An Actor’s Guide to Canadian Business Culture: Canadian business culture is vastly different from the American one. This blog explain typical Canadian business practices and how an actor can inform themselves on these practices.
When preparing to travel abroad, most travellers don’t think to prepare themselves on the business culture of their destination. They might think to learn a few key phrases in the native language and brush up on the country’s history, but they don’t often consider how business negotiations with the locals will go. In fact, it might not occur to you that they could be any different than at home. This is a huge mistake if you are planning to work in another country! Even more so if you are doing business in Canada. Canadians conduct business differently than Americans and Europeans; this is a fact. Here at Comedy Traffic School we want actors of all levels to succeed in their craft, so we have created this blog for you about the Canadian business culture and how it may differ from what you are used to.
Canadians value relationships highly when doing business; this means that they expect things like politeness and punctuality from those they do business with. When you meet someone new, address them by their last name preceded by Mr or Ms (or
How to Do Business in Canada: An Actor’s Guide to Canadian Business Culture
Canadian business culture is vastly different from the American one. This blog explain typical Canadian business practices and how an actor can inform themselves on these practices.
The Basics of Canadian Business Culture
Business in Canada is very relationship-based. This means that before doing any sort of business, a relationship or connection must be established first. Most Canadian businesses expect their partners to already have a mutual relationship before doing any business together. At the same time, it is important to be able to trust your business partners and clients. Therefore, building relationships and establishing trust are vital aspects of doing business in Canada.
Because relationships are so important, people in Canada tend to communicate more personally and directly than Americans do (in the U.S., communication tends to be more formal). Canadians refer to each other using their first names, even if this person has a higher position than them (this also applies for men and women).
Canadians are generally more polite and reserved than Americans (Americans are often perceived as being arrogant or pushy), so people from the U.S. should be aware of this difference in communication styles. Because of this cultural difference, people from the U.S. should avoid
Canadian Business Culture: An Actor’s Guide
So, you’re going to Canada. Whether it’s for a shoot or an audition, preparing for Canadian business culture is crucial. Canadian business culture is vastly different from the American one, so there are key differences in how you should present yourself to your Canadian colleagues and employers. This blog post will explain typical Canadian business practices and how an actor can inform themselves on these practices.
Business Etiquette
Canada has a diverse population, so it is important to adapt your etiquette based on who you are meeting and where they are from. However, we have some general guidelines to help you prepare:
1.Be Punctual but Not Early
2.Greet Everybody with a Handshake
3.Don’t Expect Handshakes from Women
You’re about to walk into your first audition in Canada and you have no idea what Canadian business culture is like. You google “Canadian Business Culture” and the first thing that pops up is a website talking about things like “professionalism”, “soft skills”, “loyalty” and other soft-spoken buzzwords. It all seems very nice but it doesn’t tell you the nitty gritty of what the Canadian business world is like.
In this article we will explore the most important aspects of Canadian business culture and how an actor can use this knowledge to prepare for their next audition.
Canadian business culture is vastly different from the American one. Here are some tips to help you navigate and understand what we’re dealing with up here.
Our business culture is more polite, less direct, and less aggressive than the American one; this may seem weak or passive but it is far more nuanced than that. We engage in more small talk than Americans, and we tend to be less confrontational. We value stability and security over risk taking, although we have a very entrepreneurial spirit (it’s possible to have both). Canadians strongly support public health care and public education as well as a strong social safety net. Government plays a much larger role in our economy than it does in the United States.
In general, Canadians are quite proud of their country and their values system. They see themselves as tolerant, accepting and non-judgmental of others’ beliefs and lifestyles. And they are proud of their cultural diversity, their freedom from racial tension, their acceptance of gay marriage and the quality of their health care system. The most common Canadian stereotype is that Canadians are nice people! However, we also have a strong sense of justice – “nice” doesn’t mean “pushover” in Canada!
Canada
The Canadian Business Culture is very similar to the American business culture in that it is relatively informal compared to other countries. The only real difference between the two is that Canadians tend to be more reserved and polite than Americans.
Here are some tips on how to act in a Canadian business setting:
• Be polite to everyone, even those who seem unimportant. Always say “please” and “thank you” and use titles when addressing someone.
• Be punctual and organized. If you are late for an important meeting, apologize as soon as possible and explain why you were late.
• Dress smartly and formal; a conservative suit is always appropriate.
• Do not talk about personal or controversial topics such as politics, sex or religion unless they are raised first by your host.
Canada is known for its politeness, but don’t be fooled: Canadians are just as tough as any other nation of business people. Canadian business culture can be summed up in one word: “Inclusive.” In Canada, you are expected to include everyone in the conversation. You should never speak directly to someone or cut them off in a conversation.
All Canadians are taught to respect the individual and to resist the temptation to engage in “tall poppy syndrome” (a phrase that describes cutting down individuals who “stand out from the crowd”). This behavior is frowned upon in Canada and is seen as an act of jealousy and social climbing.
Canadians would rather work as part of a team than on their own and place great value on a collaborative approach. Team work is also very important in Canada, so make sure you ask for help when needed and offer it when required. The collectivist mentality that runs through Canadian culture does not mean that Canadians are not competitive; they simply prefer to compete with other countries, rather than each other.
Canadians can be extremely polite, which may come across as passive-aggressive or even rude to foreigners who are used to more direct communication styles. Do not mistake this politeness for
