In Finland, we have a good working culture. People are diligent, honest, and reliable. They care for each other and help one another succeed in different tasks. This is my opinion. I appreciate our culture, and I have noticed in my work that sometimes a lot of convincing is needed to persuade someone from another country.
We cooperate with an Italian company in my workplace. We have been doing this for almost 10 years now. In the beginning, it was not so easy to convince them that we keep the promises we make. They were used to difficulties in other countries and working with local people. Now we have a strong bond, and they know that we do what we say and that things don’t change suddenly. We are proud of this.
One thing that bothers me is that people in Finland are not very flexible. A lot must be done before people are willing to give up the benefits they have achieved, even if the economy demands it. Many of us are used to a high quality of life, which often means spending more than we earn. Another important aspect is understanding and flexibility. Sometimes, we need to consider the human behind the decisions. In small companies, critical decisions must sometimes be made quickly, and these decisions can have a big impact on people’s lives.
In Finland, I live in a town where most people speak Swedish. Local people, who have lived their whole lives in this small town, expect to keep the language alive. They do not approve of people who only speak Finnish in Finland. They get angry and walk away if they don’t get an answer in Swedish. This is wrong. We need to have more understanding and humanity. It would be helpful if people were more open to using both languages and encouraged others to communicate in whichever language is most comfortable for them.
In the future, I hope that our work culture remains at a high level, even though it seems that things are changing. We have done great work with our Italian partners, and I hope that our collaboration will inspire them to have more trust in others. We all have the ability to make a difference and influence the direction in which culture evolves.