Just getting set up in your new French office? Here are some tips from our own Culture Coach Nathalie Kleinschmit to make sure you get off to a good start.

Let's see if you recognise yourself in Jason's tale of his stay at his multinational company's head office in Paris:

“When I got to the front desk, they told me I had to wait because they hadn’t received my badge yet. Twenty minutes went by before my manager arrived to authorize my entrance. He then walked me to my new office and and told me that a meeting was scheduled with the team at 3pm that afternoon and that, until then, I could read through the files.

I had my own laptop but couldn’t get the Internet connection to work. For the next few hours, I could see people walking by peering into my office but not a single person came in to introduce themselves to me. I went to get a coffee and discovered that the machine wasn’t coin-operated and that I needed a card. For lunch, I had already eaten in the cafeteria on previous trips and had a voucher so I was able to get a platter together. But I remember feeling quite alone and wondering if I was ever going to fit in.

At the afternoon meeting, I was introduced to my colleagues. They were courteous but none really reached out to make me feel welcome. As soon as I wasn’t directly involved in the conversation, they reverted to French. And to be honest, when they spoke English, I wasn’t always sure that I understood what they meant. I put my discomfort down to tiredness and first-day jitters. But, in the days that followed, I still felt like an outsider. I felt a little more settled once I got my diplomas, photos and other personal mementos out. And yet, that seemed to create an even greater distance and no one seemed to respond to my obvious friendliness and approachability.

Once we got into the rhythm of work – especially for the key project I was assigned to run – I had less time to worry about what they thought of me and our only priorities were progress, deadlines and results. At the end of my term there, I wasn’t too sad to leave. Though the project had been quite successful, I had never really felt quite at home. I was happy to hear that I was being transferred back to the States.

Imagine my surprise when my colleagues held a 'pot de départ' for me: a get-together to mark to end of my assignment, to thank me and to wish me well on my next assignment. There were gifts from my peers, team, assistants and boss. There were a few speeches and a lot of reminiscing on the highlights of my time there. And here’s the irony of my time in France: just when I was getting ready to leave, I started to feel at home!”

Jason’s story will be a familiar one for many foreign expatriates arriving for assignments in France. Many are frustrated when their expectations aren’t met in terms of being welcomed to a new team; some don’t hesitate to write their colleagues off as distant, cold and unwelcoming. For some these first impressions make it hard to stay positive and enjoy the full potential of their stay.

So here are some tips to get off on the right foot and feel more at ease in the French workplace from the get-go, instead of at your pot de départ.

Most importantly: don’t take it personally.  
First of all, many assignments begin in September. This period, called the Rentrée, is one of the busiest of year when the French return from the long summer break and are focusing their attention on catching up. The new arrival is noticed, but may be put on a very long mental to-do list. There’s a definite difference between the new arrivals' clock, on which a day can seem to last years, and that of the French returnee whose day isn't long enough.

Expect some delays in administrative processes.
For Jason, requests for his badge and computer set-up might have been delayed in the summer months. His assistant might still be on holiday. His boss might have had more pressing matters to deal with. Thankfully, more and more companies are streamlining their induction process and new arrivals can enjoy an orientation seminar, a buddy system and a clear information packet with necessary passes, badges and codes. But it’s far from the case in all companies.

Don’t assume the French are cold because they aren't chatty.
Jason’s French colleagues might have felt shy about just 'dropping by' into his personal workspace. Very often, French employees explain that they are afraid of invading the expatriate’s privacy or being too direct. They don’t want to interrupt or call too much attention to themselves either. This is particularly true if the expatriate is at a higher hierarchical level. They will often wait for a formal invitation to enter an office, even if your door is open, and probably never if the door is closed.

Give your colleagues time to get to know you.
Personal and professional lives are often kept separate here. Co-workers do become friendly with each other but this is achieved over time, it's not expected right away; you’ll probably find that relations go from courteous to friendly as people understand what they can expect from you and vice versa.

Observe, observe and observe.
Watch how others behave. You may notice that most of your peers don’t display diplomas and prizes on their walls. This, though perfectly normal in an American office, might be taken as a boast here. Likewise, reminders of your private life, even pictures of your kids, in your work space may seem out-of-place to your co-workers. You should be yourself and not feel bound to behave exactly like a French person, but do be sensitive to your environment.

Don’t get upset when they speak French… you’re in France!
For the most part, see tip #1, the choice of language is not about you. Admit it, you may have studied Spanish but you will probably still speak English with a Spanish-speaking expat arriving in your office in N. America. Most French work hard to learn English for international business — but that doesn't mean they should have to speak English amongst themselves. It's easy to feel paranoid if you don't understand the language but trust that if the information is important, they’ll share it with you. And remember that learning French is the most important thing you can do to fit in and to show your co-workers that you want to fit in.

(If you want to challenge this advice, by all means, send me an email and we’ll talk!)

Understand that their English may not be the same as yours. Make it easy on them by adopting Borderless English.
If you use sports analogies ('give me a ballpark figure'), other colloquial expressions ('we’re up a creek without a paddle'), or acronyms, French colleagues may stare at you blankly. If they don't appear to have understood, simply rephrase your sentence rather than trying to teach them your slang.

Trust your colleagues even if you don’t always get full, detailed explanations.
Communication in France is often implicit, meaning that things are “understood” even if not verbally spelled out. The French are not necessarily used to handing out overt or public praise.

But if Jason had looked for the signs, he probably would have seen his colleagues' respect demonstrated in other ways. If you start with trust, it's easier to let go of your “right to know”, your “need for details”

Have a question for the Culture Coach? Let us know!

Maximizing your International Talent and Resources! We offer seminars in intercultural management and international mobility. Our open training catalogue is available online.

European office in Paris: 0 1 44 55 01 28 (Nathalie Nowak, manager)
North American office in Cleveland: +1 216 220 4801 (Lise Bourassa, manager)
For more information: info@global-ease.com

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September 2006

Copyright Expatica

Subject: Living in France, relocating to France, Culture Coach, Global'Ease

 

 

Maximizing your International Talent and Resources! We offer seminars in intercultural management and international mobility. Our open training catalogue is available online.
European office in Paris: 0 1 44 55 01 28 (Nathalie Nowak, manager)
North American office in Cleveland: +1 216 220 4801 (Lise Bourassa, manager)
For more information: info@global-ease.com