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© Karolina Racławska, Berlitz Cultural Consulting
The skill to correctly decipher and understand different cultures is
becoming increasingly necessary to succeed globally today, be it
negotiating contracts, leading meetings or managing employees.
What we see when entering a new country or dealing with foreigners is
just the tip of the iceberg. The way people behave, what kind of
clothes they wear, the music they listen to, the things they enjoy
doing in their free time are observable characteristics that do not
have much influence on the way business is run. What is important are
the attitudes, values and convictions that people have that we don’t
notice until trouble strikes.
And trouble does strike, but not the way you might expect it to.
Misunderstandings arise not just because of poor language competencies
but because of cross-cultural incompetence. When dealing
internationally we need to be extra careful not to presume that our
mode of thinking is shared by all.
False friends are a wonderful example of this. They show that seemingly
innocent words can create havoc in an international company. Let’s
take, for example, the word ‘catastrophe’ that the Germans use to
describe a major disaster like the loss of a strategic client whereas
for the French a catastrophe happens every hour and can refer to
something as unimportant as there being no paper in the copier or no
milk for the morning coffee. Just imagine the frustration of a German
boss driving down to Paris after hearing about a catastrophe in the
French branch of his company only to arrive and find that the coffee
machine isn’t working! (img 1)
If you think that such a situation cannot possibly happen in your
company take a look at the facts. According to Dr Carol Kowach from
UCLA, culturally mixed groups without the right cultural tools and
knowledge can work below the effectiveness of mono-cultural groups, but
teams of internationals with the right cultural training can excel and
be much more effective than their single culture counterparts. If
you’re working in an international company just imagine the
possibilities that lie ahead if the best of each culture adds to your
company’s growth.
Berlitz Cultural Consulting seminars aim at just that, to bring out the
best in business travellers, global managers, and business transferees
and in turn make companies working across borders more effective.
In February Berlitz together with BPCC organised a seminar about
intercultural differences in reference to Polish British relations.
Berlitz Intercultural trainer, Marta Motak, talked about the Cultural
Adjustment Curve and presented some tips for Poles doing business with
the Brits and vice versa.
The Cultural Adaptation Curve presents the stages of
culture shock, an emotional rollercoaster we go through when relocating
to another country. Culture shock happens to all but how long it lasts
varies from person to person. For some it may take only a few weeks to
adapt to the new culture whereas for others culture shock might last up
to a couple of years.
Please see stages in an expatriate’s life once entering a new country. (img 2)
Pre-departure Excitement & stress
Intercultural seminars aim at reducing culture shock and help
expatriates understand the way things are dealt with in the new culture
and find a way to lead a fulfilling life in the new ‘home’ while
accepting the reality around.
Whether for expatriates relocating to or for business travellers doing
business in new surroundings Berlitz Cultural Consulting seminars are
not about the dos and don’ts. They rather explain why business is done
differently or why everyday life is not like back home. We equip our clients with the necessary tools to bridge cultural gaps and show how to do business effectively and how to cope with daily life.
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Just to whet your appetite, below is a list of a few, easy to follow
tips that might help you understand some of the bizarre ways of
behaviour you might encounter when dealing with Poles if you are
British or Brits if you are Polish.
Advice for those entering Poland or working with Poles:
* Drinking toasts (“Na Zdrowie”): You may be invited (less often than
in communist days) to raise a little shot glass of vodka to your hosts.
Its should be drained in one gulp (bottoms up style). When toasting, be
sure to never break eye contact with the person you are toasting from
the moment you lift the glass to the moment you place it down again. It
is wise to eat while drinking...always.
* Poles don’t waste time on vacuous pleasantries: they can get right to
the point. But when you ask them “how are you?” they’ll expect you to
stick around for the full and honest answer. Alternately, they can
appear at once far too personal too soon (“How much do you make at that
job?”), and far too formal for too long (it’s important to use last
names with “Pan”- Mr., or “Pani”- Mrs. until they invite you to address
them by their first names).
* Be flexible in business: things take lots more time. Do not expect
prompt responses, and resist the temptation to think that the Poles are
avoiding you. They are simply dealing with their own set of constraints
like little daily emergencies that you, as an outside visitor, will
generally not be bothered with.
Advice for those entering the UK or working with the British:
*Eager to make a good impression on your first trip to Edinburgh don’t
mention that you look forward to working with your English colleagues.
People living in Scotland are Scots, not English. The English live in
England, though both the English and Scots are British, since they,
along with the Welsh, all live on the island of Great Britain.
*When you finally sign a deal in London don’t extend your hand upward,
palm facing inward and make the V-for –victory sign. Raising your hand
with the first two fingers up has a positive meaning in Britain
(victory), as long as the palm is facing outward. If the palm is facing
inward, this becomes a very vulgar sign in Britain.
*If business discussions reach a critical point at the meeting and
someone announcers that the tea trolley has arrived don’t be surprised
if everyone at the table goes off for at least 15 minutes. The British
cherish their breaks and periodic rests. Respect these moments and do
not expect business to intrude.
Even when using English on a proficient level to communicate Poles need to remember that the British speak in code.
The phrase ‘How interesting!’ when expressed by a Pole is honest and
expresses genuine interest in a topic, but if a Brit says it he is
merely telling you that he is as interested in the matter as having to
watch paint dry.
If you hear a Brit saying ‘We must meet again soon’ you need to
remember that he doesn’t want to discuss the where and when of your
next appointment but means ‘I would rather go over Niagara Falls in a
barrel than do so’
But jokes and humour aside, intercultural seminars are becoming
increasingly popular and a must if companies want to succeed on foreign
markets. Berlitz provides training with a measurable standard of
reliability and dependability almost anywhere in the world. When you
choose Berlitz Cultural Consulting for your global training, you are
working with a global company and not an independent consultant or
boutique with loose affiliations of secondary vendors. We offer deep
and rich sources of international training expertise unmatched by other
cultural providers.
If you have your own observations about cultural differences between Poles and Brits please submit them to us: e-mail:
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