Difference between revisions of "Template:Negotiating with a Russian"

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Truth About Russia^[1]

Characteristics of a Russian Meeting

As anyone meeting with anyone in Russia, there are a few ground rules you should be aware of:

1. Timeliness: While Russians are not as prompt as Germans, Russians are rather prompt. So being 5 minutes late is ok, anything later needs an excuse and one that is preferably called ahead. Aka: We are stuck in traffic. Being 30-40 or more minutes late without a formal reason, such as the tendency of Italians or Spaniards, is considered very bad manners.

Note: if during the meeting you agree to set due dates or deadlines for some document or action, be sure to accomplish it by the agreed upon date. Everything during the meeting will be set down in writing in the Minutes of Meeting and not meeting due dates is a major blow to one's credibility and reliability in Russia.

2. Inclusiveness: It is considered very rude to turn your back on someone while continuing your conversation with another person in the group...one to remember for non-Russians who have no such issues. This additionally means, turning to your co-workers, and beginning a conversation in a separate language not understood by everyone. This is also considered very rude. If the need arises to have such a discussion, request some time alone, a break from the meeting and maybe a separate room to do so in.

3. Emotions: While getting into an emotionally "hot" discussion happens but never over do it. Never get personal and never ever ever throw a temper tantrum and walk out. I had an Engineering - Procurement - Construction (EPC) project manager who would do this. He had zero respect from the other side who had to beg him to return. This is viewed as unmanly and childish.

4. Shaking Hands: Do it with everyone and anyone who enters the room after the start and before you hand out or receive business cards individually. When leaving also shake everyone's hand. Walking by some person who stops to talk to someone in your party? Shake his hand. And make it a firm hand shake. Additionally, women shake hands also, so not to shake the hand of a woman is a grave insult.

5. Woman enters the room to join the meeting?: Get up and show respect, as if it was a senior person, and since 42% of Russian executives are women (twice that of the "progressive" West) it just may be. Additionally, if there are no more seats, surrender yours to the woman.

6. Bargain Hard: Russian price negotiations used to be described as something between a mugging and a bar fight. Its gotten a bit more civilized but....I remember fighting a supplier over each 0.01$ of a price on forgings...ok we finally agreed to limit it to just full round dollars or we would never get done. Pulled out 15% savings from already low prices which saved us several million dollars.

7. Never take the initial NO IT CANT BE DONE as the end answer. If the junior or secondary management says no, go straight to the senior leadership. If they say yes it will be yes. Equally, since the culture is conservative, use your persuasion skills to sell the idea, either by its merits or by its profitability.

8. Figure out who the trusted lieutenant of the general director is. Russian chain of commands are linier except for that special lieutenant who has the ear of the boss.

9. Meetings must come to some decisions... why else are you in a meeting, other than if its just an introductory meeting. Southern peoples like to have meetings for the sake of meetings and no decisions are reached, this is very infuriating to Russians. Most meetings usually have a set agenda and the agenda is set to come to a decision.

10. All meetings will end in a Minutes of the Meeting with all parties involved signing. Sometimes getting the MoM done takes longer than the whole meeting and all parties most definitely must sign it, so be careful what actually goes in to it, as this is a legal document.

Notes

1. ↑ This is (mostly) a non-political blog. It covers real life in Russia, in an effort to dismiss and disprove the copious lies from the Western MSM. It also covers economics, culture and immigration to Russia. As a warning, this blog has an active conservative, Eastern Orthodox slant, reader beware. https://truthaboutrussia2019.blogspot.com/2019/12/characteristics-of-russian-meeting.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR0fhxiai3XYVRbIgtkM0aF0CUXSj1U5ImaBqeA8S-0D_2AIVN-h00vy3VQ ПЯТНИЦА, 13 ДЕКАБРЯ 2019 Г.