Know your town's networks

Living on the Faroe Islands helped taught me the importance of informal conversation and interaction in business. Business isn't the big sale and best offer on the table. Business is a chunky concept, but the two corner stones for business is managing your professional work's relationship with the public, and making your profession a profitable one. Looking back, it is clear there are differences in both cornerstones when America and Scandinavia are compared and companies that try to enter from one market to the other can experience difficulties in managing relationships and profits. Here are some fine details any business should keep in mind.

Work ethics in blue collared jobs are radically different. For the Dane in America, some sound advice is sorely needed. Any stereotypes of lazy teamsters you carry with you will fail you when it comes time to start production. Americans are hard working individuals who want to provide for their families and with the current economic environment, competition for work is fierce. Asking an employee to slow down and take a break can cause friction. Worse still if you take it easy as a foreman, manager or director; if you are visibly driven to meeting your goals, your employees with slowly loose respect for you and in the end, resent you a tad little bit. American workers may work hard for the money, but take pride in their work and you need to show faith in what the company is doing. Just as important for an American in Scandinavia, pushing people to work faster and perform better will more likely result in a strike than increased production. Rules and ethics are well defined by the work-unions and it is hard to fire someone for under performance. The work ethic is more formal and requires you to use more time to consider your position with care than in America. That said, nominal results are the best guide in deciding if someone needs to be let go or kept on board.

Work relations over beer is a bit of common ground between Scandinavia and America, but keep in mind to how much business in done over a glass of beer. Business lunches are out right common, but don't order that beer if you are in America. You need to return to work afterwards and it is frowned upon to drink before you clock out. There are exceptions at the executive level; informal business is done on the golf course and a bit of brandy isn't uncommon at the club house, but this is rare if the interpersonal relationship is all business. A glass of beer is more common when you leave the office with your co-workers or the guy you think is good for a conversation and also happens to have a great project you want to get your hands on. Again, we are focused on the interpersonal relationship between you and your drinking buddy. In all other occasions, you need to abstain from 'Den Grønne'. The case is different in Scandinavia. It is actually common to enjoy a bottle of beer, or few, at lunch and chat a bit. If you want to your negotiations to take on a relaxed tone, invite your perspective partners or clients to a café, enjoy a light lunch a offer a round of beer.

Formality is a tripping point for many. There are dress codes and then there are dress codes. Individual style has a greater foothold in Scandinavia, because businesses are focusing more on your production, not your personal stylistic tastes. It was common for my managers to wear a pair of blue jeans with a button down shirt. The executives would wear sports jackets as often as suit jackets. It is completely acceptable to come to a formal meeting wearing slacks, suit jacket and no tie. In the US, the situation is far different. Dress codes put employees in uniforms. A tie is always a must and more often than not, a white shirt with black dress suit and shoes are required. If you know the Mærsk company well, you can compare the dress codes in that one Danish company with most large corporations in America and see little difference. Before stepping on that flight, make sure you can meet the dress code of most companies. They enforce it even on partners to protect their professional image.

These are some rules of thumb for the cornerstone of business that represents your relationships in business. A good lawyer will help you sort out the second stone, but business relations is all on you partner.

- Servus