Makenzie Stone - Russia

RUSSIA's

 Approach to Conflict  &

.

 General Business Etiquette 

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Approach to Conflict:

When having a conflict in Russia the way it is approached really depends on where you are. For example, public manners outside of Moscow are much better than those inside of Moscow. 

Lets take the metro for instance. You better be ready to hold your own ground because people will literally push you on & off the train if you get in their way.

Even if you do manage to not get shoved around you make it to the store you will still feel very uncomfortable when ready to check out because being in a person's personal space in an understatement in the metro. It is not unusual to be waiting in line for something & have a person actually lean on you while they wait. 

This rudeness does not stop once it is finally your turn in line either. If a cashier or ticket attendant can not help you they will not politely tell you so. They will in fact shout "Nyet!" at you, which means "No" in Russian, & look at you like they did nothing wrong. 

Luckily, when it comes to high-quality restaurants & hotels the employee's manners are restored to what we would consider acceptable. 

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General Business Etiquette:

The one rule that will always exist in your meetings & business relationships in Russia is that everything is based on personal relationships. Meaning that your background, your behavior, your professionalism, & your respect for local customs & norms will all factor in how you are initially perceived. So first impressions can either make or break you in Russia making the meeting & greeting aspect very important.

When meeting it is important to take off your gloves (if wearing them) before shaking hands.

Men shake hands with men. Women do not generally shake hands with other women but most Russian men do shake hands with women during initial introductions but not always. Also men usually stand up when someone enter the room but if it is a women they most definitely will.

When a Russian introduces themselves it is important to play close attention & listen for the person’s patronymic middle name. If they do not say it then look for it on their business card, which are usually in Russian on one side & in English on the other. This is because even though Russians do have equivalents for the English terms “Mr” and “Mrs” they are not commonly used.

Also, when asked “how are you” in Russia you are expected to give a genuine answer instead of just saying “Good. How are you?”.

Russians are very demonstrative people & public physical contact such as hugs, backslapping, & kisses on the cheeks are common between friends, colleagues, & members of the same sex. Also, when talking Russians stand very close to one another.

Hand gestures such as putting your thumb in-between your index finger & middle finger or making the “OK” sign are both considered very rude.

If doing any type of business in Russia it is important to know that “Business Casual” is a no go. Russians pay very close attention to their appearances & both men & women usually wear extremely expensive clothing. This is because they expect a serious businessperson to look formal & conservative.

Men should wear suits & ties. Women should wear suits, dresses, or pantsuits.

When it comes to the telephone Russian businesses run them quite differently then American business. If you are calling businesses in Russia it is not unusual to be shock by the very rude greeting given by the receptionist. When answering the phone they say (in Russian of course) “I’m listening to you”. There is not “Hello”, “How may I help you”, nothing. However it is not meant to be rude it is just how things are done there.

Also, people in Russia never turn their phones off or ignore a phone call. You can be sitting in a meeting & have someone answering their phone several times throughout. They also never cut short or rush any conversation on the phone. Again this is not meant to be rude it is just a general accepted practice of theirs.