United Kingdom Travel Guide

The four countries of the United Kingdom, although culturally and historically different, generally keep to the same practices in business. Politeness and punctuality are key to good business relations, and initial meetings are often conducted formally and impersonally, becoming more open and social as things progress. Business cards are exchanged at introductions. Dress is formal, with dark suits preferred. Business hours are generally 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday with an hour taken at lunch. The communication style can be difficult to adjust to: the British people respect politeness to a point that often obscures their ability to say exactly what they mean. As a result, traveling businessmen will need to learn to "read between the lines" and to take cues from tone of voice and facial expression. Humour is also an integral part of the British system of communication, and is used to diffuse a tense situation and to cultivate relationships. Never assume that an attempt at humor undermines a person's ability to do their job, or discredits the importance they attach to a deal or negotiation.Furthermore, don't be fooled into thinking that the British propensity for irony and sarcasm equates with an informal work environment. During meetings, be tactful, avoid becoming emotional and illustrate your experience with the subject at-hand. Performance and initiative are looked upon favorably, whereas, academic pretension is given far less credence. Meetings are often used as platforms for debate, rather than moments of confirmation,so don't be surprised if not much progress is made. Be sure to respect and appeal to all parties involved, as the British have recently begun to take a far flatter approach to management and the responsibility of decision-making. And if things go well, purchase a pint or two for your clients or colleagues; though gifts are borderline inappropriate, a round of drinks will rarely be refused.