Norway – conferencing is king
In the Norwegian workplace, there is a big focus on productivity and good communication, meaning conference calls are largely preferred over face-to-face meetings. Norwegians also pride themselves on being the most punctual country in the world, so don’t be late if you have a conference call scheduled in with them.
Spain – working around the weather
When it comes to the concept of flexitime, Spain go less for a day-to-day approach and more for a seasonal strategy. Working hours in sunny Spain tend to shorten during the summer due to the low season (and the heat). They restore the balance by working slightly longer during cooler climes and, in doing so, maximise on high season business opportunities.
Germany – early birds
In German workplaces, it’s common for employees to start early and it’s not unusual for workers to be in the office at 6am. This stems from some schools starting at 7.30am, so Germans aren’t strangers to waking up early. The upside to this is leaving the office earlier, particularly on summer days, giving people the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.
With Brother’s heritage in Japan, we could also take tips from our colleagues at our global HQ.
Ahead of any important meetings, our Japanese office would have a rehearsal called a ‘Newmawashi’. The pre-meeting helps to get approval from management before the real meeting with the actual authoriser to ensure everything is in place to be approved efficiently during the final meeting.
In Japan, most people start at Brother on April 1, and the culture is that everyone who joined at the same time, has a strong relationship. This is called a ‘Douki’ which translates to ‘joined in the same year’. it’s not unusual that a couple within the Douki gets married.
1 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38479439
2 https://www.techrepublic.com/article/infographic-this-country-has-the-worlds-shortest-work-week/