Team building workshop
As mentioned the team consists of Thai, Indians and Swedes and despite the fact that collaboration and everyday work runs smoothly it can sometimes be helpful with some team building exercises. The cultures in these three countries are very different which can sometimes cause misunderstandings, therefore a workshop was dedicated to this that I was responsible for. The event started out with a traditional Swedish “fika” and I found some cinnamon buns at a mall, they did not really taste like traditional Swedish ones and they overdid the frosting but that is as close as you get here in Bangkok. Then it was quiz time and you will find an example below, can you guess what statement belongs to which country?
1. In general, people from this country are open and friendly, and compared to many others, have a lesser sense of privacy.
2. Heated debates are very unusual at business meetings. Unlike the situation in most other countries, this business culture strongly favors compromising.
3. Be careful not to give too much praise in regards to possessions, as he or she may feel embarrassed, or obligated to give you the item in question. It is best to give general praise, such as 'You have a wonderful office.'
The day continued with everybody trying to learn some Hindi, Swedish and Thai and later we went for bowling and dinner!
Quiz answers: 1-India, 2-Sweden, 3-Thailand
