At 19 years old I traveled to London, England as part of a college tour. I was an opera major and we traveled overseas to sing at several different locations to include churches, schools, and the London School of the Arts. While this trip was over 20 years ago, it was the most impactful adventure of my life and shaped part of who I am today. It was the first time I had been in another country and it was culture shock compared to what I knew and grew up with in Florida. People walked everywhere, talked to each other, traveled by rail, and laughed with strangers they would never see again.
During the time mentioned above there were not conversations related to what to expect or how to act when enjoying the beauty of another culture and country. Now a days there is a wealth of information available to help bridge the gap on what to expect, especially when it comes to business dealings within what is now known as the European Union (EU). One of the most important things to know is to be prepared for the level of diversity that makes up the EU, and while this is still work in progress with others understanding each other’s cultures and beliefs there is growth occurring daily. It is fascinating to learn that, “Managers readily cross national boundaries not only on business, but for professional development as well” (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p. 466). This type of collaboration, support, and mentoring seems to be the opposite of the highly competitive business world that we work in within the US.
It is important to be aware that Europeans find the following important:
- Family/friends and socializing with them,
- Realistic due to history and the current ways of the world,
- Century thinking instead of decade thinking as we do in the US, and
- Enduring over time – “plagues, atrocities, great wars, and government changes” (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p. 467).
Having this information allows one to head into a business, meeting, discussion, or communication with a head start on setting the interaction of for success. Starting the interaction asking about their family or follow up on something you learned about them during a previous interaction such as, their child graduating or getting married is a great way to show the other person that work is not all you care about. Be honest and realistic in your goals, asks, and expectations. Remembering these are realistic and sometimes cynical thinkers will be important in building relationships as well as understanding some of the decisions made by those you are working with.
No matter where you are headed to do business, no matter the culture, no matter the type of interaction that will be occurring, “If more cooperative relationships are to be developed with their citizens and leaders, further data gathering, especially via the internet” is recommend (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p. 496). Being able to use the resources and tools available to us to better understand and learn about others will only make us better humans, leaders, friends, and co-workers.
References:
Moran, R.T., Abramson, N. R. & Moran, S.V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences. Ninth Edition. Abingdon: Routledge.
Pennsylvania State University (2019). Leadership and Global Context – OLEAD 410. Online course lesson, Penn State World Campus, The Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved November 16, 2019 from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2008449/modules/items/27027028
Psephizo (2019), [Photograph of the EU flag]. Retrieved from