happy with this. I found my Dream Job.

Meanwhile trust7 is not only a Consultancy for Human Resources, work permits and visa for Germany, but also for foreign Companies to establish their business in Europe and for individuals to get the German Citizenship.

We are ahead of the rush of firms who want to take part in the businesses with Iran after lifting the Sanctions and we offer a very fair Franchise System to our Community Members for all the mentioned services.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franchising

As a trust7 Franchisee you can start any kind of business with an excellent reputation and a big basis of readers in case you want to provide some information related to your business.

Especially for HR Consultants we have ideal conceptions to make your start up successful!

Do not hesitate to contact me directly at fr@trust7.com

Thanks

Detlef

In January the sanctions against the Iran, which lastet more than 10 years, had been lifted.

While most US sanctions will remain in place, the lifting of EU sanctions will benefit a large number of industries. As financial transactions are the basis of almost all businesses, the readmittance to SWIFT - the global payment system - will open up many new opportunities!

In Iran as well as in Germany many companies are ready to take the chance for long hoped for businesses in Export, Import and for new projects. Because of the long lasting break of business activities, there is a lack of experiences and reliable connections! Not least because of the language and cultural differences it will be very difficult to build trustfully business relations.

trust7 Consulting provides support! Our Country Manager for the Near- and Middle East is a native Iranian speaks German, Farsi and Arabian, has many years of trade experiences in Iran as well as in Germany and other countries of the Near- and Middle East.

He has excellent contacts to Iranian and German Companies and Institutions and can support and develop any kind of business!

There are many chances, but as always in the world of business, there are big risks too. So you need a reliable consultant and all of you know.. TRUST is the basis for our services.

Contact us via mail: iran@trust7.com

Via phone in German or English: +49 30 49862400

Via phone in Persian (Farsi): +49 176 20351141

As we come to the end of 2015, and eagerly await 2016, let's take a quick look at all the pleasant, not so pleasant and rather harsh chapters read explicitly aloud this year. Since, we are in Germany I would focus primarily on the German side of even and odd developments and touch on a few global issues here and there. Controversy, crisis and commendation are the three C's Germany garnered this year.

Controversy- The Volkswagen 'name and shame' scandal, which needs no briefing, has put Germany not just in an embarrassing position on the international front but has also tarnished the 'made in Germany' image. This tag which the country has carried for so long as an indisputable trademark of quality and efficiency has suffered a serious blow as Germany's leading car maker faces deep probes for compromising with the environment. Has an auto maker ever been so dramatically caught red handed cheating on diesel engine emissions? Audi engines, the luxurious Volkswagen car too have been implicated. To come out clean and win back the lost trust will be an excruciating task for Volkswagen group, which saw a period of unprecedented growth and now seeing its unprecedented fall. The scandal has not only hit VW shares but also dented its reputation globally. I fail to understand why would a brand of this repute and immense fan following could ever imagine manipulating with environment, and leave aside environment, what about the trust of its huge clientele? What were they thinking when they installed an engine managed software to alter emissions to pass US emissions test, that they would never be caught? After all, who expected Volkswagen; the group that had surpassed Toyota in the first half of 2015 as the world's largest auto maker to be convicted of an offence of this magnitude. Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, who has built a reputation of an environment good Samaritan during a decade as chancellor by pitching in renewable resources in place of nuclear energy now suffers blemishes caused by Volkswagen scam. Her drive 'to go green' may have sounded a little hypocritical in recent Global climate summit in Paris in Dec. Her vision to outpace other EU members in seeking to cut carbon emissions by 40% of 1990 levels by year 2020 may have been temporarily blurred by the grim reality she now faces. Clearly, a big disappointment followed by an even bigger criticism. Lesson to learn -Volkswagen go clean, go green; earn back your lost sheen but without cheating.

Crisis- Ahh!! die Flüchtlingskrise or the worrisome refugee crisis. It's not just any crisis but a catastrophe that has taken into its grip many nations and has indirectly affected the world at large. With IS making headlines in media and inflicting most barbaric atrocities in the history of mankind which has led to mass migration from countries like Syria and Iraq, all we can as humans do is to empathize with those fleeing their homelands in quest for survival. Undoubtedly, the soaring emotions, the heart wrenching stories of survival, the dilapidated state in which immigrants have somehow managed to cross over to Europe only to meet the hostility of European countries which are unwilling and unrelenting to welcome them bruise our conscience. Drenched, sick, tired and stranded, they were homeless with nowhere to go. Under such gruelling conditions, when other EU countries where still debating on what to do with this fresh trouble, Germany opened its gateways to the time afflicted refugees, an outstanding gesture least expected from a country that has always been criticised for its ugly past. Overnight Germany became a saviour of refugees, and the master stroke played by Angela Merkel won her global praise. But lets go deeper into the problem. Though Merkel was lauded internationally for her refugee welcoming stand but back home her 'open the doors' policy met with mixed response. Though, many openly acknowledged her but many also rebuked her decision including some in her own party. The latter believe that this refugee policy has gone too far on the humanity index and it's very likely going to backfire if its not controlled in time. The resentment against refugees is simmering and might explode any day. The anti refugee camp within Germany feels that the uncontrolled migration can lead to system collapse and that Germany can't cope with the unrestricted entry. I think to an extent their fears are valid, but at the same time as humans we can't let these war torn, unfortunate people die; many among them are young children. But from practical point of view, Germany is indeed amid a big crisis. The assimilation of such a vast number of refugees requires logistics more than emotions. More houses, more hospitals, more schools, more teachers and more jobs have to be procured and off course, to settle them more space is required. The government doesn't have a magical wand to expand Germany's geographical area. According to Merkel, “we are willing to tackle the responsibility of integration and I appeal for us not to reject it. There's no point in that but for us to take it on board and then to shape it so that it grows into something that is of benefit to us all.” The ulterior motive behind welcoming refugees seems quite clear that the government is betting on migrants for a steady supply of skilled workers in the wake of growing deficit in this area owing to its ageing population and ridiculously low birth rate. The average immigrant in Germany is a surprisingly 29 years younger than the average German, who is 46. The question of refugees has sparked up quite a stir between the good guys who want to embrace refugees with open arms against the xenophobes who are spreading hatred among people against refugees and want them expelled from German territory at any cost. However, the legitimate questions that German government needs to ponder over are-how many refugees are coming next year? Is Germany prepared to handle such a mass immigration? And can Germany cope up with it? Lesson to learn- the key to success lies in not biting off more than you can chew.

Commendation- All is well that ends well. This looks straight out of some fairytale. Germany may have faced some tough challenges knocking on its doors in 2015 but what a surprise it unrolled towards the end. Time Magazine has named Angela Merkel as the 'Person of the Year'. She has become the first woman to be awarded the prestigious title by herself since 1986. Merkel is only the fourth woman to be ever named Person of the Year, after Time magazine decided to include women in 1936. No one has stood the test of time more than Merkel in 2015, her resolve in leading Europe through Greek debt crisis, encouragement to open borders to migrants and refugees, firm handling of Vladimir Putin-Ukraine conflict, the carnage in Paris and the backlash she faced for letting in refugees, only a person of immense character and exceptional mettle could stand firm and tall under such adversities. She deserved this rank like nobody else. In the words of Nancy Gibbs, The Time editor “For asking more of her country than most politicians would dare, for standing firm against tyranny as well as expedience and for providing steadfast moral leadership in a world where it is in short supply, Angela Merkel is Times Person of the Year.” Her transition from a young girl who grew up in East Germany to the most powerful woman in the world is nothing short of an inspiration for all the women in the world. She has changed the course of history by becoming the Chancellor of the free world; the de facto leader of the entire continent. The true spirit of Germany lies in owning up its mistakes, rectifying them and learning from them to emerge as an even better and bigger name. “ The heart and soul of Europe is tolerance. It has taken us centuries to understand this. We have persecuted and annihilated one another. We have laid our own country to waste. The worst period of hatred, devastation and destruction happened not even a generation ago. It was done in the name of my people.” Perhaps Merkel knows the definition of pain and sufferings better than anyone in the modern and greedy world. Her action to allow refugees in Germany when the rest of the continent was slamming doors on them, leaving them dying, wandering and homeless, has restored our faith in humanity. Whatever be the hidden agenda, at least she took them in when they were denied entry everywhere else. Her move could be amends for the gory crimes committed by Germany in the past, which had deeply stained its image in the world. By opening borders to refugees Germany has signalled generosity in the current tyrannical times. As a well wisher, I hope someday a new chapter in history be written where Germany would be remembered for its generous role in saving the lives of so many fleeing persecution in their homelands. Lesson to learn- no matter how high the waves are, if you are resolute to sail through them, you will reach your destination. The rise of Merkel is one such reminder.

The year 2015 has overall been an uneasy year plagued by the widespread epidemic of Ebola, incidents of floods, earthquakes, aeroplane crashes and much more casualty being reported daily in some part or the other. At the same time, it also witnessed some remarkable moments like coming to power of Justin Trudeau, the Liberal Canadian Prime Minister who has become an epitome of ideal man, someone who is modern, kind and very relatable and whose popularity graph is growing by leaps and bounds. By personally greeting refugees at the airport he has also shown that he is man with a golden heart. Our world needs many more Justin Trudeaus. In the end, I would wrap up by saying I sincerely hope the remaining days of 2015 be peaceful, and may the coming year bring much more stability in the world, may the rain of joy,prosperity and unity wet our earth. May peace prevail. To be or not to be is not the question, we should collectively strive to serve humanity, to be tolerable to one another, and to do away with all the social evils and injustice that divide us.

Wishing all my readers 'Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year' in advance. Stay healthy, wealthy and wise. Cheers. 

Dear trust7 members,

within the last 15 years I had to do with many different German Embassies and Consulate worldwide. Not directly but because of visa/work permit applications of my own employees and of applicants from my clients.

In the first days of the so called ‚Green Card‘ in 2000 this was a kind of game of luck if the involved parts ever heard about the German programs for highly skilled people or not, but over the years it got better and better.

With the start of the Blue Card we got relatively clear rules, that one could check his chances to get a work permit ahead of planning his career and the whole process is quite simple as soon as one gets a job offer by a German company.

Now it is possible to take the whole family from the beginning and the permissions to work for a spouse are very liberally.

Nevertheless it is still a matter of good luck or bad luck how long it takes to get the visa and much depends on the competency, efficiency and the willingness to help of the Authorities.

At the moment I am experiencing the worst case of this in 15 years! I have two active applications for new employees at the German Embassy in Tehran, Iran and I am really angry, because we are waiting for the work permit approval since June! One we got in October, the second one is still pending!

My lawyer told me, that she never faced such a case before, too.

Please share your own experiences, good or bad, that we can get an overview of the current situation.

Thanks

Detlef

It is my trust, your trust, trust for all!

What happens when a team of global experts comes face to face on the same platform to deliver a service? That's when a trust is formed. Without dramatising any further, lets take a quick overview of the resulting company which is not just any service but a brand that unveils a whole new job market to you with its unlimited potential. With immense pleasure I would like to reintroduce trust7 with its underlying principle of trust built over years; not through tricks, techniques or tools but by character. So when you say trust, you have said it all.

Being number 1 is extremely overrated, trust7 aspires not to be influenced by any number games but to strive hard to be the most bankable player in the market . To provide value services in order to open new doors of opportunity to our esteemed customers, and to increase their visibility are some of the rudimentary goals of our business.

trust7 has been at your service for many years now. Over time, it has developed into a bigger and better enterprise. We take pride in announcing that our community Website has now over 6000 registered users, and our online community is amplifying with each passing day. Our forum members are steadfast in responding to the posted queries in the most genuine manner. Each day we get queries from professionals and job enthusiasts regarding the prospective job avenues in Germany or about the newer and more promising job roles. The profiles of the candidates short listed are thoroughly reviewed by our expert panel to ensure right job to the right candidate. We value trust in us and guarantee 100% customer satisfaction. trust7 believes in delivering results within the stipulated time to win over our clientele thereby encouraging brand loyalty. After all, your belief in us is what keeps us going.

Before elaborating on our services and programs, lets take a quick look at what makes Germany one of the most attractive destinations not just from a career perspective but also from a living perspective. We live in a world where evils of tyranny, terrorism, social stigmas, intolerance and much more are being unleashed daily in some form or the other. The dark clouds of wars looming in the skies are displacing millions from their homelands to far-flung areas in search of safety of life, security for their kith and kin, and prospects of earning their daily bread. Despite, its ugly past, Germany has managed to reconfigure itself, in order to become one of the safest, harmonious and peace loving countries of the world.

It is worth mentioning that Germany has become one of the first nations to welcome refugees with open arms. An unprecedented move by Chancellor Angela Merkel which has won not just global accolades but also boosted Germany's image internationally. In fact, the Time magazine has ranked Merkel as the second most powerful person in the world in its 2015 rankings. This shows how well Germany has arrived and is seen on the world stage. It no longer remains a claustrophobic and xenophobic society. Today, many countries are curbing the freedom of religion, freedom of expression, perpetually violating human rights, in short making survival a big challenge. Under such circumstances, Germany offers a ray of hope to build and resurrect your crumbling life. It provides a placid abode to you and your loved ones. As it goes- 'you should leave something worth for the posterity from which they may profit'.

Nothing is more lucrative than a lucid economy and an ageing population. Germany at present is a lottery ticket to all the meritorious professionals. According to Reuters, 'German unemployment is running at 6.4 percent, the lowest since reunification in 1990, and strong economic growth allowed the government to make a record 21 billion Euro ($24 billion) budget surplus in the first half of the year.' In order to lure high talent from across the non-European zone, the EU came up with the idea of Blue Card and Germany was one of the first countries to implement it. The Blue card has caught the attention of professionals from around the world, as it enables them to easily move to Germany along with their families.

Living as a foreigner and living as a local are two different things. For a brighter future in Germany, it is utile to learn German language. It is not a prerequisite but definitely a requisite as it definitely widens your horizon in Germany. The choice is yours.

An insight into our business plan

Foreign companies trying to set up a subsidiary in Germany require a local representative to assist and familiarise them with the nuances of German market. Here at trust7, we have at your disposal complete strategies which you could offer as a franchise taker. Irrespective of the nature of your trade, by availing our services you could secure a firm ground for your business plan. You may be a tax consultant, a lawyer, a relocation specialist or a restaurateur, if you have a business proposal, you have us right here! We serve emerging entrepreneurs.

Core competence

Once an ace, always an ace. Placement of meritorious professionals is our core job. As a consultant, you will benefit from the strong networking of our community members who are experts in themselves. No matter which professional field your customers belong to, you will always find the right employees for your clients through trust7. This is not just our promise but our business to bring prospective hirers at your doorsteps. As a trust7 consultant you enjoy an undisputed repute and trust in the market. In fact, you can even promote trust7 business model in your home countries.

Why do you require trust7 franchise?

Don't be intrigued by the question, rather think about the already existing and ever increasing trust7 membership. Won't it be profitable to your new start up? After all, intelligence, individualism and pragmatic business ethics are the key to a flourishing enterprise. Be it a new business idea or the thought of expanding your current business, a franchise with trust7 will definitely make your task simpler thanks to the instant publicity. trust7 is not just a mere name, it is a title we have earned for our remarkable services over the years owing to customer satisfaction, and we hope to take this legacy forward, and live up to it in all the coming years. Here at trust7, we reserve the right to reject any franchise application, if it fails to meet our work standards.

About trust7

Our aim is to carry trust across seven seas. Here at trust7 we are continuously working to ensure that your talent gets in the right hands. This has been our primary motive for the past 15 years. We not just serve you but we win you over through our quality services. There are many types of people who come to Germany with varied dreams, some are expatriates and others are those who acquire German citizenship, our purpose is to help them to assimilate to the German surroundings as regards the day-to-day living challenges, query about visas, work permits, life in Germany and so on. trust7 continues to woo leading companies and gets copious requests from them which in turn lead to new contracts. trust7 has been proactively helping people in shaping their careers and their lives.

Recommend us and reap benefit.

Have you ever heard of the term symbiosis? No matter how thriving and globally networked a business is, it will run into some limitations or the other in today's highly competitive and dynamic world. To make a business prosperous and well placed in the mercantile environment, one needs to push through these barriers by a force called symbiosis which lends adaptability vital for survival. Although symbiosis is a biological term, it is a driving force in business too. trust7 employs this reward based challenge to anyone who gets us a contract. Meaning thereby, you recommend us to the hiring management of your company when there are job vacancies, or to the company that wants to set up a base in German market. You just have to refer the contact to us and trust7 will communicate directly. With every new contract that trust7 gets through you, it will pay you a fair commission in return.

In brief, get us recommended and we get you rewarded...fair play!

In the end, I would just like to sum up by saying- 'Discover brighter future by having your trust in us. So, have you had your trust today?'

There is a new Ranking List of the 30 biggest cities in Germany and Berlin is again on the way to the top!

Only Munich has a higher Ranking, Berlin is now number 2 and left other cities like Frankfurt or Hamburg far behind.

For Start Ups, young people from all over the world, artists and other creative and modern people, Berlin is already number 1!

Read an article in German about the content of this Ranking.

http://www.n24.de/n24/Nachrichten/

See you in Berlin

Detlef 

Germany is known to be quite benevolent in allocating provisions to the parents on the birth of their children. Much to the delight of the latter, a special consideration is meted out to the families under the German constitution or Basic Law (Grundgesetz). The German government provides remittances of EUR 184 per month for each of the first two children, and EUR 190 every month for the third child. It pays EUR 215 per month for every additional child. Foreigners can avail the child benefit allowance (Kindergeld) as soon as they acquire a valid settlement permit.

Lets focus on the following areas which are an integral part of social support in Germany in detail:

• Employment Protection- The German law clearly states that an employer can't dismiss employment during pregnancy and the four months following the birth. However, it is strictly advised that you inform your employer about your pregnancy in advance. Before and after the birth, there is a phase of protected maternity leave referred to as mutterschutzfrist during which you have a right to maternity payments or mutterschutzgeld. Even if an expecting employee doesn't have legal health insurance, still the employer is bound to let you off for any prenatal appointments if they occur during work hours without any financial snag. To know more about the employment protection of working mothers you may refer to the detailed publication of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in English.

• Maternity leave- Pregnant employees have the right to claim maternity leave in Germany, which is a protected period of 14 weeks; six weeks before and eight weeks after the birth of the child. For the six weeks preceding the birth, the employed women receive a statutory maternity pay ( Mutterschaftsgeld) paid jointly by the health insurance company (Krankenkasse)and and the employer ( Arbeitsgeberzuschuss). Privately insured and self employed women can claim maternity leave and employer contribution. In such cases, maternity pay is limited to maximum sum and is paid by the Federal Office for Insurance (Bundesversicherungsamt). Interestingly, the maternity leave was established during the 1920's as a female worker's right and a social obligation to protect the life of unborn and that of newly born.

• Parental leave (Elternzeit)- Since 2007, parents have been able to apply for parental leave as a social provision, and still continue to receive a certain percentage of their total income. The parental leave maybe taken until the child becomes three years old. Parental leave must be filed in writing no later than seven weeks before the beginning of the leave, and has to be taken for at least two months. The parental leave rights are applicable to everyone irrespective of full time or part time employment. It guarantees that your employer is legally obliged to keep your job reserved for you till the period of parental leave. The parental leave can either be taken jointly or by either parent. It allows parents to work part time for up to 30 hours a week without violating the terms of parental leave or employment protection rights.

• Parent allowance (Elterngeld)- On Jan 1, 2007 came into force the new parent allowances law or Elterngeldgesetz. As per this law, parents of children born on or after this date are eligible to receive parent allowance to help them meet the costs of raising their children. All parents are eligible for Elterngeld, if they personally decide to look after their newborn during the first 14 months, and hence, unable to continue their full time job. Elterngeld is paid upto a maximum of 14 months after the birth of the child. Both parents can claim Elterngeld, and can freely divide the Elterngeld among themselves. The amount of money, a parent is entitled to, depends on their average monthly salary of the year preceding the birth of their child. The maximum a parent is permitted to receive is 67% of their monthly income, upto a cap of 1800 Euros irrespective of income. But in certain cases, when the average income is above EUR 1220, it gets reduced to 66% and further 65%, if the average income is over EUR 1240. The minimum Elterngeld is EUR 300, even if the parent was unemployed before the child birth. A parent may work part-time up to 30 hours a week, and still be eligible for Elterngeld. As of July 2015, the Elterngeldplus system has come into action which allows parents to receive half the regular amount of Elterngeld over twice the period, i.e., parents can decide to receive half the regular amount of Elterngeld payment over a maximum of 28 months. The Elterngeldplus system has been introduced for parents who would like to continue working part-time for an extended duration, to take care of their child at home.

• Child allowance (Kindergeld)- To register for the child benefit, you are required to send a copy of the birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde) to the Families Office at the Department of Employment (Familienkasse beim Arbeitsamt). Any taxpayer with children can seek Kindergeld whether employed, self employed or unemployed. The child allowance is paid until the child reaches 18 or 21 if unemployed or until 27 if in some educational training. There is no limit set for the differently challenged children who can never financially support themselves. Kindergeld is paid irrespective of the parents' annual earnings. Adopted or Foster children too qualify for Kindergeld. Some people living outside Germany can also file for Kindergeld, if they fulfil certain German income tax criteria. Generally, the Kindergeld is directly paid to the parents, and not the children except for orphans or the children whose parents are missing. If your employment gets suddenly terminated or you choose to leave the country along with your children, you are expected to notify the concerned authority that pays you kindergeld, failure to do so can make you severely penalised.

Thus, we see that in Germany the maintenance of children has become highly regulated, increasingly standardised and legally enforced, to ensure that each child enjoys a healthy upbringing. After all, children are the future of every nation, and as you nurture them now, they will nurture the country back in future. It's all about smart planning for a smarter future.

Are you thinking of starting a family in Germany? If yes, then congratulations, you have made the right decision at the place. Germany provides many sound socialist facilities to its residents, and offers every care to ensure all its people lead not just a happy but also a healthy life . Some of my friends who recently had babies had nothing but praises for the medical facilities bestowed here, thankfully most of which are covered by your insurance. Another big relief to many (non German speakers) is, most of the doctors (with the exception of a few) can easily communicate in English, though the staff at the hospital may or may not.

One difference that we observe in Germany is the reliance on holistic or homeopathic medicines. Homeopathy traces its roots to the German physician Dr Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843). In fact, the German homeopathic drugs are exported all over the world and are very popular. But the level of endorsement of homeopathy by the medical fraternity in Germany is incredible. Not only the doctors, but the midwives too, recommend and perform acupuncture, acupressure and massage therapies for various medical conditions, particularly during labour. Herbal teas and homeopathic medicines are generously prescribed for you and for your newborn. The use of antibiotics is discouraged unless, absolutely necessary.

The main areas, to familiarize yourself with, when planning a family, are listed below-

• Choosing your Gynaecologist- Before you choose any gynaecologist ask yourself, whether you would like the same doctor who handled your pregnancy to be the one to deliver your baby? Or you are open to accepting any other medical professional provided by the hospital? If you have picked a doctor who doesn't work outside the clinic (Klinik) at the hospital (Krankenhaus), then he/she won't be the one delivering your baby. They will perform all your routine check ups, and supervise you all through your pregnancy, but once you go in labour, then the hospital takes charge of you.

• Deciding on the hospital- When picking up a hospital do a thorough research on what all facilities you would require at the time of your labour and delivery. You might be surprised to know that the maternity hospitals offer regular guided tours and hold information sessions. This provision is really informative for the would be parents, as they can see the facilities available at the hospital. One specific area where you need to give maximum attention is the paediatric care given by the hospital. While most hospitals have some paediatric care facility, not all of them have a full fledged paediatric ward in the hospital. If God forbid your baby is born with some ailment or is born premature, and requires extra care, your baby will be transferred to the nearest childcare clinic (Kinderklinik) while, you are still recovering in the same hospital after delivery. So make sure, you choose a hospital that has a proper childcare ward.

• The Mutterpass- Once your pregnancy is confirmed, your doctor will issue you a booklet called a mutterpass (mother's pass). The purpose is to keep track of the progress of your pregnancy, and to write down the results of the all the tests undergone by you during pregnancy, and your medical history for future reference. You are expected to bring it along, each time you come for any medical examination or to the hospital. The doctor delivering your child may or may not be the doctor who supervised you during pregnancy and hence, will require your mutterpass to study all the medical tests conducted on you, and information documented in it. It is very important so please carry it with you at all times during pregnancy.

• Midwives- In Germany, the main responsibility for delivering your child rests on a midwife, commonly called a Hebamme. Doctors only step in when there is some complication. It is recommended that you book a Hebamme in advance, as they remain very busy throughout the year. Websites like hebammensuche.de etc, provide a list of available midwives, you can specify the preferred language, location and services. She will assist you all during your pregnancy, and post delivery. If you don't choose a Hebamme in advance, the hospital concerned will provide you one. Hebammen are well trained medical professionals, both in traditional and modern medical techniques. They are on call 24 hours, and answer all your questions from breastfeeding to baby proofing your house, formula milk, bathing etc. Your Hebamme may take over your check-ups around week 35 or you may meet them in addition to your doctor. Your medical insurance or Krankenkasse covers 12 advice sessions with the Hebamme, along with the post delivery care for up to eight weeks. This includes daily visits until your baby is 10 days old.

• Medical examination during pregnancy- There are usually a maximum of 12 medical examinations that would be done on you before the baby's due date (Termin Date). Generally, it is one medical test per month up to the 32^nd week and then, after every two weeks. You may expect as many as six sonograms during a normal pregnancy followed by routine pelvic exams. During the routine medical exam, the doctor will check your blood pressure, periodic blood and urine tests and weight. The suggested weight gain per pregnancy is somewhere around 10-11 kilograms. With the nearing of your due date, the baby's heart rate and any contractions are closely monitored.

• Delivery- At the hospital, in addition to the delivery room, (called Keissaal in German) there is a maternity ward, doctors on duty around the clock, easy access to epidural or PDA (as it is commonly called in German) and emergency services in case of Caesarian or C section ( Kaiserscnitt). If your delivery is normal, you will stay for at least three nights, but if its through C-section, then at least up to five nights in the hospital.

• Childbirth Preparatory classes- These pre natal classes generally include exercises which lead to relaxation, what to expect during birth, how to handle the newborn etc. Lamaze classes are also provided by the hospital. Such classes are usually led by a Hebamme and include, a few intensive courses in a variety of languages. Register in these classes as early as possible, they are very beneficial. Also, make sure to complete them at least 3-4 weeks before your due date. This will mentally prepare you for the upcoming task of delivering your baby.

These are some of the areas you need to focus on well when starting your family. Knowing that you are pregnant is the most beautiful feeling in the world. And if you happen to be in Germany then it is an icing on the cake; a double celebration. You have every reason to feel fortunate, because here you have easy accessibility to the extensive maternity care options guiding you at every step during your pregnancy. The German health insurance covers almost all of your maternity care costs. Germany is indeed, one of the best places to be a new mother, as it proffers generous social benefits and work leave to both the parents after the birth of your baby. What all support and benefits you enjoy while you are looking after your baby will be dealt with elaborately in my next blog.

This is not just any tag that we find on the bottom, side or back of the product, but it is a trademark of superior quality for more than a century. Many aspire to start up businesses, be it big or small, in Germany. Before one embarks on any new venture, a proper research has to be done, so as to acquaint oneself about all the plausible complexities that may lie ahead and their solution. For all those hoping to set up any kind of business in Germany, here are the key points worth pondering-

• Knowing the local language- Only after qualifying preliminary test, can you dream of a fuller and a flourishing merchandise. Not only would you be able to study the local market well, but also your prospective clients. Once you learn the local language, you can easily prepare a firm ground for establishing your business. Attend a language course by enrolling into a language school, that should be your first and foremost priority. Learn to communicate with the locals.

• A business plan- Do you know what makes for a successful enterprise? Proper planning. Yes, it is the foundation on which your business would either stand or crumble, so make sure it is strong and sturdy. It is recommended that you evaluate your business's risks and chances, and prepare your business plan accordingly. Your business plan is not just obligatory but on it depends the approval of banks and German authorities, which will either give it a thumbs up or thumbs down.

• Bureaucratic hurdles- Rest assured that no matter what form of company you have, a small and solo proprietorship or a larger conglomerate, you will most definitely go through a lot of bureaucratic hurdles. It is advisable to first contact a tax advisor (Steuerberater). They will advise you if it's necessary to hire a notary and how to register your business at the local court (amtsgericht). After this, the chamber of commerce will contact you, having obtained your details from the commercial register. The next step is organizing your tax registration into two sets; one for commercial tax at Gewerbesteueramt and the other at the local tax office (finanzamt). After filing these two tax registrations, you will obtain a certificate of registration (gewerbeanmeldeschein) and thereby commencing your business.

• Know how- Irrespective of the nature of your business, be it providing a service or manufacturing goods, you not only need to know your trade well but also prove your expertise better than your German counterpart.

• GmbH ( Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung)- it is a limited liability company and is by far the most widespread company form. Under it the shareholders are not personally held responsible for the company's debts. Just one person is needed to set up a GmbH, and its share capital is minimum of €25,000 . Since 2008, entrepreneurs have begun a sort of mini GmbH (unternehmergesellschafthaftungsbeschrankt), the primary motive of starting such a company was to give considerable leverage to the start ups with its simplified bureaucratic efforts, and the minimum share capital is reduced to €1.00

• Commercial expertise- You need to know the nuances of business to ensure a productive trade. Different aspects like accounting,costing, pricing etc. must be handled intelligently. You can even turn to expert opinion on such matters from either private companies or various German government agencies. The latter also provide information in English on their websites, and you can easily download their brochures in English. They offer handy tips and advice on topics like, self employment, company set up, and other business related concerns in Germany.

• Hiring helping hands- Well, it is a tricky and a little complicated affair. If you employ staff from your own country or some other country, you'll have to prove that you are not taking away the job of a German. Workers fall into the following category-

• A full or a part time employee ( Angestellter)- Hiring them puts a lot of obligations on you or your company. The employer has to deduct taxes and insurance premiums from their salary, ensure a fixed vacation each year, along with complying with the laws that protect the staff from arbitrary dismissal. The premiums of the German national retirement, unemployment and health insurance are jointly shouldered by the employer and the employee.

• Free workers (freie Mitarbeiter)- they are the workers who are responsible for their own taxes and insurance. The employer or the company has the privilege of utilizing their services when needed and paying them on the completion of desired work. Something like, 'work and pay, no work, no pay.' Their services can easily be terminated at any point of time, if the work is not done satisfactorily.

The most favourable aspect in starting a business in Germany is that the German government is very flexible to the establishment of all types of businesses, regardless you are a German or non German, provided your business has a positive impact on the economy. Your decision to be self employed usually depends on the type of business undertaking, your qualification and expertise, your entrepreneurial skills, the amount of invested capital and the uniqueness of your business proposition. Your Local Foreign Office would require certain documentation from you in order to consult with the Local Chamber of Commerce or Crafts or other related organizations, to check whether or not your business is economically viable, and specialized enough to compete in the German market. If they approve your business plan, you would be granted a residence permit soon.

I have precisely given all the needed guidelines, in order to give you a rough idea about the technicalities that go into starting a business in Germany. In a nutshell, it can be said, though it is not an easy undertaking, but you can still carve a firm niche in the German market through your merchandising skills, courage and patience, which I believe are needed in every profession, everywhere. It all depends on your mastery over the rules of the game.

Dear trust7 community,

do you know what an eye-catcher is? Auf deutsch ein Blickfang?

This is one, a picture of my dog waiting for coffee. Has nothing to do with my business, but surely attracs more people than my own picture 

Avida wartet auf ihren Kaffee!

Of course there are some news too!

trust7 expands it's business to the Middle East, especially Iran!

We hired a Country Manager who is responsible for all kind of business in this region and we offer consulting services and more for companies who want to take up this big chance!

http://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/wirtschaft-iran-101.html

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/14/iran-nuclear-programme-world-powers-historic-deal-lift-sanctions

Our Manager is a native Iranian, lived and worked in Germany for many years, speaks Farsi, English and German perfectly and has very connections, because of many successful years of business!

We have some new clients for SAP and Automotive Jobs, so please visit our 'Job Offers' page from time to time.

Last but not least I want to repeat my recommedation to lear German! If you want to work and live here, if you are ambitious to make a career or if you just want to improve your situation if you already live in Germany, learn our language!

Thanks for using trust7, danke für Ihre Unterstützung unserer Community!

Detlef

http://www.trust7-consulting.com/

http://www.trust7-hr.com/

“People of this world, look upon this city and see that you should not and cannot abandon this city and this people.”
Ernst Reuter, Mayor of West Berlin during the Berlin blockade, September 9, 1948

Rising from the rubble, Berlin is a remarkable example of a nation's strong determination to wash away the war inflicted wounds on itself, and on its image in particular. An attempt that is still in process even after more than half a century, since the end of second world war, which left scathing scars on the conscience of a nation yet to be fully recovered.

It's been quite a while since I last wrote any piece. I was busy, I was travelling, I had some other commitments etc. are all but excuses. Let me be honest, I just took a sabbatical from writing. During this period of absentism I had the privilege of exploring some old cities with new beginnings. One such city, which I visited recently for the first time was Berlin. Though, I had never been to Berlin before, yet, I knew considerable lot about it, its history, its past glory, its decline and it's eventual resurrection, piece by piece. I must confess, I never really expected it to be quite the way it is.

Funny enough, in the past I had heard a lot of misconstrued notions about Berlin, and I somehow began to believe in them. But all these false perceptions vanished the moment I laid my eyes on Berlin. It clearly left me flabbergasted. And today as I sit writing about it, I feel I don't have words enough to describe this wondrous city. A city, that paid heavily post war due to its exploitation at the hands of many, had only two options ahead of it- either to succumb or to overcome. It not just overcame, but also, out shined the many old players in their own game. The capitals that have truly enchanted me are Washington D.C, London, Berlin and Oslo. And undoubtedly, the world does look up to them.

Despite plenty of fallacious stories I had heard about Berlin, it turned out to be a very normal and lively city.

• Safe- I was so smitten by the city that despite the cold I used to come to my hotel quite late at night.

• Neo Nazi menace- But which city doesn't have a dark side? So has Berlin. Due to the strict crackdown on the activities of neo nazi organizations, the menace has become somewhat limited . Regular street patrolling, and checks have lowered the attacks.

• Unfriendly- On the contrary, I found Berlin quite a muti cultural city, and due to the large influx of tourists all round the year, the locals have become quite friendly and helpful.

• Expensive- Not particularly. In fact, it is one of the most budget friendly capitals I have visited.

Berlin still carries the blood stains of harrowing past, but the city has forever been so unrelenting to any attempts of the enemies that no wall could ever divide its spirit. It has always managed to stand firm and tall, no matter what. Brandenburg Tor is the most defining feature of Berlin. In the words of Monica Grutters , the German Federal Minister of Culture-” Brandenburg Tor is the symbol of Berlin Wall, of a world divided into East and West. And it is at the same time the symbol of the fall of that Wall and of liberty regained. It is the national and international monument of freedom and unity.” No other city could ever summon the courage to make public in the most honest way, the most painful memories, the foremost example being the Holocaust Memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe. In Germany, the purpose of remembering history is to make sure that it never repeats itself again.

What came as a surprise to me was the greenery enveloping the whole city. With surety I can say, I have never come across a metropolitan city as green as Berlin. Boasting an array of forests, parks and garden plots, a major part of Berlin is under the green cover, making it a truly green city. Berlin has also been recognized by the ARCADIS (leading Global Natural and Built Asset Design and Consultancy Firm) ranking for excellent waste management and low air pollution. Another green fact, about this dynamic cultural and business hub, is that 44 percent of the city is parks, woods, rivers, lakes and waterways. The streets are lined with approximately 440,000 trees, and within the city there are around 934 “Kleingarten Kolonien” ( garden/allotment areas) containing almost 75,000 gardening plots.

Did you know that after the second world war ended on 8 May 1945, much of Berlin was nothing but debris: nearly 600,000 apartments were destroyed, and only 3.5 million of the city’s original population of 4.5 million still live in the city. In accordance with an agreement signed by the Allies, the city was divided into four sectors, and administered jointly by the occupying powers, the United States of America, Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. But the cost the city paid, in terms of loss of human lives in the the battle for Berlin, was enormous. Millions of shells were fired into the city, already devastated by relentless bombing raids by the British and the American warplanes. Nearly a quarter of a million people died during the last three weeks of World War Two, almost as many as the United States lost during the entire war.

For the History enthusiasts Berlin is the ultimate destination that offers some of the best, most preserved artifacts displayed in the five great Museums, namely- Pergamonmuseum, Bode-Museum, Neues Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie and Altes Museum. These five museums are situated on Berlin's Museum Island, which in itself is a magnificent work of art. The Museum Complex is part of UNESCO World Heritage.

For the real escapade one could take walking tours of the second world war bunkers which are found in abundance throughout Berlin or explore the city by taking guided Segway tours. And off course, the trip to Berlin would be incomplete if you don't visit the historic remains of the Berlin wall. It evokes feelings of deep sympathy for the people who lived through the divided Berlin, their sufferings and their sacrifices. The remains of the wall also bring back memories of all those who lost their lives trying to escape from East Berlin to West Berlin in the hope of a better future but were gunned down. With the reunification of the two Berlins on 3^rd Oct 1990, a new chapter was added to the history of Berlin which is also the most illustrious episode in the history of the modern world.

Reichstag is another most sought after tourist destination, the super long queue of tourists winding around the area says it all. But the experience of visiting the German Parliament is worth the wait. My trip to Berlin was a thorough adventure from exploring the dark, stuffy bunkers to strolling in the beautiful gardens, and admiring the grandeur of Charlottenburg Palace. Berlin is enthralling, Berlin is diverse, Berlin is a traveller's veritable paradise. It is a must visit.

Believe it or not, trust7 will be 15 years old in April! When we founded it in April 2000 Germany introduced the so called ‚Green Card‘ for IT Experts and trust7 was the first company with related services.

Many years are gone, some things changed like ‚Green Card‘ to ‚Blue Card‘ some problems are solved, like the uncertainty if the residence permit would be limited for 5 years or not, other problems are still existing, like the bureaucracy when someone applies for a family reunion visa.

Some of our ‚old and famous‘ members are not active any more, some are still active and supporting trust7, many new users joined us and help each other to make the best out of their life in Germany.

Here are links to some of many press articles where the ‚Green Card‘ and trust7 is mentioned. Just to see how time is running:

http://www.dw.de/german-greencarders-live-life-in-limbo/a-930214

Are you looking for a place where you can live in peace and freedom? Where the economy is strong and the nature gentle?

Germany offers all this and much more! Let us begin with mother nature. Seems that she likes Germany ;- I have an interesting link for you, where you find statistics about natural catastrophes..

http://www.munichre.com/en/reinsurance/business/non-life/natcatservice/index.html

At the latest when you found a family, get married and get children, you have to take care that you give them the highest possible grade of safeness. 

Coming to the social and political points, the freedom of speech, the freedom to believe or not to believe, the human rights and the equal rights of men and women. In Germany all these points are not perfect, but very close to it. Sure, we have small minded people too, who are afraid of foreigners and we have some real racists, fortunately a small minority, like every country in the world. Because of our history we are very aware of racism and as soon as 100 racists gather for a demonstration, 10.000 Anti-Racism protesters gather around them to show the world that Germans are open minded and welcome foreigners.

I am a German, so maybe I am not objective, but I try to ;-

Our economy is strong and we have a high demand of qualified people, engineers, scientists, managers and others, so Germany offers ways for Non European citizens to immigrate, like the Blue Card.

The biggest problem for job seekers is the language. Although the German language is no prerequisite for a work permit, most of the job offers require basic German at least. I recommend to start to learn German asap, if you have the intention to move to our country!

You can look for a job at the big online job portals and of course, trust7 has to offer some jobs too.

If you can afford to invest some money, there are some companies who offer a guaranteed job against investment. Contact us for more info.

In return to all the efforts you have to do to get a residence permit, you will get the chance for yourself and for your family to live in a Country which offers Peace and Freedom.

Let your words be a harbinger of global unity despite the diversity.

Democracy guarantees each citizen certain fundamental rights and duties. One such right of every individual is the freedom to speak their minds without any fear. I agree that this right should be respected and not curbed in any way, whatsoever. But does this freedom mean that you have the absolute liberty to hurt others' sentiments and shock their sensibilities? I personally feel, the biggest misuse of freedom of expression is its misuse only. We all should to be grateful to the fact that we are born in democratic and liberal countries, but with it comes certain responsibilities which should be handled more maturely and sensibly. We must be proud of the principle of freedom of expression, hence, wise enough to not put it to any kind of misuse, by using it as a weapon against others and spreading hatred, for e,g. by intensionally hurting people's ethos and provoking them.

The dos and don't s that come along with freedom of expression are:

• Gentility and civility or where are your manners dude? I am born free and as a free person I have the liberty to do anything I want to. I can ridicule a sweeper for his menial job, I can insult any religion, I can hurl abuses at an elderly man sitting next to me in the bus and tell him, he is standing in his grave. But will I do so?? Off course not. I am a civilised person, and I should empathize with others' handicaps, and not go about mocking people's weaknesses. If I do so that would clearly reflect my insanity. Just look at the impact of these lines, they trigger anger in you. If we always say anything that is in our minds, and overlook any kind of tactfulness in picking up the politically correct words and delivering them or we keep on forgetting our etiquettes, we would not just lose our humanity but also be responsible in turning our society into a battlefield.

   

• Repercussions or tit for tat- If you dared it, then be prepared for the consequences too. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. One big incident that comes to mind as I try to elaborate this point is that of a very renowned Indian artist MF Hussein, also called India's Picasso. He was the one who put the diverse and vibrant contemporary Indian art on the global canvass and brought laurels to the nation. But one controversial painting and his entire legacy was wiped out from India. He died far away from his homeland in exile.

   

• Avoid stepping on the threshold. A cup filled to the brim is most likely to overflow- Religion, identity, nationality, language and skin colour should be talked about in the most careful manner, lest your words lead to widespread and inextinguishable fire of hostility and resentment among the populace. The afore areas can create a very volatile situation if handled casually. With your close circle of friends, you are free to use wit, irony, contradiction or mockery but when it comes to public, you have to be really empathic towards their sentiments, so as not to spark up any hostility or controversy.

   

• Mitigate and not aggravate the problems or play safe but not villainous- The wiser is the one who doesn't add fuel to the fire. When witnessing an unpleasant scenario, freedom of expression used be used to simmer down the situation and not to boil it up further. We should try to mitigate the effects rather than speaking stupidly and regretting the day after. Be not judgemental and bury away all the prejudices.

   

In the words of a highly famed Indian actor, Aamir Khan, “ Violence is not only physical, it can be verbal and emotional too. When you insult someone, you perpetuate violence”. Likewise, when you write something, be wary of your choice of words. As an old saying goes- 'Pen is mightier than the sword', save your pen's ink for the genuine causes and not get swayed by the sudden gush of emotions.

I feel, freedom of expression is being more widely misused than used in the present times. Just because our constitution guarantees freedom of expression, doesn't mean we have the licence to offend and hurt, whomsoever we can lay our hands on. It's only going to further widen the schism or penetrate deeper into the skin of problems rather than healing the scars, thereby leading to psychological, physical and ethnic violence. Let's take the case of recent wave of Pegida in Germany. I truly appreciate the German govt's strong condemnation of Pegida, and all those who rallied against such sick concepts. If all the immigrants are shown the door (as per their demands), where will Germany stand? The country that somehow managed to swim through the enormously troubled waters and high tides post second world war, they want the country to drown deep into the trenches of idiosyncrasy and xenophobia once again. Instead of opening up their arms to foreigners, they want outsiders to leave the country. But like I said, it's just a handful of narrow minded people who support the cause, many more have voiced against Pegida in favour of immigrants. In general, Germany is trying very hard for its image makeover and it is in no mood to tolerate any such nuisance on its soil.

The problem area is not religion. The main fault lies in our mentality. Assuming, I am an atheist, and I am convinced that my western, rational, and science based thoughts or logics are superior to any religion, now I want to openly challenge and attack religion, and ridicule its followers. This is the major problem which triggers unrest. Our primary motive should be to safeguard the secular status of our state and society. Democracy also entitles you freedom to choose your religion or no religion. To argue that my beliefs are better than others and since I am an atheist everyone else becomes like me, it is nothing but another kind of fundamentalism. Practice your freedom of expression but with wisdom, so that, there is no remorse tomorrow. Use it to combat the real issues threatening our world peace and harmony, but don't turn this freedom into a foe of global integrity. Your freedom of expression should be aimed to unite and not divide people.

There are many demonstrations at the moment, started by a small minority who are afraid of what they call 'Islamisierung' of Europe and as a reaction there are many 'anti-anti' demonstrations from the majority of average citizens who want to show the world that Germany is an open minded country and that we like to help refugees and we want to integrate foreigners, not at last because we need them!

My opinion: 

The very small minority of narrow-minded, uneducated, egoistic people caused the majority of the 'normal' Germans to show up and made it plain to the world, that the Germans welcome all people, from all nations and religions and that we like to help refugees!

Just my 5 cents, Detlef!

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/06/world/europe/pegida-rally-dresden-germany.html?smid=fb-share

Wish You Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Te desea felices fiestas y un próspero año nuevo!

Wir wünschen frohe Feiertage und ein glückliches neues Jahr!

This is an article from Mr. Andreas von der Heydt and I got his permission to publish it here on trust7.

Imagine you're about to miss your monthly sales targets, you do not get a crucial contract signed within an agreed timeframe, you've forgotten to answer an urgent request from one of your key customers, your boss has been calling you three times in the past two hours to get a super urgent analysis for his board meeting from you, or something went wrong which seriously affects your business and possibly offsets other stakeholders.

In today's fast changing and highly complex (business) world, this can happen easily. 

A coachee of mine, a talented young marketing manager, some weeks ago told me that she had just missed an essential deadline for a major product launch. She and her team had been working extremely hard for many months to prepare a "perfect“ launch, but could not make it on time as a third-party supplier let them down in the very last momemt. They all were very disappointed and frustrated, still they did not want to give up and tried not to waste any time, they rapidly got on their feet again, everyone was busy doing anything with any kind of apparent activity. In retrospect many of those activities – she admitted - did not make any sense. 

HEADLESS CHICKEN SYNDROME

My friend described those days to me as a period of collective disorientation and non-coordinated hyper-activity. For her it was a complete new experience. Pushed by her line managers to deliver immediate results, she lost her usual impressive capability to see the big picture. She "forgot“ to contemplate, to analyze the status quo, and to calmly discuss with her team possible solutions. Instead she got nervous and was more worried about how her boss would think about her than about how to draft together with her team a solid alternative plan. 

She suffered from what I call the Headless Chicken Syndrome. Have you ever watched a headless chicken jump and flap around as if in search of its lost head? My friend was acting just like a headless chicken. She had entered Headless Chicken Syndrome without realizing it. She was overwhelmed by the situation, she and her team created more and more to-do lists, started non-coordinated initiatives, and generated a disconnect between the various teams and management. All with best intentions, however, unfortunately without simply sitting still and thinking through the problem. 

STRATEGIES TO STAY CALM UNDER PRESSURE

The most important task of any manager in very stressful, high pressure and extremely demanding situations is to keep calm and to keep one's shirt on. It's not about finding quick solutions in the first place. It's about avoiding chaos, about stabilizing the situation, and re-injecting self-confidence into the organization. And only afterwards looking for adequate solutions.

To get around the risk of facing stressed leadership I'd like to present two formulae which help me to stay even-tempered and focused during critical times and crisis. They are straightforward in concept and with will and repetitive practice also in execution:

The START Formula – This is a preventive concept, i.e. knowing and applying it assists in minimizing the risk to encounter possible headless chicken situations.

The SWITCH Formula – Once you find yourself in a situation where you are about to lose your head you better exercise this method to stay on course and to keep your cool.

THE START FORMULA

If you live by the START formula you significantly reduce the risk to be dragged into situations where you might lose your temper and head.

S - Stand Up
Make your point and explain your strategy and action plan. Don't allow others pushing you around. Don't be afraid to say no, especially if you’ve already got too much on your plate. 

T - Trust
Trust in yourself and others. 

A - Actionate
Actionate your strategy and plans. Push back if needed. Eliminate all possible distractions like unnecessary meetings, phone calls, etc.

R - Respond
Be responsive and responsible. Keep your line managers, peers, and all other stakeholders always informed and regularly ask for their opinions. If you need help, be brave enough to ask for it.

T - Take It Easy
Don´t take yourself and your tasks too serious. We are all replaceable. Don’t give in to stress or anxiety – no matter how far behind you are or how badly you’ve messed up. Relax. 


THE SWITCH FORMULA

Once you find yourself in deep and unknown waters applying this method will help you to keep your wits and calm.

S – STOP
Stop running and chasing your tail. Sit down. No further movements. 

W – Wait
Make sure you allocate yourself as much downtime as necessary. 

I – Inhale
Inhale and breathe. It clears your head. It'll balance the analytical processes of the mind with your emotions and gut.

T – Think
Contemplate about the situation you're in. Try to understand the root causes and interdependencies. Important: Always allow more time than you think you’ll need.

C – Calculate
Calculate and plan. Set yourself and your team clear goals. Break them down into monthly, weekly, and daily milestone targets. They should be specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and time-bound (SMART). Leave a sufficiently big buffer between every task. 

H - Head and Proceed
Once you are clear about your objectives and your action plan, and only then, move on and execute.

FINAL THOUGHT

We all know that the more we rush, the higher the chances we fail. Still, often we do it with or without realizing it. In consequence we often create more waste and churn, trigger unnecessary activities, put too much pressure on others and make them feel uncomfortable, and might fail to spot real problems or real opportunities to improve.

What do you think? Please join the discussion by leaving a comment below.

*****
Andreas von der Heydt is the Head of Kindle Content at Amazon in Germany. Before that he hold various senior management positions at Amazon and L'Oréal. He's a leadership expert and management coach. He also founded Consumer Goods Club. Andreas worked and lived in Europe, Australia, the U.S. and Asia.

Here is the link to the original source of this article:

https://www.linkedin.com/

Dear trust7 members,

last Saturday was a really grey and rainy day and I felt a bit sad and lonesome, although I am happily married, living in my home country/city with many friends and a dog, a cat and 2 parrots .

Then I thought about our community and that many of you are far away from home, apart from the families and friends and even if you have your family around, you are still in another country, with a strange language and not always nice people. 

What about looking for some friends? Maybe a fellow countryman is living in the same city or some other trust7 member faces a similar situation.

Go ahead and post a message in our Special Forum Life is a lot easier if you have someone to talk, to do some activities together. You know this, maybe you just need this little push from me.

The possibilities are unlimited, your ideas are needed Get together and bring the sun into the German Autumn and Winter!

Detlef

I realized that this topic is discussed again and again, so I want to give you short but important information about getting a prior approval for your visa/work permit!

The prior approval will shorten the whole application process immensely!

1. The employer has to apply for it!

2. If your salary will be less than 47.600,- € per year the ZAV has to be involved (Central Employment Agency)

3. If your salary is above 47.600,- € the ZAV is not important any more and your future employer can apply directly at his local foreigner office for a so called 'Vorabzustimmung'.

4. The employer needs the employment contract, your passport copy and a copy of your University degree. This should do it.

5. Documents needed for ZAV approval you will find when you follow the link below

http://www.arbeitsagentur.de/

Good luck

Detlef