business etiquette in russia presentation

Business Meeting Protocol and Etiquette in Russia

Image (CC) by Rufus Walabee – One night in Moscow

Key values in your Russian business meeting

Russia is a country of cultural contradictions. Not only is it a very big country, covering nine time zones, the upheavals of the 1990s have created a very pronounced generational gap. Generally, the older generations are marked by a tendency towards conservatism and have a group mentality. The younger generations are much more dynamic and progressive, with a more individualist approach.

There is a general sense of pessimism not only about the future but also about the present as well. Russia is a country that considers itself isolated from the rest of the world, surrounded by neighbours who want to take advantage of it. This has created a fortress mentality – outsiders are not trusted. This is in contrast to the extensive hospitality normally shown to visitors.

Russians are often very closed and formal in public, but open, warm and informal in private. In communication, Russians tend to be direct and do not avoid confrontation. They can be extremely emotional and yet reserved in the same meeting.

Russians generally consider themselves to be culturally rich in terms of art and literature. Dusha (soul) is an important consideration – this means that intellectual, abstract discussions are common. Knowledge of “high culture” is valued, and the ability to talk about works of art and literature is appreciated.

Russia is a meeting of Europe and Asia, and their cultural portrait reflects this.

Time, ‘before and after’ your business meeting

Image (CC) by Aleksander Markin – Russia State Transport Company Ilyushin Il-96-300PU RA-96016

Russians are traditionally very punctual, especially when meeting foreigners. This is beginning to change, especially among senior directors in new businesses who like to demonstrate their power by keeping visitors waiting. For a meeting of equals expect punctuality: meetings will start on time but will continue until all points are covered.

If you have meetings with local officials you will wait a long time, even if you have an appointment: processes are slow so it may not be a deliberate ploy. You should expect meetings to take up more of your time than planned.

Before a meeting you should re-confirm by phone, both with the person and with his/her secretary. Russians prefer direct contact to emails or letters – the postal service is famously unreliable, so make sure you speak in person. Russians do not generally adhere to formal agendas, as the most senior person will dictate the topics and length of discussions. It is worth clarifying who will be present in advance if possible and ensuring that your party contains people of equivalent status. This will increase the chances of you being able to influence the meeting.

When you are considered an “honoured guest” it is very common to combine meetings with food and drink. Russians can be very hospitable and are keen to demonstrate their generosity. They are aware of their reputation for heavy drinking and may use that to gain advantage.

Image (CC) by marsmettt tallahassee

“Banquets” can last late into the night – you should expect to stay late as well. It is worth noting that the next day will start at the usual time, regardless of when the banquet finished.

Hierarchy and status in a business meeting

Ironically the ideologically egalitarian policies of communism have bred an extremely hierarchical structure in private and public organisations in Russia.

The boss is a very distant, powerful figure, and is surrounded by visible demonstrations of his/her position. Wealth and status are demonstrated openly and emphasise the difference in authority. Promotions are rewarded not just financially but with a bigger office, better car and other visible privileges. Junior team members are expected to respond immediately to any request by their boss, regardless of any other duties they may have to perform.

It is also expected that those in authority will be obvious in their exercise of power. Russian managers are comfortable criticising openly and making impulsive decisions. In the same way, rewards and positive feedback are given publicly. This can mean that the boss may use a meeting as an opportunity to address an individual’s performance. This is uncommon when outsiders are present, but not unheard of.

Decisions, discussions and disagreeing

As is expected in hierarchical societies, decisions are usually made at the most senior level. The boss is advised by heads of department, but will make the final decision alone, although s/he may not heed the advice given. Decision-making can therefore take a long time as each “boss” at each stage will decide whether or not to pass the recommendation up to the next level.

Individuals may be invited to contribute to decisions, but these are not discussions or debates. In meetings which involve negotiations, Russians will often withdraw from the meeting to consult, allowing the senior person to make the decision alone. Disagreement with a senior person is very rarely expressed in public.

It is not uncommon for the senior person to be quite confrontational in a meeting if s/he is not getting their own way. It is appropriate to ask for a break to reconsider your position before continuing the meeting.

Task vs. Relationship

Russians consider both relationship and task to be important. They traditionally have extensive networks and rely on mutual influence to bypass bureaucracy. They are more comfortable doing business with people they know well. However, business relationships are measured by the success of a task – the relationship may not survive a bad experience or a failure.

Loyalty is to a person rather than an organisation and you must re-establish a relationship each time your contact moves on. When a team leader is promoted, it is common for him/her to promote members of the old team as a reward for their support.

Among younger leaders and businesses the balance is tending towards a greater focus on task, and business relationships are increasingly transactional. When making proposals it may be beneficial to demonstrate the ways this will improve a person’s standing in their organisation and how they will benefit individually.

• Pessimistic
• Inward facing
• Fortress mentality
• Dusha (soul)

Time, “before and after”

• Punctuality valued
• New businesses and bureaucrats may keep you waiting longer
• Business entertainment can be very long
• Meetings continue to a decision

Hierarchy and status

• Steep hierarchy
• Visible demonstrations of status
• Power is emphasised and used

 Structure and formality

• Meetings are always formal
• Structure of meetings is dependent on the host/senior person present
• Communication is formal at meetings, even if less formal before and after
• Use professional/academic titles and surname or name and patronymic
• Decisions made by boss alone
• Discussions done in private not at meetings
• Disagreeing with the senior person is done in private if at all

Task vs. relationship

• Relationships and “blat’” (network) are crucial
• Loyalty to a person rather than organisation
• Task is still very important – Russians want actions

This blog post is written by Declan Mulkeen is Marketing Director at Communicaid a culture and business communication skills consultancy which offers cultural awareness training.

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In 2009, Hillary Clinton made a well-intended gift to the Russian foreign minister of that time – Sergei Lavrov. It represented a mock “reset” button, symbolising US hopes to revitalise the relationship between US and the Russian Federation. However, the word she chose to translate in Russian is “peregruzka”, which means “overloaded” or “overcharged”. An intercultural Freudian slip?

* Official name – Russian Federation. * Russian is the official language, with other co-official languages in various regions. * Moscow is the capital and also the largest city. * The population is estimated at 143 million people.

Business Mentality

– In Russia the type of business you are dealing with can usually range from a new-style entrepreneur to an old-school Soviet bureaucrat.

– It is difficult to do business in Russia without the help from a local “connection” . To help with this, small gifts are often a good idea when doing business in Russia. Presents symbolising the stature of your company and the importance of the impending business deal, preferably an item characteristic of your local area or one that displays the company logo.

– Patience is important with Russians, negotiations can often be slow. As the Russian proverb states, do not ‘hurry to reply’, but ‘hurry to listen’.

– Avoid hard selling techniques and any sort of conflict or confrontation.

– Russians don’t usually make an immediate decision in a meeting; usually a certain amount of deliberation is done in private afterwards.

– For greetings – shake hands firmly and maintain direct eye contact. Avoid shaking hands and giving things across a threshold a house or room. It is best to cross the threshold completely before shaking a host’s hand when arriving and leaving.

– Always remove gloves when shaking hands, it is considered rude not to.

– Never use first names unless invited to do so , as it important to respect authority and formality. You can use ‘Gospodin’ (Mr.) or ‘Gospozha’ (Mrs.) plus their surname. However, if you know the person’s full name, it would be more appreciated if you use a combination of name and patronymic. The patronymic is the father’s name with the ending ‘-ich/??‘ for men and ‘-vna/???‘ for women, for example: Ivan Nikolaevich or Anna Arkad’evna.

– There are also two modes of addressing – using the formal form of ‘you’ – ‘vy/??‘ and the informal one ‘ty/??‘

The Art of Conversation

– Russians appreciate an interest from foreigners in the Russian language, so an attempt to learn or at least partially speak with them in their language is a good idea.

– Many Russians speak English as it is often taught at school.

– Russians tend not to speak too loudly in public.

– A good topic of conversation is usually the changes taking place in Russia – feel welcome to express your views, do not remain just a listener. Bringing up the subject of Russian culture and history will be an appreciated gesture. Russians are very affectionate towards children, so if you are a parent, do not hesitate to show photographs of your children.

– Avoid topics such as your complaints about Russia, the Holocaust, Czarism and monarchy, conflicts with ethnic minorities and comparing Russia to other developing countries.

Business meetings and meals

– Dress in formal, more conservative office clothes – for both men and women.

– There is a keen appreciation of punctuality, be on time if not early if you are meeting with Russians. However, don’t necessarily expect your Russian counterpart to be on time, this may be just an attempt to test your patience.

– The act of handing out business cards is quite a common and important action in Russia.

– On your business cards , always print one side in your language and the other in Russian .

– At dinner in Russia, people don’t usually do something before the host does, for example beginning to eat or getting up from the dinner table.

– It is often appropriate to bring a small gift when attending a family’s home for dinner.

– Drinking and toasting at gatherings is an important and common act . Going out for a drink when invited is highly recommended as it shows interest in strengthening the relationship and promoting good will.

Body Language

– Maintain eye contact .

– Never show the soles of your shoes as it is considered rude and they are considered dirty, do not let them come in contact with a seat.

– Don’t stand around with your hands in your pockets. Do not sit with the legs apart or with one ankle resting upon the knee.

– It is insulting to summon someone with the forefinger. Instead, turn your hand so that the palm faces down and motion inward with all four fingers at once.

Other fun facts

– Russia is so large it spans nine time zones .

– First country to launch a man into space: Yuri Gagarin .

– Moscow is officially the biggest city in Europe.

– Red is a prominent colour in Russian culture and history . The Russian word for red, ‘krasnyi’, was in the past also used to describe something beautiful. Red was the colour the Soviet Union flag and is still a feature today the current Russian Federation flag.

– If you decide to give flowers as a present, make sure the number of flowers is odd (not 13 though as it is unlucky). An even number of flowers is associated with funerals.

– Russia covers half the northern hemisphere and has 12 seas.

Did you find this article useful? If so, you might also enjoy our guide to business etiquette in China.

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