Living and Working in Finland

Why Living and Working in Finland? Finland overcame Russian occupation to become a nation with one of the highest GDP’s in Europe.  Known as the ‘Land of a Thousand Lakes’, Finland is famed for its saunas, landscape and high standard of living.  Finns place a heavy emphasis on equality, a concept that can be seen in the professional environment as well as in everyday life.  Finland was the first country in Europe to give women voting rights and this sense of egalitarianism continues to prevail in modern day Finnish culture.  However, as Finns are direct communicators and value individualism, this complex culture can often be surprising to foreign visitors.  These cultural differences can make an international assignment in Finland quite challenging.  A thorough understanding of Finnish social and business culture will ensure that your experience living and working in Finland is successful.

Communicaid’s Living & Working in Finland courses are designed to respond to the needs of international assignees by providing practical information and advice on the various aspects of living and working in Finland.  Delegates will also gain an improved understanding of the underlying elements that shape Finnish culture inside and outside the workplace which will help ensure a successful international assignment in Finland.

Benefits

 A Communicaid Living and Working in Finland course will provide you with:

• A comprehensive overview of Finland’s cultural context including historical, social and economic background
• Essential communication tools and skills to understand—and respond to— business and social subtleties and nuances of Finnish culture
• An awareness of culture and country shock—and ways of surviving it
• Fundamental practical information to improve your experience of living and working in the  Finland

Who should attend
           
Living and Working in Finland will be of benefit to you if you:

• Are about to relocate or have just relocated to Finland for business purposes
• Work on short-term assignments or projects in Finland
• Spend periods of time in Finland for business purposes

Course Content

All our Living and Working in Finland training courses are designed to meet the specific needs of our clients depending on their personal/organisational requirements and existing skills set.   A Living and Working in Finland course typically includes:

• Understanding and managing culture and country shock
• Finnish people and Finnish society: individualism, love of nature, blend of old and new
• Practical information on living and working in Finland
• Finnish social and business etiquette
• Attitudes and values in Finnish business culture: pragmatism, directness, egalitarianism
• Management, leadership and negotiation styles
• Effective business communication: face-to-face and virtual contexts
• Key Finnish working practices: meetings, presentations, greetings, time at work
• Tips and strategies for a successful experience living and working in Finland

Approach

Living and Working in Finland courses are available seven days a week, 365 days a year, either at one of our training centres in London, Paris, Frankfurt and New York or at your offices in any location worldwide.  We usually recommend a one or two day course but can also offer a more flexible format to suit your schedule.

Suitably tailored materials will be used throughout your course and your trainer will provide a balance of structured input and discussion of case studies and scenarios relevant to your own particular context.

The most appropriate training format, content and approach for your Living and Working in Finland course will be discussed during your diagnostic consultancy.

Living and Working in Finland Course Trainer

Your Living and Working in Finland trainer will be assigned to you following the results of your diagnostic consultancy according to your objectives and areas of focus.  Detailed below is a sample profile of a member of our Cultural Awareness Training team.

SK

SK is an executive coach and consultant working primarily with individuals and teams in improving their ability to manage and leverage difference, increasing their intercultural sensitivity and enhancing cross-cultural communication to ensure overall effectiveness and increased productivity when working with people in other cultures. 

Originally from Finland, SK has vast international experience.  She has lived and worked in seven countries on three continents, including Brazil, the US and the UK where she currently resides.  In addition, her work has taken her to over 35 countries on six continents. SK is multilingual: she speaks English, Finnish, fluent Spanish, good French and basic Swedish and Portuguese.