日本人最擅長開會嗎？揭秘不同國家的會議文化

Please, no small talk
請不要再聊天了

Where: Finland, Sweden
國家：芬蘭，瑞典

While chitchat about everything from the weather to the latest sport scores can be good way to ease into more serious meeting discussions in North America, this type of warm-up exercise isn't acceptable in places like Finland and Sweden where non-meeting related discussions can be perceived as a way to veer away from a formally-set agenda and as a waste of other people's time.
在北美，聊一聊天氣、最新的運動賽事比分等所有事情都是輕松過渡到更嚴肅的會議討論的好方法。但這種熱身運動在芬蘭和瑞典并不為人接受，因為與會議無關的討論都被視作偏離正式議程的行為，會浪費別人的時間。

In some countries, including Finland, there are long pauses in the conversation, which can make visitors feel like there's an awkward silence. Don't try to fill it, though, with small talk or anything else. In parts of Northern Europe business people are more comfortable with pauses that can be as long as a minute peppered throughout the conversation, explained Friedman.
在芬蘭以及其它一些國家，談話中會有長時間的停頓，來訪者會覺得這樣的沉默很尷尬。但是，不要試圖打破沉默，閑談什么的都不可以。弗里德曼解釋說，部分北歐地區的商人更習慣談話中時不時地來段長達一分鐘的沉默。

These breaks are used as a way to process what the other person is saying without interrupting. But a clashing of customs can make it easier to distrust the other side during a meeting, so it's crucial to keep this difference in mind.
沉默是因為他們要思考一下對方說的是什么，不希望受到打擾。但是在會議中，習慣不同很容易導致對對方失去信任，因此記住這個區別至關重要。

"The Americans' insistence on breaking the silence causes [the Finnish] to not trust [them]," for instance, said Friedman. "If someone Finnish gets quiet we wonder what excuses they are contemplating."
比如，弗里德曼說：“美國人總是要打破沉默，導致（芬蘭人）不信任（他們）。如果芬蘭人不說話了，我們就會想他們在找什么借口。”