|
Protocol
Example: ProtocolRegulations.pdf
Protocol ("Etiquette") regulates questions like:
- order of precedence
- titles
- style of address
- dress codes
- protocol for speakers
- seating plans
- business protocol
Who are the five highest-ranking persons according to German protocol?
German Etiquette & Customs
Meeting Etiquette
. Greetings are formal.
. A quick, firm handshake is the traditional greeting.
. Titles
are very important and denote respect. Use a person's title and their
surname until invited to use their first name. You should say Herr or
Frau and the person's title and their surname.
. In general, wait for your host or hostess to introduce you to a group.
. When entering a room, shake hands with everyone individually, including children.
Gift Giving Etiquette
. If you are invited to a German's house, bring a gift such as chocolates or flowers.
. Yellow roses or tea roses are always well received.
. Do not give red roses as they symbolize romantic intentions.
. Do not give carnations as they symbolize mourning.
. Do not give lilies or chrysanthemums as they are used at funerals.
. If
you bring wine, it should be imported, French or Italian. Giving German
wines is viewed as meaning you do not think the host will serve a good
quality wine.
. Gifts are usually opened when received.
Dining Etiquette
If you are invited to a German's house:
. Arrive on time as punctuality indicates proper planning. Never arrive early.
. Never arrive more than 15 minutes later than invited without telephoning to explain you have been detained.
. Send a handwritten thank you note the following day to thank your hostess for her hospitality.
Table manners
. Remain standing until invited to sit down. You may be shown to a particular seat.
. Table manners are Continental -- the fork is held in the left hand and the knife in the right while eating.
. Do not begin eating until the hostess starts or someone says 'guten appetit' (good appetite).
. At a large dinner party, wait for the hostess to place her napkin in her lap before doing so yourself.
. Do not rest your elbows on the table.
. Do not cut lettuce in a salad. Fold it using your knife and fork.
. Cut as much of your food with your fork as possible, since this compliments the cook by indicating the food is tender.
. Finish everything on your plate.
. Rolls should be broken apart by hand.
. Indicate
you have finished eating by laying your knife and fork parallel across
the right side of your plate, with the fork over the knife.
. The host gives the first toast.
. An honoured guest should return the toast later in the meal.
. The most common toast with wine is 'Zum Wohl!' ('good health').
. The most common toast with beer is 'Prost!' ('good health').
Business Etiquette and Protocol in Germany
Relationships & Communications
. Germans do not need a personal relationship in order to do business.
. They will be interested in your academic credentials and the amount of time your company has been in business.
. Germans
display great deference to people in authority, so it is imperative
that they understand your level relative to their own.
. Germans do
not have an open-door policy. People often work with their office door
closed. Knock and wait to be invited in before entering.
. German communication is formal.
. Following the established protocol is critical to building and maintaining business relationships.
. As a group, Germans are suspicious of hyperbole, promises that sound too good to be true, or displays of emotion.
. Germans will be direct to the point of bluntness.
. Expect
a great deal of written communication, both to back up decisions and to
maintain a record of decisions and discussions.
Business Meeting Etiquette
. Appointments are mandatory and should be made 1 to 2 weeks in advance.
. Letters
should be addressed to the top person in the functional area, including
the person's name as well as their proper business title.
. If you write to schedule an appointment, the letter should be written in German.
. Punctuality
is taken extremely seriously. If you expect to be delayed, telephone
immediately and offer an explanation. It is extremely rude to cancel a
meeting at the last minute and it could jeopardize your business
relationship.
. Meetings are generally formal.
. Initial meetings are used to get to know each other. They allow your German colleagues to determine if you are trustworthy.
. Meetings adhere to strict agendas, including starting and ending times.
. Maintain direct eye contact while speaking.
. Although English may be spoken, it is a good idea to hire an interpreter so as to avoid any misunderstandings.
. At the end of a meeting, some Germans signal their approval by rapping their knuckles on the tabletop.
There is a strict protocol to follow when entering a room:
. The eldest or highest ranking person enters the room first.
. Men enter before women, if their age and status are roughly equivalent.
Business Negotiation
. Do not sit until invited and told where to sit. There is a rigid protocol to be followed.
. Meetings adhere to strict agendas, including starting and ending times.
. Treat the process with the formality that it deserves.
. Germany is heavily regulated and extremely bureaucratic.
. Germans
prefer to get down to business and only engage in the briefest of small
talk. They will be interested in your credentials.
. Make sure your printed material is available in both English and German.
. Contracts are strictly followed.
. You
must be patient and not appear ruffled by the strict adherence to
protocol. Germans are detail- oriented and want to understand every
innuendo before coming to an agreement.
. Business is hierarchical. Decision-making is held at the top of the company.
. Final
decisions are translated into rigorous, comprehensive action steps that
you can expect will be carried out to the letter.
. Avoid confrontational behaviour or high- pressure tactics. It can be counterproductive.
. Once a decision is made, it will not be changed.
Dress Etiquette
. Business dress is understated, formal and conservative.
. Men should wear dark coloured, conservative business suits.
. Women should wear either business suits or conservative dresses.
. Do not wear ostentatious jewellery or accessories.
Etiquette & Customs in Norway
Meeting and Greeting
. Greetings are casual, with a firm handshake, direct eye contact, and a smile.
. Norwegians are egalitarian and casual; they often introduce themselves with their first name only.
. In some circumstances people may use the honorific title "Herr" (Mr.) or "Fru" (Mrs.) and their surname.
. You can wait to be invited before moving to first names although most people will start with this.
. Shake hands and say good-bye individually when arriving or departing.
. Shake hands with people on a first come first served basis.
Gift Giving Etiquette
. If invited to a Norwegian's home, bring flowers, chocolates, pastries, wine, or imported spirits to the hostess.
. Flowers may be sent the morning of a dinner party so they may be displayed that evening.
. Do not give carnations, lilies or white flowers as they are used at funerals.
. Do not give wreaths, even at Christmas.
. Do not give even numbers of flowers.
. A houseplant is well received in the winter months.
. A bouquet of freshly picked wildflowers is always appreciated.
. Gifts are opened when received.
Dining Etiquette
. Invitations are generally given verbally.
. Norwegians are punctual in both business and social situations.
. Confirm the dress code with your hosts.
. Offer to help the hostess with the preparation or clearing up after a meal is served.
. Do not discuss business. Norwegians separate their business and personal lives.
. Reciprocate any invitation.
. Table manners are more formal than one might expect of a culture that is informal and egalitarian.
. Hold the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right while eating.
. Do not begin eating until the hostess starts.
. Most food, including sandwiches, is eaten with utensils.
. When
you have finished eating, place your knife and fork across your plate
with the prongs facing down and the handles facing to the right.
. The
male guest of honour, generally seated to the left of the hostess,
thanks the hostess on behalf of the other guests with the phrase "takk
for matten" (thanks for the meal).
. The host makes a small speech and offers the first toast.
. Toast the host/hostess during the meal.
. Women may offer toasts.
. Toasts are made with alcoholic beverages, but not beer.
. When
someone is being toasted, raise your glass, look at the person, take a
sip, look at the person again, and then return the glass to the table.
. Women must put down their glasses first after a toast.
Business Etiquette & Protocol in Norway
If you were to think about the most important cultural attributes
that you will see operating in business in Norway, they would be:
. Informal style
. Individual interests
. Transactional relationships
. Direct communication
Building Relationships & Communication
. Norwegians are transactional and do not need long-standing personal relationships in order to conduct business.
. Nonetheless,
they prefer to do business with those they trust, so it is important
that you provide information about yourself and the company you
represent prior to meeting your business colleagues.
. Relationships develop slowly and depend upon the other person being professional and meeting all agreed upon deadlines.
. Giving a well-researched presentation indicates that you are serious about conducting business.
. The basic business style is relatively informal.
. Norwegians respect confident, self-assured businesspeople.
. They are excellent time managers who do not require face-to-face contact in order to conduct business.
. If you are like-minded, the relationship will develop over time.
. Appearing
overly friendly at the start of a relationship may be viewed as
weakness. Maintaining eye contact while speaking is interpreted as
sincerity.
. Norwegians are direct communicators.
. They have no difficulty telling their colleagues that they disagree with something that has been said.
. Their communication is straightforward and relies on facts.
. They are conservative and deliberate speakers who do not appreciate being rushed.
. They
are scrupulous about honesty in communication, often to the point of
pointing out the negatives in their own proposals in greater detail than
the positives.
. Norwegians are not emotive speakers and their body language is subtle.
Business Meeting Etiquette
. Appointments are necessary and should be made as far in advance as possible.
. Appointments may be made in writing or by telephone.
. If writing, address the letter to the head of the division, even if you do not know the person.
. Punctuality is imperative since it indicates trustworthiness.
. If
you are delayed even 5 minutes, it is polite to telephone and explain
the situation. Arriving late without prior notice can damage a potential
relationship.
. It is often difficult to schedule meetings during
July and August, which are popular vacation times; during the two weeks
before and after Christmas; and during the week before and after Easter.
. Meetings are rather informal.
. Send an agenda before the meeting so that your Norwegian colleagues can be prepared.
. There is not much small talk. Norwegians prefer to get to the business discussion quickly.
. Presentations should be precise and concrete, and backed up with charts, figures and analysis.
. Avoid hype or exaggerated claims in your presentation.
. Leave
time for Q&A at the end of a presentation. Norwegians do not
interrupt and will save their questions until you have finished
speaking.
Negotiating
. Decisions are consensus driven.
. Expect decisions to take time as your colleagues must weigh all the alternatives.
. Present a firm, realistic, and competitive initial price and expect a minimum of bargaining.
. Price is often the most important deciding factor.
. Norwegians do not generally give discounts, even to good customers or for large orders.
. Norwegians are detail oriented.
. Maintain eye contact while speaking.
. Negotiations are frank.
. Avoid high-pressure sales tactics.
. It
is imperative to adhere to deadlines and commitments. If you do not,
you will not be considered trustworthy, which will destroy the business
relationship.
. New concepts should be shown to be high quality, practical, and already market tested.
. Do not interrupt others while they are speaking.
Source: http://www.kwintessential.co.uk
|
