Are you on a conference trip in Sweden and wonder how to act proper in a Swedish meeting? Different culture have different standards even though Swedish people are pretty simple but direct. Follow these tips and you will win them over in a minute.
- Greeting. Every business meeting starts and finish with a handshake. This applies to everyone; men and women; adults and children.
- Punctuality. Being on time is important in every situation, in business as in social life. Punctuality shows respect and efficiency in Sweden. Swedes like to plan ahead and make schedules. Don’t be surprised if they make a deadline set during meeting.
- Take notes or record. It is pretty common to take notes or record meetings in sweden this just to remember what came up during the meeting. Make sure to bring a notepad and a penn to the meeting so you seem interested.
- Consensus. Swedish people are afraid of doing something wrong and agree to something fast without consoling with others. Consensus process is a way for the swedes to include more people in the decision making.
Over all Swedish people are very friendly but can sound a bit harsh and brusque but don’t take it personal, the are often stressing and find meetings unease. Don’t forget that every coin has two sides and this information is not necessarily accurate for all swedes.
If you want to read more about Swedish meetings you can click here or here.