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Doing Business in Britain
Five Ways to Succeed
Five Ways to Fail
Deliver on time, without drama
Boast about your achievements
Arrive at meetings punctually
Talk for an hour in a presentation
If you’re having difficulties, ask advice immediately rather than risk missing a deadline
Phone people in the evening about work
Check at the end of a meeting exactly what the Let a colleague down once he or she believes Brits expect of you they can depend on you Join them for a beer after work, or in the gym (many Brits now avoid alcohol)
Be patronising to women
Overview © Copyright Barry Tomalin 2010 All Rights reserved (www.worldbusinesscultures.com)
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A group of North West European islands, and a member of the EU since 1973, the UK is a monarchy that never seems quite sure whether its key alliance lies with Europe, the USA or the Commonwealth. It has always resisted joining the Eurozone, maintains sterling as its currency and opts out of much of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy. It claims a ‘special relationship’ with the USA that extends back to the two countries’ common roots (the Pilgrim Fathers sailed from Plymouth, on Britain’s south-west coast, to America in 1611), and remains a leading member of the Commonwealth, a loose association of countries that were formerly part of the British Empire. In some of them (Canada, for example) the British monarch is still considered Head of State. Its 60 million population and common language (English) conceal quite deep social divisions. First there are the four main nationalities; English (the majority), Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish. Then there are the main migrant groups who have settled in the UK from Commonwealth countries, principally the West Indies, India and Pakistan and most recently the Central and Eastern Europeans arrivals from the new EU entrants in 2004. Finally, within England itself there is a traditional rivalry between the old industrial north and the more affluent south. Britain claims that it is a multicultural country with strict laws against discrimination by race, religion, gender, age, disability and sexual orientation, as well as respect for human rights. This policy has, however, been thrown into question by the 7/11 terrorist bombings of 2005 and debates about religious dress and separatism. Economically, the UK is placed ninth in the Goldman Sachs forecast of the world’s richest countries in 2050. Its strength lies in the City of London’s financial services sector and in Britons’ personal wealth in a buoyant property market. You would imagine that a nation whose language has become the global business language would be easy to understand. But this is not always the case with the British. They remain an idiosyncratic island race: frustratingly insular, reluctant to display overt emotion, and ambiguous in what they say. The British are often uneasy and nervous when dealing with other people, even amongst themselves. Perhaps this explains their reliance on their notoriously unpredictable weather as a subject of small talk. It’s a shield to save having to talk about – heaven forbid! – one’s personal life or feelings. Americans get exasperated by the British fear of not saying clearly what they feel and what they want, and this impassive, undemonstrative approach also confuses many other cultures. You should, of course, remember the differences between the UK’s four different cultures: the Scots can be healthily frank, while the Irish and Welsh regard themselves as far more open and passionate than the English. Despite these drawbacks, combined with the devastating economic blows of two world wars and the loss of empire in the twentieth century, Britain has emerged into the twenty-first century as one of the world’s major trading nations. The Brits themselves exist in a curious mix of regret for a lost idyllic past, when life was supposedly less tense and less violent, and a relaxed contemporary hedonism.
© Copyright Barry Tomalin 2010 All Rights reserved (www.worldbusinesscultures.com)
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Values and attitudes Just like any other culture, Britain is full of paradoxes. On the one hand, the British continue to believe in the values of tradition, caution, restraint and fair play. They support the underdog, tolerate eccentricity (often by ignoring it) and think that taking part is more important than winning. Modesty and politeness are also important to them. This, combined with their zeal for personal privacy, can produce bizarre effects such as a reluctance to say what they actually do in their working life. If asked at a party what his job is, a Briton might say, ‘I’m in advertising,’ when in fact he’s the high-performing CEO of a major advertising agency. The British are also famous for their legendary ironic and self-deprecating humour. They find it useful as an ice-breaker at meetings, to defuse tension and cover potentially embarrassing moments. The difficulty for visitors is that they just don’t get what’s being said, or, even worse, take it literally. Britons working internationally, or dealing with foreign clients in their own country, should develop more awareness of this pitfall and modify what they’re saying or writing accordingly. What has changed in Britain in recent decades is that the country has become much more informal in its social and business customs, and has shed much of its former respect for institutions, title and age. In this it follows the American model. People use first names very quickly, even to bosses, and the words ‘Sir’ and ‘Madam’ are now mainly used only by sales assistants in shops. Britons do, however, maintain a generally high level of respect for the law and for procedures, which largely explains the absence of corruption in British business and politics. This combination of tradition and rapid change can make life confusing for the foreigner in Britain. The secret is to watch and listen carefully, and to learn to read between the lines to try and establish what the British are really saying. In this respect Britain is closer to some eastern cultures than western ones. It can take years to fully decipher British codes, but this is also true so of any culture where much of what is truly meant remains unspoken.
Cultural style Britain is a systems society, very much governed by a strong legal system and a principle of fair play. The job comes first, the relationship second and professionalism comes before friendship or relationship. Once renowned for its formality, Britain has become one of the most informal business communities in the world with all levels of society on first name terms. This informality is crucial to successful communication, and many foreign business people, used to the stereotypical image of a 1950s’ English male in bowler hat and pin-stripe suit, carrying a rolled umbrella, still fail to recognise it. The British are known worldwide for their punctuality, so ensure that you’re there on time. Some British managers can get agitated if someone is as little as two or three minutes late. Road congestion and rail disruption are common in Britain, but true business pros take that into account and leave extra early for key appointments. © Copyright Barry Tomalin 2010 All Rights reserved (www.worldbusinesscultures.com)
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Communication As we have already seen, Britain has copied many social and business mannerisms from the USA. People use first names almost immediately: many bosses actively encourage their staff to call them by their first name. This informality even extends to those you are dealing with purely by phone or email: the person you have just contacted responds using your first name even though they may know nothing about you. The practice is uncomfortable to many foreigners, and has one very obvious drawback. If the relationship goes wrong and disagreement sets in, you are left in an uncomfortable position: having to address someone in a friendly way when you are feeling anything but that. British style is to be courteous and friendly but detached. It’s polite to shake hands at the beginning and end of meetings. However, if you’re a frequent visitor to a company, you will not be expected to shake hands with everyone in the office, only with those with whom you’re dealing directly. You’ll receive a limp, tenuous handshake from a surprising number of Britons: it’s their nervousness at confronting someone new, combined with the British reluctance to reveal too much emotion too soon. The British are practical, empirical people, and distrust too much theory, philosophizing and idealism. So pack your presentations full of attainable objectives, concrete detail and provable statistics. Time your presentation to last around 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the gravity of your proposal, and allow opportunity for debate and questions. People will concentrate more on the content of what you say than on how you say it or your body language. Remember that even if your audience is wildly excited about your project, their response may be muted: it’s that British reserve at work, that fear of being seen to be too enthusiastic. If your audience is highly divided, the discussion is unlikely to be heated: a sense of calm and proportion usually prevails in British business.
Meetings and negotiations A formal business meeting in Britain will generally run to an agenda. If the discussion wanders too far from it, the chairperson may feel uncomfortable and try to drag everyone back on line. If important new matters arise in these digressions, the chair will often suggest that they are put on the agenda at the next meeting, or, if urgent, addressed rapidly by a sub-group of people outside the meeting. Meetings generally end on time. Following the American example, British meetings can be highly egalitarian affairs. Managers are often happy to sit beside staff and not at the top of the table, and will try to draw everyone into the discussion. The ideal is to achieve consensus so that everyone feels that they ‘own’ the decision. The British like to arrive at decisions and action points in their meetings, which managers are then © Copyright Barry Tomalin 2010 All Rights reserved (www.worldbusinesscultures.com)
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expected to follow up. The focus is on action rather than going through an exhaustive discussion of options.
In debates the British tend to avoid dogmatic and absolute statements, and use words such as ‘perhaps’ and ‘maybe’ to imply that alternative points of view might be valid. In negotiations they are often willing to compromise to achieve a win-win situation in which both parties can feel that the agreement offers a reasonable deal and prospects of further cooperation.
Teamwork and motivation Operating in management teams is a basic principle of British business. This includes sharing information, regular briefings and teams taking credit for success (or getting angry if the boss does so without crediting them.) Team members are chosen for their experience and qualifications, but also on the basis of ‘usefulness’. The team leader is responsible for setting the objectives and tasks, but team members take responsibility for implementation: delegation is an important principle of British management. Consultation is important, although team members will normally abide by majority decisions. However, the way of giving feedback can sometimes be quite adversarial. Criticism should not be seen as an attack on personal competence.
Leadership and decision-making American management approaches and methods have also influenced this area of British business. Power is often devolved downwards, and people are expected to ‘champion’ and to take responsibility for their particular projects. Britain operates on a ‘tight’ time environment, so managers are also expected to deliver on schedule, or have a pretty good reason for why it’s not possible. The more enlightened companies welcome input from any member of staff, no matter how modest their experience. British managers often have fewer academic and technical qualifications compared to their equivalents in other countries, but tend to compensate for this by having more on-the-job experience. Some cultures regard British practices as unprofessional and slack: ‘muddling through’ is the British term for pulling everything together in the end, but this approach does not impress the Germans, for example. The general management attitude in the UK is warm but detached, and relationships tend to be functional rather than personal. If confrontation emerges, it will be resolved face to face by focusing on the issues rather than on the personalities.
Socializing and gift-giving ‘Going for a pint’ after work is common in Britain. Join in: it’s a good place to make friends and get to know the Brits, and you don’t have to drink alcohol. Despite their reputation for reserve, the British © Copyright Barry Tomalin 2010 All Rights reserved (www.worldbusinesscultures.com)
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are quite quick to invite visitors to their homes for dinner or for lunch at the weekend. If you are asked, don’t arrive more than 15 minutes late, or you risk disrupting the hosts’ timing. The evening will probably finish by 10 or 11pm. Take wine: Britain is not a major wine growing culture, so ‘bringing a bottle’ is an accepted convention. You may also want to take flowers or some chocolates for your hostess. Dress is almost always smart casual in out-of-office occasions. Gift giving is not necessary to the business process: it is more common to invite people to a good lunch to express appreciation. If you wish to offer a present, something from your country is always acceptable: remember that the British tradition is to open gifts immediately so that both giver and receiver can share the pleasure. Great gifts: Wine, chocolate, a speciality from your own country Avoid giving: Most presents are acceptable. Maybe ask a florist about appropriate flowers. Red roses or white lilies may send the wrong message.
Ice-breakers
Ice-makers
British weather – it never fails
Religion, politics and immigration
Property prices – but don’t ask someone directly what theirs is worth
People’s salaries and personal worth
Laments about traffic, parking and public transport
‘Why do British people put their parents in homes?’
Respect for taking someone’s time
Raising your voice
Being courteous – using ‘please’, ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry’.
Boasting about yourself or your country
Remembering and using names Gentle use of understatement and irony
© Copyright Barry Tomalin 2010 All Rights reserved (www.worldbusinesscultures.com)
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