Switzerland - Little Big Country Part 2

In the Part 1 of this article we talked about the Swiss Geography, Languages, the Economy and the Swiss People. Learn more in this 2nd Part about Swiss Business Etiquette and how to mingle with the Swiss People.

Matterhorn

Swiss Etiquette

The Swiss value cleanliness, honesty, hard work, and material possessions. Motto: "Unity, yes; Uniformity, no." They are very proud of their environment and have a long tradition of freedom. They value sobriety, thrift, tolerance, punctuality and a sense of responsibility. They are very proud of their neutrality and promotion of worldwide peace. The Swiss have a deep-rooted respect for saving and the material wealth it brings.

Meeting and Greeting

• Shake hands with everyone present -- men, women, and children -- at business or social meetings. Shake hands again when leaving.
• Handshakes are firm with eye contact.
• Allow the hosts to introduce you at parties.
• Use last names and appropriate titles until specifically invited by your Swiss hosts or colleagues to use their first names. Academic and professional titles are used frequently.
• First names are reserved for very close friends and family.

Communication

The Swiss are a private people, so try to avoid asking personal questions until a good relationship has been established. What constitutes personal are areas such as occupation, age, marital status, religion, etc. The communication style can come across as quite sober; initially it is advisable to avoid jokes and engaging in any banter as this may be misconstrued.

Luzern

Corporate Culture

• The Swiss take punctuality for business and social meetings very seriously and expect that you will do likewise. Call with an explanation if you will be delayed.
• Business cards in English are acceptable. Hand your business card to the receptionist upon arrival for a meeting. Give a card to each person you meet subsequently.
• Generally, English is spoken in business with foreigners. Inquire beforehand to determine if an interpreter is needed.
• Business climate is very conservative. Meetings are generally impersonal, brisk, orderly, planned and task oriented.
• The Swiss tend to get right down to business after a few minutes of general discussion.
• Presentations and reports should be orderly, well-prepared, thorough and detailed.
• The Swiss are fair bargainers but not hagglers. Discussions are detailed, cautious, and often pessimistic. Decisions are made methodically.
• It is not acceptable to call a Swiss businessperson at home unless there is an emergency.

Lake Geneva

Dining and Entertainment

• In the German parts of Switzerland, beckon a waiter by saying Herr Ober, and a waitress by saying Fräulein. It is considered rude to wave your hand.
• Business luncheons are more common than business breakfasts.
• Business entertainment is almost always done in a restaurant.
• Spouses are generally included in business dinners.
• The host proposes the first toast. Don't drink until after the toast is proposed.
• Keep your hands on the table at all times during a meal -- not in your lap. However, keep your elbows off the table.
• Cut potatoes, soft foods and salads with a fork, not a knife.
• Use eating utensils at all times, including to eat fruit.
• Break bread with your hands if possible. Do not use a knife.
• Sample everything offered to you. Try to finish everything on your plate when dining in someone's home. It is impolite to leave food on your plate.
• When you are finished eating, place knife and fork side by side on the plate at the 5:25 position.
• LIt is considered impolite to ask for a tour of your hosts' home. If your hosts want to give a tour of their home, they will offer.

"En Guete"

Dress

• Appearance should always be clean and neat. The Swiss are known for conservative and neat attire.
• Overly casual or sloppy attire is not appreciated.
• For business meetings, men should wear suits and ties; women should wear suits or dresses.

Gifts

• Gifts are normally not exchanged at business meetings, but small gifts may be appropriate at the successful conclusion of negotiations.
• Be prepared to give a gift in case you are given one. A gift with your company logo is acceptable.
• Give books, desk attire, whisky, cognac, good bourbon, or wine. Do not give anything sharp.
• When invited to someone's home, always bring a small gift for the hostess and a small gift for children.
• Give candy (good quality), pralines, flowers (unwrap before presenting, odd number), pastries.
• Do not bring large or expensive gifts. This is considered vulgar and makes receiver uncomfortable.
• Don't give red roses or carnations (these imply romance). White chrysanthemums and white asters are for funerals only.
• It is polite to send flowers to the hostess before a large party or the next day with a thank you note.

Swiss Knife - Made the Swiss Army what it is today :-)

Helpful Hints

• Be punctual (punctual in Switzerland is 10 minutes early!).
• Show great respect for elderly.
• Don’t litter (you will be scolded publicly).
• Don’t chew gum or clean your fingernails in public.
• Refrain from putting your hands in your pockets while talking with people.
• Never put your feet on a desk, chair or table.

Especially for Women

• More women are becoming more and more involved in business and public life in Switzerland, though the banking and finance industries continue to be dominated by men.
• Foreign businesswomen will be treated fairly and with respect in Switzerland.
• Many Swiss businessmen would be embarrassed if a foreign businesswoman invited them to dinner. Swiss men are very conservative and still expect to pay for a meal. If possible, a foreign businesswoman should invite a Swiss businessman to lunch rather than dinner.

Any questions?

We at ASO Terra Lingua provide Cross-Cultural and Language Training to prepare you and your employees to do business in Switzerland. Contact: info@asoterralingua.com  for more information.

Switzerland – Little Big Country Part 1

Located literally in the heart of Europe, Switzerland is indeed very unique. It is not anymore just the country where people eat cheese and chocolate all day, the cowbells ring and the farmers jodel.

 Geography

The geography of Switzerland is notable for its great diversity. Switzerland’s three main geographical regions are the Jura, Plateau and the Alps.

The geographical location of Switzerland means that the climate varies greatly from one region to another. Depending on the area and the time of year, Switzerland experiences conditions reminiscent both of Siberia and of the Mediterranean.

The country is ethnically divided in 3 major parts:

-          The “Deutschschweiz” (the Swiss-German part)

-          “La Romandie” (the French speaking part)

-          and “il Ticino” (the south-, Italian speaking part)

Languages

These three main regions also contribute the 3 major national languages – Swiss German, French and Italian. Many people think that the majorly spoken Language in Switzerland is German. This is wrong. Swiss German ( Schwyzerdütsch, Schwiizertüütsch, Schwizertitsch) is any of the Alemannic dialects spoken in Switzerland and in some Alpine communities in Northern Italy. The result of this great variety of dialects is that a native of lets say Zurich has major problems of understanding a person from “Wallis”, a region in the south-west of Switzerland.

There is also a fourth national Language in Switzerland - Romansh (Rumantsch or Raetoromanisch).

This interesting Language descended from the Latin variety spoken by the Roman era occupiers of the region and survived, because of their seclusion, mainly in the alpine valleys in central Switzerland.

The Swiss People

The Swiss people today preserve that element of the paradoxical which in the Middle Ages produced an Arnold Winkelried, a Swiss war hero who courageously gathered the spears of his foes into his chest for the sake of his country, and thousands of other heroes willing to give almost as great service to any cause for the sake of steady pay

The “Schwiizer” of the twenty-first century is intensely patriotic, and to keep his country secure makes cheerful joys of the tasks of universal training for military service. He cherishes a deep national pride and is markedly hospitable and charitable. He is eager for liberty, but surrounds his life with a host of regulations, being more under the shadow of the official “verboten” than even the German.

A fact we can’t forget is that the Swiss society is changing under the influence of the foreigners that constitute 22% of the whole Swiss population (just over 7 Million inhabitants). Objectively this is a good trend even though most of the traditionally very patriotic Swiss wouldn’t agree. 

The Swiss Economy

Switzerland is a peaceful, prosperous, and stable modern market economy with low unemployment, a highly skilled labor force, and a per capita GDP larger than that of any of the big Western European economies. Although they didn’t join the European Union and are largely opposed to the idea, the Swiss in recent years have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with the EU's to enhance their international competitiveness. Switzerland remains a safe haven for investors, because it has maintained a degree of bank secrecy and has kept up the franc's long-term external value. 

They relatively low taxes in Switzerland benefit many multinational giants: Nestle, ABB, Holcim, Glencore and Novartis just to name a few.

Did you for example know that if you go to a fancy restaurant and order a Perrier, your favorite French mineral water, you actually pay money to Nestle as they bought this company many years ago?

The Swiss average salary is very high compared to other countries. If you pay for your groceries with 1000 Swiss-Franc bill (US$ 1100!) the check-out clerk will give you change without blinking. And if you, after saving for years, finally can afford the holiday of a lifetime, don’t be surprised to see the same check-out clerk on a lounger next to you on the beach.

This concludes Part 1 of the country briefing of Switzerland.


In Part 2 you can read about Swiss Business Etiquette and how to mingle with the Swiss.

SOFT SKILLS TRAINING - Why we need it

WHY TRADITIONAL ACADEMIC KNOWLEDGE IS JUST NOT SUFFICIENT ANYMORE

For decades employers as well as educators frequently complain about a lack in soft skills among graduates from traditional education institutions. Predominantly missed are communication skills, but additional knowledge in business or project management is also ranking highly on the list of missing skills desirable for graduates entering the business world. This problem is in no way restricted to developing nations; it is also well known to industrial countries around the world.

Let’s first talk about and define the following:

WHAT ARE SOFT SKILLS?

According to Wikipedia, Soft skills is a sociological term relating to a person's "EQ" (Emotional Intelligence quotient), the cluster of personality traits, social graces, communication, language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that characterize relationships with other people. Soft skills complement hard skills (part of a person's IQ), which are the occupational requirements of a job and many other activities.

A person's soft skill EQ is an important part of their individual contribution to the success of an organization. Particularly those organizations dealing with customers face-to-face are generally more successful, if they train their staff to use these skills. Screening or training for personal habits or traits such as dependability and conscientiousness can yield significant return on investment for an organization.For this reason, soft skills are increasingly sought out by employers in addition to standard qualifications.

It has been suggested that in a number of professions soft skills may be more important over the long term than occupational skills. The legal profession is one example where the ability to deal with people effectively and politely, more than their mere occupational skills, can determine the professional success of a lawyer.

Increasingly, over the last two decades, it has been recognized that when IT Professionals acquire soft skills, better relationships are built between IT and the other business units within the enterprise, fostering alignment.

Soft Skills are behavioral competencies. Also known as Interpersonal Skills, or people skills, they include proficiencies such as:

- Communication skills,

- Conflict resolution and negotiation,

- Personal effectiveness,

- Creative problem solving,

- Strategic thinking,

- Team building,

- Influencing skills and selling skills,

- and many more

SOFT SKILLS TRAINING – A MUST IN TODAY’S CORPORATE WORLD?

Soft Skills Training today is a part of any Management program across the world because it helps shape one's personality and thereby plays an important role in his/her professional development. Organizations across the world have realised the importance of Soft Skills as a part of Management Curriculum since good soft skills help maintain long term relationships with customers and thereby facilitate business success. Hence, organizations have started feeling that it is worthwhile to invest in imparting soft skill training to their employees. Imparting soft -skill training not only helps improve service transactions but also makes the employees feel that the organization has taken a keen interest in their professional development, which goes a long way in employee retention.

Research studies conducted all over the world have shown that soft-skills such as cultural sensitivity, business etiquette and good communication skills go a long way in generating global business and are therefore indispensable to an organization’s well being.

A typical soft-skills training program is divided into four broad categories:

1. Building relationships - Teaching students people skills and effective human relations

2. Getting things done - Teaching Total quality Leadership, Power Dynamics, Transitions and the Art and Practice of Agreement

3. Developing the organization and the people in it - Teaching Total Quality Culture, Strategies for leading change, resolving differences and growing a business

4. Specialized skills - Coaching, consulting, negotiation and group facilitation

While emphasizing the importance of soft skills¸ there is a need to view its importance especially in the context of Indian companies. There is a reason why there is a strong demand for soft-skill training in India. Technical skills alone are not sufficient for them to be competitive globally. Cultural, language and environmental barriers can only be crossed with the help of soft-skills. Besides, Indian companies are in a position of competition with global companies since they offer similar services in most industries. 


Hence, without adequate soft skills, Indian companies are bound to fall behind them. According to Pramila Mathew, CEO of MMM, a training solutions provider, "The world is flat and we are constantly interacting with people who come from different cultures and countries. This is the reason that why there is an increased demand for soft skills training like Managerial Training, Team Leadership, Outbound Training, Executive Training and Corporate Leadership Training.

Research studies conducted on IT recruitment revealed that at entry level positions, there was a strong requirement for technical skills. However, soft skills are a must-have if one wants to move up the corporate ladder. Moreover, with leadership styles becoming more open, managers expect that their team members will be able to communicate their ideas openly. According to an ERP Consultant with a big Consulting firm, "Soft skills are very important in business. It is essential to be technically sound, but one should also have the ability to convey the idea to the masses in the simplest possible manner." What had made soft skill most important today is the outsourcing boom. This requires professionals and subject matter experts to communicate directly with their clients.

After all: What’s the point of having the best product or service and being unable to sell it or explain it to potential buyers or customers?

ASO TERRA LINGUA’S SOFTSKILL TRAINING

Find out the hard truth about Soft Skills!

Soft Skills Training is an important part of Management Training as it has a significant impact on Personality Development. The Soft Skills Training conducted by ASO Terra Lingua focuses on elements of Training and Development that require changes in behavior and thinking.

Soft Skills as opposed to hard skills (such as technical skills), greatly impacts the personality development of employees. Organizations today recognize that the professional development of their employees play an important part in maintaining relationships with their customers and developing a successful business.

Soft Skills Training Objectives:

Behavioral training experts say there are several soft skills are required in these circumstances. Some of them include:

·         Interpersonal skills

·         Team spirit

·         Social grace

·         Business etiquette

·         Negotiation skills

·         Behavioral traits such as attitude, motivation and time management

Do you have these? If your answer is yes, good for you!

But if your answer is no, then you know it is time to approach ASO Terra Lingua. 

Guarda! Little known Facts about Italy

DID YOU KNOW?

1. The name Italy comes from the word Italia, meaning “calf land,” perhaps because the bull was a symbol of the Southern Italian tribes

2. Italy is approximately 116,400 square miles (including Sicily and Sardinia), which is slightly larger than Arizona

3. Italy is one of the most crowded nations in Europe. Its population is estimated to reach 58,126,212 by July 2009. The population of United States is estimated to reach 307,212,123 by that same date

4. The capital of Italy is Rome (also known as the Eternal City) and is almost 3,000 years old. It has been the capital since 1871 and is home to the Dome of St. Peter's, the Sistine Chapel, the Coliseum, and the famous Trevi Fountain.

5. Italy is said to have more masterpieces per square mile than any other country in the world.

6. Nearly 80% of Italy is either mountainous or hilly

7. In 2007, a dog named Rocco discovered a truffle in Tuscany that weighed 3.3 pounds. It sold at auction for $333,000 (USD), a world record for a truffle.

8. The Italian wolf is Italy’s unofficial national animal and plays a large role in the legend of the founding of the Rome (Romulus and Remus)

9. The author of “Pinocchio” (“pine nut”), Carlo Collodi (1826-1890), was Italian.

10. When McDonald's opened in 1986 in Rome, food purists outside the restaurant gave away free spaghetti to remind people of their culinary heritage.

11. Italians created parmesan, provolone, mozzarella, and many other cheeses

12. The University of Rome is one of the world’s oldest universities and was founded by the Catholic Church in A.D. 1303. Often called La Sapienza (“knowledge”), the University of Rome is also Europe’s largest university with 150,000 students.

13. There are two independent states within Italy: the Republic of San Marino (25 square miles) and the Vatican City (just 108.7 acres).

Italy’s San Marino is the world’s oldest republic (A.D. 301), has fewer than 30,000 citizens, and holds the world’s oldest continuous constitution. Its citizens are called the Sammarinese.

14. Vatican City is the only nation in the world that can lock its own gates at night. It has its own Phone Company, Radio, T.V. stations, money, and stamps. It even has its own army, the historic Swiss Guard.

15. Most of Italy’s natural flora and fauna has disappeared due to centuries of cultivation. Most of its natural wildlife has also disappeared due to over-hunting.

16. Italians suffer more earthquakes than any other European Country. In 1693, an estimated 100,000 people died in an earthquake in Sicily. The most deadly recent quake in Italy occurred in Naples in 1980, killing 3,000 people.

17. No other country in Europe has as many volcanoes as Italy. This is because the Italian peninsula stands on a fault line. Three major volcanoes (Etna, Stromboli, and Vesuvius) have erupted in the last hundred years.

18. Like most of Europe, Italy was ravaged in the middle of the fourteenth century by the Black Death, a combination of plagues (chiefly the bubonic) that were carried to Genoa by Italian merchants returning from the Middle East. The recovery stimulated growth and helped spawn humanism and the Renaissance.

19. From 1861 to 1985, more than 26 million people left Italy (mostly from the overcrowded south) to seek a better life. Only one in four came back to Italy.

20. The highest peak in Europe is partly in Italy (on the Italian/French border). Monte Bianco (White Mountain) is 15, 771 feet high and is part of the Alps.

21. Though Italy’s economy lagged behind the rest of Europe during the first half the twentieth century, currently it is the world’s seventh largest economy.

22. In northern Italy, last names tend to end in “i”, while those from the south often end in “o.” The most common Italian surname is Russo.

23. In the 1930s and 40s, Italian fascist Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) tried to eliminate foreign words from Italian. In soccer, “goal” became “meta” and Donald Duck became “Paperino.” Mickey Mouse became “Topolino” and Goofy became “Pippo.” These changes were not permanent – what a surprise!

24. Over 50 million tourists a year visit Italy. Tourism is vital to Italy’s economy and provides nearly 63% of Italy’s national income.

25. Italian Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simon (1475-1564) was once thought to have painted in somber shades, but after his frescos on the Sistine Chapel were cleaned, it was discovered that he actually painted in bright colors, such as purples, greens, and pinks. Centuries of dirt and smoke from candles had toned down the bright colors. Some art historians argued that the restorers went too far in their cleaning efforts and removed the dark shadows Michelangelo intended.

26. Known as the “Three Fountains,” Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374), and Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375) are arguably the three most famous Italian authors of all time. Dante’s Divine Comedy (Divina Commedia) had tremendous influence ion Italian literature, and he is considered the father of the Italian language.

27. The pre-dinner passeggiata (evening stroll) is one of Italy’s most enduring leisure activities where Italians stroll about the streets to see and be seen.

28. The Shroud of Turin is an ancient piece of linen cloth believed to bear the faint imprint of a male body, perhaps Jesus Christ after he was killed. It has been in the Turin’s San Giovanni Cathedral for at least 420 years. While scientists have determined the shroud was made no earlier than the 1200s, others continue to debate when and how the shroud was created.

29. Begun in 1560 for Cosimo l de’ Medici, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence is one of the oldest museums in the world and contains famous works by Michelangelo, Botticelli, and da Vinci.

30. Italian soccer fans are called tifosi, meaning”carriers of typhus”

31. Soccer is Italy’s most popular sport, and the famous San Siro Stadium in Milan holds 85,000 people. Italy has won the World Cup four times (1934, 1938, 1982, and 2006), making the country’s team second only to Brazil's in number of wins.

32. Soccer was introduced to Italians in the late 1800s by the British, but it was not until the 1930s under Mussolini that the sport took off on an international level.

33. In 1454, a real human chess game took place in Marostica, Italy. Rather than fight a bloody duel, the winner of the chess game would win the hand of a beautiful girl. To commemorate the event, each September in even-numbered years, the town’s main piazza becomes a life-sized chess board.

34. Italians claim to have taught the rest of Europe how to cook. Italy is responsible for introducing the world to ice cream (via the Chinese), coffee, and fruit pies. In addition to Belgium and France, Italy also claims to have made the first French fries. The first Italian cookbook was written in 1474 by Bartolomeo Sicci.

35. Italy has hosted the Olympic Games three times. The 1956 Winter Games were held at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Zuel, and the Dolomite Alps. The 1960 Summer Olympics were held in Rome. And Turin hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics.

36. Italy’s birthrate is the second lowest in the Western world. Both political and church leaders have expressed concern and have offered rewards to couples who have more than one child.

37. The biggest holiday in Italy is Christmas. Many people celebrate Christmas Eve with a huge feast, often featuring seafood. The Christmas season lasts until Epiphany, January 6, the date when the Three Wise Men are said to have reached Jesus’ manger.

38. Italy is among the world’s leaders of the fashion industry. In the 1950s, Italian designers such as Nino Cerruti and Valentino led the world in creating stylish fashions. Additionally, Armani, Versace, Gucci, and Prada have become internationally recognized. Italy is also known for fine sports cars, such as the Ferrari and Lamborghini.

39. The first violin appeared in Italy in the 1500s, probably from the workshop of Andrea Amati (1505-1578) in Cremona. The city later became the home of Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737), the most famous of violin-makers.

40. Influenced in part by the French flag, the Italian flag has evolved over several hundred years. The flag is vertically divided into three equal sections of green, white, and red, representing hope, faith, and charity. Another interpretation is that the green represents the Italian landscape, white represents the snow-capped Alps, and red represents the bloodshed that brought about the independence of Italy.

41. Italy was one of the founders of the EU and is a member of the Group of Eight (G8), a forum for eight of the world’s most powerful nations.

42. Venice, Italy, is one of the world's most beautiful and unusual cities. It was founded over 1,400 years ago on a collection of muddy islands in a wide and shallow lagoon. It has been sinking into the mud for centuries and is plagued by floods.

43. The Sardinian islands are famous for their “witches” who make health potions for local people. The “witches” are usually women and they use a secret language that they pass on to their daughters.

44. A part of northern Italy called Val Camonica contains about 350,000 petroglyphs (carvings or line drawings on rock) that were created nearly 10,000 years ago.

45. Galileo Galilee (1564-1642) was an Italian-born scientist. When he argued that the Earth revolved around the Sun, the Catholic Church imprisoned Galileo in his own house. The Church issued a formal apology in 1992.

46. Italian citizens who are at least 18 years old can vote for the lower house in the parliament, the Chamber of Deputies. Citizens who are at least 25 years old can vote for the 315 members of the upper house, the Senate.

47. Italy’s long coastline and developed economy draws many illegal immigrants from southeastern Europe and Africa. Additionally, Latin American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroine, and organized crime have all found an active market in Italy.

48. Many single Italian children live at home until their 30s, even if they have a job. The Italian family stands at the heart of Italian society – VIVA LA MAMMA!

49. The world’s first operas were composed in Italy at the end of the sixteenth century. Opera reached the height of popularity in the nineteenth century, when the works of Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868), Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924), and Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) became hugely popular. The late tenor Luciano Pavarotti (1935-2007) is a national celebrity, and Claudio Monteverdi (c. 1567-1643) is regarded as the father of the modern opera.

50. The Leaning Tower of Pisa was built in 1173 and began to lean soon after, probably due to a poorly laid foundation. During WWII, the Nazi’s used it as a watch tower. After reconstruction efforts in 2008, engineers declared the tower would be stable for at least another 200 years.

 51. The Arabs brought dried pasta to Italy in the thirteenth century (though fresh pasta was made before then). It was commonly eaten with honey and sugar; tomato sauce was not added until the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The old-fashioned way of eating pasta was with the fingers, arm held high and head titled back. Pasta traditionally was made by the mother of the household, who passed the precious technique to her daughters. There are currently more than 500 different types of pasta eaten in Italy today.

52. The language of music is Italian. The word “scale” comes from scala, meaning “step.” (Also the name of the world-famous Scala Opera House in Milan) And adante, allegro, presto, and vivace are just a few of the many 

Italian musical notations.

Got a "Gusto" for Italy? Visit ASO Terra Lingua's Cross Cultural Trainings of our Italian Language Classes: info@asoterralingua.com