Why Building Professional Relationships is Harder for Expat Spouses in Zurich

Building Relationships is harder for Expat Spouses in Zurich.  As I sat on a panel, I just got as far as saying, “I think…” when the other panelist gave her opinion. She probably didn’t notice that I was trying to say something, but for a moment, I was annoyed and thought, “How rude…”. And it seems to happen more and more that I am waiting an instant too long, and then it is too late to say what I wanted to say. I now notice how I have become a “Swiss person.”

I may have allowed a younger and shyer version of myself to take over these days. Having lived here in Zurich for over ten years, I prefer to run my life in a Swiss style. Despite considering myself open and tolerant, I still need to improve intercultural communication. I’m not always understood, and sometimes I’m just wrong.

I recently had a long discussion about left and right, and I know I have a weakness there. Ultimately, I discovered that I muddled up left and right (again!). Sometimes, “Global English” also worsens it: Many non-native speakers trying to communicate in their second language can lead to misunderstandings and unnecessary emotions.

Eight reasons might make it harder to build professional relationships right now. 

Eight Reasons

1. You are shy, introverted, or not convinced that you are good enough to deserve success. Many partners suffer from the “impostor syndrome,” a psychological state of mind where people doubt their accomplishments or consider themselves frauds just about to be exposed, especially if their career-driving partner just got another promotion in another country.
2. You are embarrassed and ashamed of being “unemployed.” This is especially hard in a society where most of your self-worth is driven by your career and your busy schedule.
3. You come from a home culture where achievement is overly emphasized. In these cultures, ascription is considered an unfair privilege, while at the same time, you are blindsided by the fact that you have an ascribed status on your home turf. Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner associated the achievement dimension with a Protestant work ethic and belief. 
4. You underestimate the cultural and value diversity in Switzerland. Even if Switzerland is the home of Zwingli and Calvin, there are catholic cantons where status, just like in the protestant cantons, is often equated with a family name, wealth, and how many generations you have already been a member of this society. So, there is still a strong ascription component that is not so obvious to outsiders. You don’t recognize being in the out-group until you join the “Circle of Trust.”
5. You are unaware of how you come across in person and assume your style and behavior are “normal.” For example, you have not yet learned to read the cultural cues that hint that you might be too pushy or rude. A typical example in Switzerland is that newbies tend to overstretch a time commitment. In a society that runs on the clock and is a role model of the sequential time approach according to E.T. Hall’s time dimensions, not respecting this often creates a lot of stress for the other person.
6. You are sending messages to mark your status on your home turf, such as the “Dr.” title in Germany. Or hint at your seniority by name-dropping the influential VIPs you used to hang out with. Still, this is misunderstood or considered boasting, selfish, and annoying in Switzerland. (For all we know, you could even exaggerate your qualifications and background!)
7. You interrupt your counterparts because you feel that they are slow. The Swiss tend to speak slower than many other Europeans but don’t like being interrupted in their thought process. They are used to having a voice and being asked for their opinion on everything.
8. You come from a high-context culture and don’t know how to address a “stranger”  adequately.  You don’t know how to phrase your requests (your “ask”) to them, and they don’t understand you.

Over the years of running my own business and projects, I often noticed that all the tools I tested to maintain a strategic approach to networking failed miserably with the extensive network I’ve built over my professional life.  So, I decided to let go of “strategy” and follow my gut and memory. I realized the best idea is not to worry too much about “contact segmentation.”

We Germans love the word “Begriffsabgrenzung”, so we also do this to our social life (“Bekannter, Kollege, Freund, Verwandter, Familie, Partner, Ehepartner…”). It’s a step-by-step approach, showing how much you trust the other person. The same segmentation exists in Switzerland, but there are “false friends”(e.g., the word “Kollege” means “Work Colleague” in High German and “Friend” in Swiss German).

In Switzerland and Germany, the informal ways of addressing a person with “Du” have different meanings. Without intercultural training, a German manager will unintentionally behave like a bull in a china shop in Switzerland. Hence, working with German managers in the “honeymoon phase” is a lot of work for the trainer or coach. I prefer to work with you when you are beyond the honeymoon phase and you understand that you might not function in Switzerland like you are used to.

My colleagues have become friends over the years, and some of my best friends from my university days or early career are colleagues or clients now. Some of my team members have become family, and some of my family members work in the same field or are closely related to it. And some friends will never pay you, while others will insist on giving back.

The world is colorful, and so are people. While saying this, I don’t want to imply that you have to like everybody you work with or network with. However, it’s another atmosphere for collaboration and innovation when you can fully trust the other person and know in your head and heart that this person would never talk badly about you behind your back and would not spill your secrets with your competitors. 

We can help you improve at building professional relationships in Zurich, land a job, or start a business. Don’t hesitate to contact me (Angie Weinberger) for a free 25-minute consultation, and let me know how I can help you.