Doing business in Sweden and the USA: 6 differences

I realized that after a 10-year career as an entrepreneur (despite the fact that my 29th birthday is coming!), The launch of three companies in five countries and three different industries is time to start putting on my words.

The fact is that I think a lot about the same issues. I return to the topics that concern me, to understand them, and, finding answers to my questions or thoughts, I share them with you in the hope that this can shed light on these topics.
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Yesterday, I talked about differences in the culture of doing business in Sweden and the United States and how much time it took me to understand them more or less. I have been trying to develop this topic for quite a long time, having made several approaches to this issue in my mind, but this is not at all easy, because we, the Swedes, seem to think we are similar to Americans.

The differences lie behind the light veil of easy conversations, people who look and behave the same way as we do, sharing with us the same childhood memories of the cartoons The Lion King and the Little Mermaid. We are no different from each other, are we? And still there are small nuances on which our international world, glorified in dreams, stumbles. In the article, I listed the six most striking differences that I encountered when I moved across the ocean and started my own business in America.

1. Hierarchy

You may have heard before that, compared to the States, the hierarchy in Sweden does not exist in principle. An interesting fact is that the difference is seen in companies of any size, which really surprised me.

If we talk about Sweden, then, of course, there are differences in how much the hierarchy affects the culture of companies depending on the size of the business. But, as a rule, companies of any size generally welcome an open corporate culture in which you communicate with your managers and, as an employee, take part in the creation of a corporate structure, rules and norms of behavior.

When I moved to the States, I noticed a different attitude of the employees towards myself as the general director than in Sweden. And remember, I'm talking only about a small startup. The discussions are less open (even though I call for openness), and people expect that I alone should form the basis of the company's culture and present them to the team. Earlier in my life, all this was something that all members of a team jointly create - and if I myself had implanted the culture of the company, the team would share with me their opinion on this matter! Moreover, there is a tendency for workers to not be so inclined to ask so many questions. And I see how my friends in large corporations are struggling with the need to adhere to established procedures, having managers who always have all the answers, or even being such managers themselves.

I know that I am biased because I am used to the way business is done in Sweden, and therefore I see how many people thrive in more “ordered” companies, I see a free way to the top. At the same time, I still adhere to the construction of a flat organizational structure, where managers are not required to know the answers to all questions, where all the information coming from all levels of the enterprise, where the director sometimes does the dishes in the office, is welcome.

2. Pretend that you can do everything until you learn

America. I love you for your growing self-esteem, which adds me a headache. The Swedes have problems with the fact that they are too modest, but in the modern world we are slowly learning from other nations how to properly present ourselves. When you interview an expert, you can often hear the phrase “No, I have never done this before, I have no experience, but I’m happy to learn it,” but in the USA I meet people who claim that they are experts in everything , although I cannot find anything in their resume that could confirm this.



Sometimes this can cause problems. When I asked people how fast they could run, everyone pointed at a rate twice as fast as the one they were used to. This became a problem for the groups of runners with whom they had classes. When you hire someone who needs to work with social media, and then it turns out that a person can hardly create an account with them - this is also a problem. On the other hand, you learn to quickly concentrate on the person himself, discarding all the chatter. What you know and don't know is actually not that important. The main thing is the person himself, and who does not want to work with initiative penetrative people ?! The most important thing is to know what you are getting involved in, hiring people, and carefully weigh their answers.

3. Save yourself

The social system in Sweden is significantly different from the US - we are not in constant fear of dismissal, unlike the residents of the States. In California, employment contracts stipulate that the termination of an employment relationship is carried out without prior notice and explanation, that is, they can say goodbye to you at any time, without even explaining why, and no one will pay you your severance pay. In Sweden, we are accustomed to advance notice and guaranteed payouts in case of dismissal. The “please-not-dismiss-me” behavior reflects what I mentioned in the first two paragraphs of this article, and creates a culture in which nervousness arises after something as insignificant as a bad presentation, and every chance is used to flash in front of the manager.

4. A grain of sand in the sea

I feel a difference in the attitude towards my own brand, to taking advantage of the business and how you build relationships. I remember that when I first came to the States, I was struck by the ease with which it was possible to organize meetings, the general benevolence and the speed with which people became your friends. But the problem was that when I wanted to meet for the second time, all the ease disappeared, and by the time I wanted to talk after that dinner, my new friends were already forgetting who I was.

If you say a Swede “let's have lunch together,” then you go into planning mode, determining where and when you can meet. The sad part of American reality is that Americans simply chat about what they do not intend to do. And you need to learn to recognize this fine line. For an American, a meeting is an opportunity to meet someone who can give him something valuable. Otherwise, there is simply no time for you, and the promised call may never take place.

The same trends are observed in the management of startups, companies and brands. In Sweden, we often see business as something personal, and we perceive it individually, but in the States companies, regardless of size, will never be perceived at a personal level. Therefore, business in Sweden has a more friendly climate than the overseas market in which you are like a grain of sand at sea.

5. Do something big or go home

Boom. Rate the speed. Rate the scale. From a sense of satisfaction with what I was able to do in Sweden, I quickly came to the realization that I had nothing to offer this city. Scale and power amaze, capture, surprise and scare to death. And here it is necessary either to achieve great success, or not to get involved in all this - there is simply too much competition in the American market. Too many people and opportunities compared to Sweden, where competition is not so severe. So take a deep breath, plan your next step and move on - towards your goal.

6. Swedes love black humor

I almost never left my first couple of months in America and felt a little ill at ease at social events. My usually amusing comments did not make the impression I expected on the interlocutors. Gradually, compatriots appeared in my social life in San Francisco who helped me understand what had happened. “Swedish humor is too dark,” they explained. I'm not crazy, I'm just a Swede - black humor is attached. Swedes go beyond the boundaries that others do not approach. Swedish humor was cherished by Carl Michael Bellman in the 18th century, his poems and songs were a mixture of drunkenness, death and sex, written mostly in a very sarcastic manner. And yet it is necessary to admit that only the Swedes will laugh at the prospect of congratulating the vegetarian manager, giving him a burger with minced meat from his wife's meat ...



Yrrol is one of the most famous comedy sketches in Sweden.

Please note that all these observations are based on my experience in San Francisco, and in my article this city represents the United States of America, although the features I have seen cannot be 100% applicable to the whole country.

And what are your observations on doing business in various countries? Share your thoughts!