1. British Business Culture Michael Gates RICHARD LEWIS COMMUNICATIONS

2. GERMAN “I don’t agree”

3. ENGLISHMAN “Hmm, that’s a very interesting idea”

4. FINN “…………………”

5. Human Mental Programming – Finland –

6. Human Mental Programming – UK –

7. Celtic / Irish / Northern English Comparison CelticIrishNorthern English Poetic Romantic Excitable Artistic Good singers Good story-tellers Some emotion Open / Displays feelings Not-so-insular Humorous Not class conscious Punctual (except Irish) Good linguists / Talkative Exaggerate Changeable Charming Unreliable Hard-headed Friendly Very humorous Not class conscious Generous Very open Better linguists than Southerners Anti-snob Show happiness but not sadness Hate red tape Individualistic

8. Finnish – British Horizons

9. © 2001, 2005 Richard D Lewis

10. National Communication Patterns – Italy –

11. National Communication Patterns – Finland –

12. National Communication Patterns – Germany –

13. National Communication Patterns – USA –

14. National Communication Patterns – UK –

15. British Coded Speech (1) What is saidWhat is meant Hm….interesting idea You could say that We must have a meeting about your idea We shall certainly consider it I’m not quite with you on that one I agree, up to a point What a stupid suggestion I wouldn’t Forget it We won’t do it That is totally unacceptable I disagree

16. British Coded Speech (2) What is saidWhat is meant Remind me once more of your strategy We must wait for a politically correct time to introduce this It has lots of future potential He works intuitively He’s our best golfer Let me make a suggestion I wasn’t listening last time Forget it It’s failed He’s completely disorganised We keep him out of the office This is what I’ve decided to do

17. How the British Use Humour Self-deprecation To break up tension To speed up discussion To direct criticism towards a superior To introduce a new, possibly wild idea To introduce the unexpected in over-rigid negotiation To laugh at over-elaborate or “mysterious” management priorities

18. Listening Habits – UK –

19. Listening Habits – Finland –

20. Leadership style - USA - - UK -

21. Leadership style – Finland –

22. – UK – Language of Management

23. – Finland –

24. How to get things done with Conflict- avoiding Britons (1) Take them with you in your planning from the beginning. Get each day’s summary down in writing and mutually agreed Don’t be too blunt or forceful Don’t see things just as black and white, right or wrong Don’t believe that the truth is always best Change is not necessarily a good thing to the British When you are giving an order, say “May I make a suggestion?” or “How about if we tried this?” Hint at what you would like done, once you have won respect or liking from a Briton

25. How to get things done with Conflict- avoiding Britons (2) Say that you’re in trouble if he/she doesn’t help you Do a Brit a favour first, before telling him what you want Mention British efficiency before making a suggestion Say things like “we and the British know that….” Take every opportunity to emphasise your commonalities with the British in the area of action and alacrity Point out that the French would be less co-operative, the Spanish slower, the Italians disorganised

26. How to get things done with Conflict- avoiding Britons (3) Set deadlines for tasks, but secretly allow 2-3 days delay Emphasise joint goals where you and the Brit depend on each other to achieve completion of task Say things like “I’m entrusting this to you, Jack, because I know I can depend on you” Ignore the occasional lapse or failure to meet a deadline. (It pays!) Give more praise than you would to your own compatriot Learn some British coded speech Keep performing deed after deed efficiently without seeking praise Initiate brainstorming with a view to action. Brits like brainstorming

27. Negotiating characteristics (1) Formal introductions. Jacket and tie. Considerable politeness and charm shown at first session Formal style often abandoned at second meeting if interlocutors are British, American, Australian/ New Zealand or Canadian. Jackets off, first names used Formalities often maintained with non-English speakers Items discussed as per agenda Calmness maintained throughout, even if the other side becomes agitated

28. Negotiating characteristics (2) Progress attempted through arguments which show reasonableness, compromise and common sense Use reserve and understatement to combat heavy arguments or aggressive behaviour Agree with opponents whenever possible (but qualify agreement) Avoid being rushed into decisions. Stall if necessary Use vagueness as a tactic to delay. Confuse or modify Use humour as a tactic to relax the meeting or alternatively to ridicule opponent

29. Negotiating characteristics (3) Resist American tendency to get a deal at the first meeting Make certain decisions within the meeting, but delay final commitment till later Appear to be open and decisive, but do not play all one’s cards early on Have a fall-back position Do not reveal the strength of one’s behind-the-scene connections See things over the long-term and look for lasting relationships Keep as much independence as possible Go at one’s own pace – not too slow, not too fast

30. Do’s and Don’ts with the English (1) Remember the English use coded speech. You must read between the lines A certain type of Englishmen will praise, criticise or condemn obliquely. Don’t risk imitating this. But don’t criticise too directly Don’t discuss business for 5-10 minutes at the beginning of any meeting. Keep up the small talk Accept dinner invitations in English homes readily. You should usually take a bottle of (good) wine with you At the end of such evening you may find that the host and hostess will kiss you and your wife. It is becoming the fashion but don’t take the initiative

31. Do’s and Don’ts with the English (2) Remember the English are very ambitious and competitive, but are not allowed to show it They often appear very casual when in fact they are very serious English people do not like to be seen working hard openly. Don’t be fooled by their relaxed manner Don’t talk too much or too loud Try to avoid personal questions such as “what do you do?” English feel that excessive questioning is intrusive Use humour if you can. Have a stock of anecdotes

32. Do’s and Don’ts with the English (3) Admire the success of others Send thank-you notes Put things in writing Laugh at yourself if you can Accept occasional ambiguities Don’t push logic too much Keep a distance. Don’t reveal too many private details It is better to understate rather than exaggerate Don’t rush them

33. Do’s and Don’ts with the English (4) Greet them with a smile and a firm handshake, don’t shake hands too much afterwards Use surname at first, but be ready to use Christian names at the second or third meeting if you get a hint Be friendly, but don’t gush. Don’t praise people too much Show you knowledge of and respect for British history Topics for small talk are: - the weather - your friend’s comfort (hotel OK?, etc…) - sport - the Royal family

34. Do’s and Don’ts with the English (5) Don’t lapse into silence Always impute the best motives Recent politics may be discussed, but don’t take sides. Many English are politically polarised Don’t show preference for any English class. They are class conscious and it’s none of your business anyway Don’t boast. Self-deprecation is a good tactic. Don’t name drop Remember that the English have a North and South divide as well as Celtic groups

35. Do’s and Don’ts with the English (6) Try to adapt to different types of behaviour (Northerners are more direct than Southerners) Don’t try to imitate any regional English accent Talk about business as if it’s some kind of game Don’t be too serious about anything. The English like people who are laid back. Don’t put forward too strong opinions. Never threaten Tell white lies to protect the face of others. This shows good taste Keep up the pretence that everything is under control, even when it isn’t. the English don’t like chaos

36. How to Empathise with Britons (1) Key : humour Business and making money are serious matters, but one should always try to look casual about it Brits accept career challenge One should be competitive, but not tread openly on others’ toes. There are unwritten rules about fair play Statements and actions should be low key. Everything should seem to be under control. Don’t rock the boat! Sentiment, emotion and open criticism should be avoided in public Open debate is OK, as long as one makes it clear that one separates people’s opinions from their integrity

37. How to Empathise with Britons (2) On-the-dot punctuality may sometimes be seen as overdone. One may arrive a few minutes late at a meeting as long as one is well- prepared Managers usually want to be considered one of the team but maintain a slight (power) distance The English hate regimentation Do not boast Do not talk too much