Business meetings play an important
role in culture as they offer many benefits and opportunities for
communication. Meetings are a chance to solve problems and help with any
organizational challenges that each team member faces. Not only can meetings help
solve problems, but it can also be used as a tool to brainstorm new ideas. This
can help maximize performances by expanding knowledge and understanding.
Lastly, offering feedback is an important way to collaborate with other
colleagues and encourage more self-reflection. In all, business meetings make
up an entirely different culture, most known as organizational culture, which
is seen as more formal to other types of culture typically seen on a day-to-day
basis.
Business meetings:
Although business meetings commonly
happen in most countries, it’s the practices and protocols that make it
different to each culture. In other words, it’s how they are represented and
valued in one culture versus another. In Belgium, for one, they have common
protocols typically practiced in business settings that can be similar to some
cultures and different in others. For example, you start by greeting someone by
shaking hands and saying something like ‘good day-pleasure to meet you’ and
then you proceed to present your business card. This interaction itself may
take up a few minutes to conclude but it is time well invested. There are other
circumstances where in a meeting with many attendees, the chairperson will go
round the room, with each person introducing themselves, with their name and
job title, and if external to the organization, the company they represent.
Meetings, in Belgium, are
typically team-oriented, with or without the participation of senior
management. Some project team meetings are usually planned at short notice and
often go longer than participants really want. Additionally, it is most often
necessary to plan ahead when arranging meetings, especially with senior
executives around.
When approaching a business
meeting, it is important to know what conservation topics are appropriate to
initiate or not, especially in a formal setting. In Belgium, it is necessary to
choose a general subject that avoids problems. Some common conservation topics
that would be appropriate in business settings is Belgian cuisine like, beer or
chocolate. Others include football, tennis, popular music, and cartoons
(Belgium is known to have the highest rate of professional designers among the
best in the world). On a side note, usually avoid making jokes at the expense
of Belgians (especially if French or Dutch) as they typically avoid using any
meaningless terms and love more in-depth and relationship-oriented
conservations.
Dress code:
When it comes to the rules for professional appearance, Belgium takes pride in their appearances and loves to look clean. In Belgium, it is normal to wear a jacket but never remove it during a meeting. Some younger high-tech companies may happily tolerate an open-neck shirt with jeans, other than that it’s safe to wear conservative business suits with silk ties. Furthermore, color has no significance, though it is preferred to avoid looking jazzy. On the other hand, the quality of the clothing is of only marginal importance especially in this culture that shows relatively little class-consciousness. Apart from making sure that your shoes are reasonably smart and well-polished, it is enough to avoid looking grubby. Women, particularly the younger generation, may wear trousers and/or trouser suits, but can’t go wrong with wearing a dress as well. For most of the dress code, it is advisable to be well dressed rather than under-dressed and if unsure about what to wear it is perfectly acceptable to ask someone from the company you are visiting.
Gift giving:
Gift giving is not normally an aspect of business relations in Belgium. But if deciding that some sort of gesture is appropriate, it is always important to make the gift reasonably modest and its logo neutral. In other words, nothing should be given with the company logo, or with business cards attached.
If you are ever offered a gift, open it right away and show your appreciation. Many of the traditional Belgian companies offer end-of-year gifts and these should always be acknowledged.
There are many different
communication challenges that foreigners often face when being employed at an
organization in Belgium. First, there will always be a language barrier, many
Belgians are excellent linguists and are sufficiently fluent in multiple of
languages, including English. Moreover, English is most often spoken during
professional business meetings as a lingua franca among other foreigners, but
in other situations most Belgians prefer to speak in their native
language.
Secondly, there are cultural
differences in different communication styles. Many Belgians prefer subtlety to
directness, believing that subtlety reflects intelligence. Majority of Belgians
try not to be too direct because it can be seen as simplistic, and they believe
it to be rude or too confrontational. As compared to Americans, American
businesspeople usually lean towards a more casual and direct communication
style, which would need to be adjusted especially being in Belgium so they can
avoid coming across as informal.
Lastly, in conflict resolutions,
Americans, for one, tend to address conflicts directly, while Belgians prefer a
more diplomatic approach. Most Belgians often engage in long, critical
discussions before reaching a decision so that they can be certain that they
have considered all the alternatives.
Navigating cultural differences in
a new workplace requires many skills sets like sensitivity and an open mind. If
I was a U.S. manager, who just employed someone from Belgium, some strategies
that I might use to help foster cultural differences and expectations in the
workplace would be to open more communication channels. For instance, I would
want to create a space for discussions relating about workplace culture and
expectations here in the U.S., but I would also want to invite the Belgian
employee to share insights into their past work experiences and encourage
existing employees to ask questions and share their thoughts on cultural
differences about work.
Secondly, when it comes to
decision-making, Belgium usually leans towards more consensus-based approaches,
whereas U.S. workplaces prioritize quick and more authoritative decisions. To
battle this conflict, I would blend both approaches together. For example,
allowing group discussions but still making final decisions clear and timely
with a set time in place.
Finally, Belgian workplace culture
approaches conflict more diplomatically while the U.S. addresses issues
head-on. Some solutions would be to provide training or even role-playing
exercises to focus on conflict resolution techniques including cultural styles
from both given cultures.
References:
https://www.commisceo-global.com/resources/country-guides/belgium-guide?highlight=WyJiZWxnaXVtIiwiYmVsZ2l1bSdzIl0=
https://businessculture.org/western-europe/business-culture-in-belgium/business-culture-belgian-communication-businessculture/
https://businessculture.org/western-europe/business-culture-in-belgium/meeting-etiquette-in-belgium/
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