Business acumen and entrepreneurship are in our genes," says Michiel Middendorf, General Manager of the World Forum, the congress centre in The Hague. This is only natural, given that we have always had to fight for our own territory and protect it from water invasions. For this specialist in international conferences, the Dutch are outward-looking, they like to create and take the initiative. And above all," he adds, "we are not afraid of challenges; not afraid, for example, of making a city of 500,000 inhabitants the global symbol of Peace!"
When it comes to rules of behaviour, Michiel Middendorf insists that the Dutch appreciate things that are clear-cut. "For us, a yes is a yes. We don't like half-measures, and sometimes we can even be a little too direct; when we don't like something, we say so", he concludes. On this point, Sander Hoogendoorn, from the Department of Finance and Economics at the University of Amsterdam, agrees: "The Dutch get straight to the point and don't necessarily try to get to know their counterparts personally before doing business. They are not afraid to say what they don't like, but their counterparts should not take their remarks as personal criticism, but rather as constructive criticism", he explains. Sander Hoogendoorn therefore advises people to prepare their arguments well, to be convincing, and not to hesitate to use humour, even teasing, which is much appreciated, even in a professional context. And he adds that this concern for efficiency, which can sometimes be a little abrupt, goes hand in hand with an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to take on new challenges. In this sense," explains the co-director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship at the University of Amsterdam, "the Dutch are a bit like the Americans. Even if, in the name of efficiency, we don't hesitate to announce the time we have for an appointment or to quickly gulp down a sandwich and a glass of milk on the corner of a desk, it also happens that decisions take time to be taken. This is what we call the Polder Model," continues the academic, "a decision-making process that is played out at several levels and sometimes leads to procrastination."
Time for reflection
Anne-Laure Boutard, a Frenchwoman living in the Netherlands, has also noticed this tendency not to make immediate decisions. Account manager at Keytours Holland, an agency specialising in group and business tourism, she points out that the Dutch are hard workers, and that it would be inappropriate not to respect their work ethic. She notes that the tradition of a sandwich and a glass of milk as a business lunch is still very much alive... "Moreover, ordering alcohol at lunchtime would seem a little out of place", she points out, adding that with their legendary tolerance and capacity for adaptation, the Dutch would not be overly offended. Especially as having a beer with partners or colleagues in the evening is a widespread pleasure. "I've found that people here are really curious about other people's cultures, about what's going on outside our borders. On the other hand, even though the Dutch have an impeccable command of English, they appreciate it when we make an effort to speak their language. It makes for a warmer, more intimate relationship", she concludes.
On this subject, Sander Hoogendoorn has some valuable advice: "To soften up a critical Dutchman, there's nothing like showing him that you know which masterpiece is in which museum. In fact, for a fee, most of the major centres of Dutch painting are happy to be transformed into business meeting rooms.
