Understanding Canadian workplace culture

1. Understanding Canadian Workplace
Culture
Marie Gervais, PhD., CEO, Shift Management Inc.

2. What we will cover in the webinar
• Basic Canadian workplace etiquette
• Canadian hierarchy
• Canadian communication patterns and speech
• Canadian experience – what it really means
• Incident analysis

3. EXPECTED BUSINESS ETIQUETTE

4. Expected business etiquette 1
• Greetings
• Privacy
• Time and deadlines
• Display of emotion

5. Expected business etiquette 2
• Rules and laws
• Hierarchy between managers and employees
• Favours and expectations of reward
• Preferred managerial qualities

6. Expected business etiquette 3
• Relationship and rapport building
• Food: Eat alone or with others?
• Food: Coffee, lunch, dinner meetings
• Outside of work
• Is it really about snow, beer, hockey and golf
deals?

7. GETTING STARTED

8. Presenting yourself
• Handshakes
• Eye contact
• Personal space
• Interruptions
• Hand gestures
• Take initiative

9. Networking expectations
• Ask questions, show interest in the other
person
• Offer something about yourself but not too
much
• Think about how you can assist, advance or
help the other person’s goals
• Send follow up email, phone call

10. Virtual introductions
• Ask for a virtual introduction
• Reply to both at the same time, thank
introducer
• Ask for a phone call or coffee meeting
• Follow up with the introducer later

11. “Client facing” soft skills
• Positive attitude towards others
• Willingness to learn
• Customer service attitude
• Polite and courteous but not deferential
• Professional, not cool but not too warm

12. CANADIAN HIERARCHY

13. The Hidden Canadian hierarchy
• Address superiors formally until you know
them, then address them the way your
colleagues do.
• You can make suggestions but decisions rest
with the management.
• Cultivate allies and networks to advance.

14. The Hidden Canadian hierarchy
Expectations:
• Speak up and say what you mean, politely.
• Showing negative emotion is problematic.
• Be humble, show strong customer focus.
• Answer direct questions directly.
• Don’t expect favours or privileges.
• Only offer to help if you mean it.

15. CANADIAN COMMUNICATION

16. Canadian Communication
Canadian communication is usually:
• Direct for information- STRONG DESIRE FOR
CLARITY
• Indirect for avoiding conflict and softening
requests - HIGHLY CONFLICT AVERSE

17. Direct for getting information
A: Did you get the file ready for Client XYZ so we can
present tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.?
B: Not yet, I sill have to complete the second half of the
report, which I will work on this afternoon..
A. I need to see it this afternoon in case there are any
changes required. Can you have it on my desk by 3:00?
B. I can do that.

18. Indirect if there might be conflict
A: I’m wondering if the Client XYZ file is progressing, do you
have an update?
B: Is that the one we need for tomorrow morning at 9:00?
A: Yes, what’s your progress report?
B: I haven’t finished it yet…
A: Of course I’m confident that you will get it done on time,
I’m just checking.

19. 4 C’s of Canadian communication:
Clarity:
It is the responsibility of the speaker to speak
clearly and to make intention known. Clarity
includes clear pronunciation and looking directly
at people as you speak.

20. 4 C’s of Canadian Communication
Conciseness:
Explanations should be short and to the point.
Timely, factual speech is appreciated.

21. 4 C’s of Canadian communication:
Coherance:
What you say should show a logical sequence –
a long story where the point is not made clear
by the speaker is not usually acceptable. Back up
opinions with evidence.

22. 4 C’s of Canadian communication:
Consensus:
Draw other people into the conversations
without actually telling them what to do. Use
“speech softeners” to get others to agree to
what you want them to do, and to have a “way
out” if they don’t want to do it.

23. Canadian Speech Softeners
https://vimeo.com/channels/canadianculture

24. Speech softener examples
“Could you have it on my desk by 3:00?”
“I’m wondering… if the Client XYZ file is
progressing… do you have an update?”
“Excuse me, do you mind passing that file
please?”
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“Maybe in your last workplace you did…but here
we usually…”

25. CANADIAN EXPERIENCE

26. Canadian experience – what it really
means
• How comfortable is the cultural difference
when we talk to each other?
• Do you know what the Canadian workplace
norms are?
• Will it be extra work for me to train you?
• Are you a good fit for our company culture?

27. Canadian experience as a screen
• Will this foreign employee make me look bad
because he/she knows more than me?
• We have never hired people from “that”
culture, why should we start now?
• How much effort does it take for me to
understand this accent?
• Can I even pronounce this name? No? Next.

28. Getting around it – the good stuff
• Volunteer somewhere mainstream to learn
cultural norms
• Find Canadians to connect with and ask them
questions, be open to learning
• Identify your own bias – no culture is all good or
all bad
• Look for signs of diversity/inclusion before you
apply

29. Getting around it – the ugly stuff
• Modify your accent on the sounds that are most
problematic, find an app or a coach
• Create a Canadian nickname you can use in
applications (ex. Farhad becomes “Fred)
• Dumb down your resume
• Build up the company, your colleagues and your
boss so they feel you are part of the team

30. INCIDENT ANALYISIS

31. Consider this incident #1:
Although you are not the HR manager, a Ukrainian
employee comes into your office with his resume and
gives it to you saying he deserves to be promoted since
he has been here for three months and he has family to
feed back home.
1. What is the Ukrainian employee’s likely
assumption?
2. What is the Canadian manager likely to assume?

32. Incident #1 Cultural Clues:
Employee - “These managers are all taking a cut
somewhere in the system. I have to let this bureaucrat
know that I won’t put up with not being promoted.
In my country a promotion would be automatic if I have
not been corrected on anything. ”
What does this tell you?

33. Incident #1 Cultural Clues:
Supervisor - “I’m not even the HR Manager, and he is
demanding a promotion after only three months?
Doesn’t he know how things work around here?
In Canada you are on probation for three months, no
promotions for at least a year and they have to be
applied for. ”
What does this tell you?

34. Consider this incident #2:
Last year, during the Chinese New Year season, you had
a majority of your Chinese employees phone in sick
which really caused problems. You do not want this to
happen again this year.
1. What is the Canadian employer’s concern and
expectation?
2. What are the Chinese employees concerns and
assumptions?

35. Incident #2: Cultural Clues:
Manager – “What makes them think they can
take time off work without making a formal
request?”
What does this tell you?

36. Incident #2: Cultural Clues
Employees – “There is no point in asking for the
holiday off because the company won’t give us
time off anyway.”
What does this tell you?

37. Consider this incident #3:
One of your African female employees refuses to work
with another African who you think is from the same
country. You have no idea why they are so cold to each
other.
1. What do we not know about this conflict?
2. What is the Canadian confused about?

38. Incident #3: Cultural Clues:
Manager - “What is the matter with these
people? Aren’t they from the same country? “
What does this tell you?

39. Incident #3: Cultural Clues
Employees - “There was a war in my country
and her tribe murdered my father. But it is
shameful to talk about the war and it makes our
people look bad when we do. It is best if the two
of us don’t work together. The manager will not
understand this because his country has never
been at war.”
What does this tell you?

40. Want to learn more? Take our course!
Work and Culture Online: https://goo.gl/TzXaDU
Checkout the free module: https://goo.gl/TzXaDU

41. For more info: Contact Marie Gervais
Shift thinking. Drive learning. Get results.
marie@shiftworkplace.com
@shiftworkplace
@workandculture
780 993 1062
780 4545661
www.shiftworkplace.com