Thursday, November 10, 2011

Culture Classes

Whew! We just finished two days of culture classes. I thought two days was going to be a little excessive, boy was I wrong. We could have been there for several more days learning about the French culture. During the session we Skyped a cultural representative in Paris, who talked about everyday life in France and conducting business as well. It's all about relationship building. While I believe that George will have no problem building relationships at work, the French conduct business activities much different that what we Americans are accustom to. It will be an adjustment just like everything else that is ahead of us. Patience is our friend.
Posted by at

5 comments:

  1. Mrs. StrohmaierNovember 11, 2011 at 2:11 AM

    Hi Sue--Can you give an example of how the French conduct business which is different from how we do? What is everyday like in France? Do they eat their main meal in the afternoon? Do you know what hours the kids go to school? Is their lifestyle something you can embrace?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sue StrohmaierNovember 11, 2011 at 7:10 AM

    The French are not risk takers like us, so they like to analyze things until, without any doubt, it is the best way to do something-which might take a long, long time. They don't like to accept or take responsibility for mistakes in work environment. George will be expected to say hello and might shake hands (depending upon the company culture) with people who work for him, every day. They do not like competitive in the workplace. Our culture is highly competitive.

    Everyday life-I'll be better equipped to answer that when I get there. I know I'm not to expect to smile at me, because their thinking is that they don't know me, so why smile. Americans are a friendly culture.

    Don't know when main meal is, my guess is late in the evening, 9:00PM or so.

    Don't know about the school things

    Their lifestyle I will embrace because, I don't think I have a choice. I will probably have culture shock upon my return :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mrs. StrohmaierNovember 11, 2011 at 2:29 PM

    I knew someone who went to the Philippine's for 3 years on missionary work. He was told upon leaving that it would be tough for him--the transition to that culture would really be a shock. He found the opposite to be true. Coming back was more of an adjustment that going there. We will see, my good friend...we will see.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mrs. StrohmaierNovember 11, 2011 at 2:30 PM

    BTW--it sounds like they are a culture of perfectionists. Do you think so?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sue StrohmaierNovember 11, 2011 at 5:39 PM

    I would say they are not a culture of perfectionist. They work to live. We live to work.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)