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British and finnish (British Meetings (Communication Styles (The British…
British and finnish
British Meetings
Successful Entertaining
Its common to be invited out for lunch, but more unusual is to be asked to go for dinner
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Alcohol will usually be offered at lunch and some British business people will accept whilst others prefer to drink soft drinks
Communication Styles
The British use their language in a coded manner preferring to say unpalatable things using more acceptable, positive phrases.
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Humour is used as a tension release mechanism and helps to keep situations calm, reserved and non-emotional.
People who are verbally positive about themselves and their abilities may be disbelieved and will me disliked
They are often inconclusive, with the decision of the meeting being that another meeting should be held
Meetings are often viewed as the forum for the open debate of an issue and that, during that open debate, a route forward will be found
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They consider themselves to be punctual, but when pressed will admit to rarely arriving on time
Finnish
Meetings in Finland
the Finnish approach to discourse is almost unique in its sparseness and this can lead non-Finns to make all kinds of erroneous judgements with regard to the tenor and effectiveness of a meeting they might attend
Meetings tend to be structured, follow a pre-set agenda and are orderly with one person speaking at a time - often seeking permission to speak through the Chair
People will be well prepared, as you are not expected to speak unless you have something concrete to contribute
Finns view overt enthusiasm and hyperbole with suspicion and it is better to understate your case than to overstate it.
Successful Entertaining
Dinner is a different matter and, if invited for dinner you can expect alcohol to be served
No section on business entertaining in Finland would be complete without a mention of the Finnish sauna and its role in Finnish life
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Over dinner, conversation tends to steer clear of business topics and concentrate more on other issues
Communication Styles
People are expected to contribute to a meeting or conversation only when they have something of import to say
Silence is an integral part of the overall communication pattern and Finns are more comfortable in silence than most other nationalities
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Finns use humour extensively in business situations, but the type of humour may bypass other nationalities' comprehension
Humour is usually very laconic and self-deprecatory and they tell more jokes about themselves than any other nation.