Hi, everyone and welcome back to Britain Under the Microscope. 欢迎回来【闲话英伦】. Hi, 安澜.

Hi Lulu, hi everyone.

So what is the topic for today?

Well, I thought today based on some of the comments that we've been receiving and also some of the people that would be meeting, events, I thought today we can talk about the workplace.

The workplace.

In particular, British workplace etiquette.

Etiquette basically means manners, right?

Yeah.

就是这种职场的礼仪. I would imagine British workplace etiquette is going to be quite different from the Chinese one.

Very different. Very, very, very different.

I have so many questions to ask. I mean, I worked with British people before, but I haven't really worked in the full on British environment.

It is quite different. It's also a little bit different from America as well. So let's get started with introducing yourself. So you go to the office, first time there, what do you do?

To be honest, I think that is one of those questions that is so common but most people don't even think about it. So let's just say we're in Britain first day in the office. I've been here for years and you are the newcomer. Am I to initiate contact or are you gonna come in as new guy and say, hi, I'm the new guy.

You would be expected to start the contact.

I would say, I haven’t seen you around, are you new here? that sort of thing.

And these type of introductions are still relatively formal. So for example, handshakes are still used and also small talk as well. You would be expected to engage a little bit of small talk, which I know for a fact that you really hate.

We can talk about small talk in a bit because that is basically an entire topic on its own. Let's talk about the handshakes. So British people don't kiss, don't do the social kissing.

No, certainly not in a workplace environment.

I think I've seen people doing that, but probably because they also friends?

Very close friends probably, but for the first time you don't kiss or hug.

What about women and men like, so for example, I've been working here for ages and you are the newcomer. Shall I extend my hand first?

You probably extend your hands at the same time.

I see and say, nice to meet you.

Yeah, nice to meet you.

I see. And to talk about ‘small talk’, I absolutely hate the British small talk.

I know you do.

I don't mind if it's like getting to know each other. But sometimes you know this person very well already, you work with them for ages, and you really have some urgent business or tasks to talk about, but when you get them on the phone or see them in person, you still do a little bit of small talk first.

Well, yeah, it's still important to do that. But ironically, in meetings, we don't really engage in that much small talk.

But if it's one on one, you do small talk.

You do.

But how to address people? In Chinese we say 王总，张部长.

In the UK, it's all first names.

Ok, so for example, I'm meeting my CEO, and this CEO is called John Smith. I would just immediately call him John? That doesn't sound right.

They will probably introduce themselves, Hi, I'm John.

They wouldn't say I'm John Smith?

No. CEOs, bosses, managers are expected to use their first names. So some of you might have heard about the idea of power distance.

I guess in the British work environment, if you insist on people calling you Mr. or Miss, you're gonna be very unpopular.

You would be seen as being a bit too old fashioned and also quite a bit rude as well.

I see. So introduce yourself in first names as well. So it be like, hi, are you new here? I'm Lulu. And then you'll say, I'm 安澜, nice to meet you.

Yeah.

So let's move on to like meetings, from greetings to meetings. Are British people punctual? I think you guys are, based on my experience.

It is very important to arrive on time for meetings, preferably 5 minutes early. And if you're late, you do need to let the person you’re meeting know ahead of time and also apologize.

I think this is very similar, in China, we believe in being punctual as well, arriving a bit early.

If someone comes late to a meeting, or if they're late to an appointment and they don't apologize, it’s actually seen as being very, very rude and very disrespectful.

Because you basically taking up, you're wasting other people's time.

Exactly. So that's why we would also thank someone for their time at the end of a meeting.

I see. So let's talk about meetings. Meetings are still quite formal, right? Like I noticed that in the UK, it seems the formality is still relatively high.

Yes. That's because meetings need to have a specific point. It's a common complaint in all types of companies around pointless meetings. So the idea that you’re meeting and you don't have an agenda, you don't have minutes, is still seen as a little bit of a waste of time.

No, it is a waste of time. I'm definitely all for effective meetings. And so every time there's clear agenda, clear action points, and clear minutes to be taken.

If you're having a regular catch up meeting, for example, you would normally still send a very basic agenda, like this is what we're going to discuss today.

Also that's just a standard practice.

That is a standard practice. And if it's a important meeting, then you will take minutes as well.

And then you circulate the minutes, send it to everyone.

So that brings us to the topic of sending mails, sending emails.

Yeah.

I've been learning the language for ages, but I'm still not very good at writing emails, especially formal emails. How do you address people? Do you just say, Dear 安澜, for example?

If it's a formal email, you would. But in many cases, just like email to catch up with a colleague or just to ask for something, you'd normally just say, hi.

I have a more specific question. So obviously, if I have talked to you in the office and you introduce yourself to me by your first name, of course, then I'll just use your first name, I say, Dear 安澜. But what if it's like a boss? I've never really had any personal contact with him. But because of work, I need to write an email to my CEO for instance, I know the CEO’s name is John Smith, but I've never talked to him directly then...

You would still say, John.

Dear John?

Yeah.

Wouldn't that be presumptuous?

No, it wouldn't be. In the past, yes, but nowadays everyone in the company is expected to use their first name.

So it's kind of evolved workplace.

But if you're talking to someone from another company, then you would probably say Mr. Smith.

Oh, I see, so the etiquette is if it's in your own company, even if it's the top boss, you still use their first name even if you have never talked to them face to face. But if it's another company, I say, Dear Mr. Smith?

That's the whole idea, and we'll talk about a little bit later, power distance, because when you're working in the same company, you're still seen as part of the same team.

I see. So you don't have that sort of levels to that extent.

No.

So first names, and if it's informal, then perhaps just ‘hi’, hi, could you send me the report?

Yeah. Very, very simple.

So that brings us to making requests, asking for favors or giving instructions. This is something that people do find a little bit puzzling, instructions are usually written as polite requests.

I see, originally their instructions, they're like orders, 安澜 do this, but instead of saying, do this as imperative, they will phrase, you guys will phrase it as like can you do this? could you do this?

Exactly. There’s some really common phrases for this like for example, are we going to...?

It sounds like a question or request, but it actually just means, you need to do this.

Yes, and the same as, can you do this? means I want you to do this.

So if your boss is British, he's giving you all these polite requests, that's his direct instructions.

Exactly, particularly if it has a time connected to it.

Honestly, I think it sounds a little bit similar to Japanese etiquette, and it would also use a lot of polite terms. However, an order is an order, however form you put it in.

There's also a very subtle technique for giving instructions in Britain where you would say something like, are we going to write this report? or can you write this report? Thank you.

This thank you is more like a threat.

The thank you is you really need to do this, and you're not even giving them a chance to say no. Yeah, you've already thanked them. So the implication sometimes we use it in a bit of a passive aggressive way.

Thank you.

So thank you, that means no discussion.

Do it! But just you guys wouldn't say, do it, normally.

Yeah.