The British in meetings ‘Softness at the Edges’
If you are new to working in management in the UK you may find the approach to meetings different from what you are used to.
British people will avoid a conflict
This often means an issue is left unresolved – at least in the group meeting. People talk around a problem, identify it maybe, but step back from proposing the solution. British people prefer to go away and think about it, have quiet one-to-one conversations, exchange an email or two, and then plan a solution.
A meeting is seen as a way of bonding a team
People come together to share views and arrive at a consensus. Discussion is good, contentious argument is not (it divides the team).
Managers prefer their authority to be understated
Managers like to have everyone’s views ‘on board’ and for the team ‘to go forward together’. Managers are seldom authoritarian or openly hierarchical. They will of course exercise their influence in a quieter way, less noticed.
Refreshments
People offer tea or coffee or a cold drink as a matter of course before every meeting. It is not impolite to reject it. If you are supervising a meeting in the UK, don’t forget to offer drinks.
Small talk
Every meeting starts with a friendly exchange of views on the weather or traffic or sports match or some celebrity or other.
Planning
The British generally do not draw up detailed plans in a meeting. They exchange views and introduce solutions in a deliberately (or culturally natural) vague way. Approximation and vagueness is a part of the idiom:’ see it through’, ‘sort it out’ and ‘roughly speaking’, are typical expressions you will hear in a meeting.
The British avoid saying ‘no’
Expressions like ‘yes, but…’, ‘I’m not entirely sure I go along with that’ and ‘that’s a good idea – for the future’ are all expressions that mean ‘no’.
Punctuality
The British like to be quite punctual – perhaps not as precise as some peoples, but lateness should be avoided.
The British saying ‘sorry’
The British say ‘sorry’ a lot. Not just when they are sorry, but also to catch people’s attention, to start a complaint or if they disagree with you.
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