The best thing about communication on a ''Dutch level'' is that everyone is equal, I simply address the director of the company where I work by his first name, you can say whatever you want, whether you agree with it or not, enter his office etc. etc. and that applies to many companies here in the Netherlands. It is better to live freely than to have to ''bow'' to a ''higher person'' while you actually keep the company running and you notice that on the work floor, relaxed and light-hearted. You have to do it together, right?
The boss will also listen to the staff when improvements are suggested. Because it is easier to talk, it is also more likely to be suggested to make the work easier.
When an officer says “jump” almost all of the world every one will jump. We Dutch will ask why? But when we are convinced, we jump higher than everyone else!
In the Netherlands, older people are always addressed with 'U' (formal). I had trouble with that when I was in my late 20s. I work for a large multinational (5,000 employees) and found it difficult to address my managers informally and by their first name at first. In the Netherlands, it is also expected that you are honest and criticize a manager (also teachers). Because, that is what they expect, so that they can do their job well. But when I was young, I found that difficult. I recently had a conversation with my CEO, we had a cup of coffee and a chat. My CEO is in his late 60s, so I addressed him with 'U', to which he said, no, just call me 'Jij' (informal) and his first name. Then I accidentally addressed him with U again, to which he said again, no, it's jij! Because he is twice as old as me, my gut automatically says 'U'.
I'm Dutch, but i find it disrespectful and annoying when i, as a customer, am spoken to in an informal way by somebody i don't really know. I myself never do that to customers of the company i work for. I find it unpolite and unprofessional. My boss however, when i addressed him as "mister so-and-so" he told me: "my dad is 'mister' i'm just (first name) to you.😅
40 years ago I spoke to Prins Bernhard, never used your majesty, or something like that, only “u”, he didn’t give shit about it, even though he was from German decent.
@@jurgenvoogt1638 as a fellow Dutch person I agree. Apparently according to studies 9 out of 10 dutch people speak comfortably English and this is the highest out of all non English speaking countries.
The rule in the Netherlands is. Everyone is equal. Don't behave like you are better than others. Of course there is hierarchy. There is a boss and he is the end decider. But we will not accept him behaving like he is better than the guy who mops the floor. In many companies the way the boss is treated is informal. That doesn't mean he doesn't get respect, but we will not see him as better than the rest. We don't like it when people stick their head above the rest so to speak. In our culture we say: act normally, that's enough. In the Netherlands it is also mandatory to not only have but to take free days. If, at the end of the year, you haven't used your free days you will be called in to make sure you take them. It's the law. In regards to the way we address people. We do have a formal way of saying you (U) and an informal way (jij). The informal way has been on the rise the last decade. A lot of people don't like it. Especially older people as that is not the way they were raised. To an older or unknown person you use the formal way (u). However, that is no longer the case in many instances.
I agree with a lot of it. There is a hierarchy such as the boss would still have the final say. We just slowly got rid of all the etiquette and pomp behind it.
Yes, in the Netherlands we work less hours, but our bbp is worldwide on place 12th, and in Europe on place 7, and thats very good for such a small country.
That’s not answering the question, “are the Dutch anti hiërarchie?” Hierarchy as a different meaning in our country. Your boss can be your friend, doesn’t want to be referred to as the boss but a colleague , in the end he makes the decisions even though it might look like the decision was taken together. In the end he holds the responsibility and if things go wrong it’s on him.
I work in a nursing home and a lot of elderly people want to be addressed informally and with their first name. My colleagues, my supervisor, and everyone else also address each other by their first names.
Very nice reaction. I had trouble with it as a child with teachers.. One of my teachers when I was 10 or 11 was very informal, ¨were all friends ¨ joking around etc. But for me out of the blue, she would stand on her status at a discussion or something. As a child I didnt understand that shift.
When I worked for the police we said, "The ones that can do the job, do it. The ones who cann't end up running the place". I will follow rules, but they have to make sense. Bowing for a boss? I don't think so. We do different work but are equal i.m.o.. When I have a question about a new rule, I want to know why.
I was raised with the old dutch politeness. I will always use 'U' (you) and speak with two words (Ja Meneer (Yes sir), Ja mevrouw (yes madam) at first meetings untill someone say they don't want that. Especially for the elder that applies.
In the Netherlands like over 80% speaks english. We like you try speak dutch….but most…if they understand you dont automatically start to speak english with you. That is a problem for most expats who try learning dutch…all people round them always turn into english the moment they meet them.
The Dutch have the highest percentage non native English speakers in the world, and we also have a culture/tendency of switching to English whenever just one person in a group doesn't speak Dutch. Which is great in a informal setting, but business-wise it (imho) doesn't always make sense to have 90% or more communicate suboptimally just include one person if he or she isnt the guest or centre of attention.
the people in the video who explain there IS hierarchy "forget" to say that that comes with the job they're doing. When they're in their lunch break there is no hierarchy and everybody is equal. Of course the CEO has to run a company and can lay off somebody, which is not one of the production workers tasks within the company, so that comes with the job. Other than that I think in the Netherlands everybody is equal.
English actually has a formal “you” and informal “thou”, but nobody uses the last one. Sir I find complicated because it can mean somebody is very polite or you’re doing something you’re not supposed to do? Ironically Boss is derived from the Dutch word Baas.
Nowadays in a lot of stores in a student city like Groningen, employees don't speak Dutch. Like in the Nike factory store. Lots of times you are forced to speak English because the employees are EU students who don't apeak Dutch. Also there is a difference between Dutch from foreign descent. Like I have a Dutch mother and Moluccan father. Moluccan culture has different 'rules' of adressing people.
Absolutely bogus that you only have to be polite to certain people and only have to listen to certain people. "Bosses" would like that though but truth is, people r very very well protected. A ceo cannot fire anyone "just because". Its hard to do. So better just be polite to everyone.
The Dutch are just rebels that is why they don't want to honor people older or higher in status. But the case is ybst there are always people who don' see the finer lines in a rough sketch. They will think that thry can speak anyhow to the owner of mansger of the company. This THING will leave a lot of young people confused or they just don' t understand who to respect and to fear and who not.
The Dutch don't like speaking English? That would make it difficult for all those expats who have lived in The Netherlands for years and still don't speak a word of Dutch. The Dutch have the highest English proficiency in Europe. Most of the time a slight English accent is enough for a Dutch person to automatically switch to English.
We are very anti-hierarchie. Pretty much the opposite of for example British culture. We are all equal and my boss is not above me. And if you are a boss, or very rich - you need to show that you are not stuckup.
Typical Dutch expression: 'Boss? Boss? A dog has a Boss, i am a human..'
This
Boss comes from the Dutch word baas, though.
The best thing about communication on a ''Dutch level'' is that everyone is equal, I simply address the director of the company where I work by his first name, you can say whatever you want, whether you agree with it or not, enter his office etc. etc. and that applies to many companies here in the Netherlands. It is better to live freely than to have to ''bow'' to a ''higher person'' while you actually keep the company running and you notice that on the work floor, relaxed and light-hearted. You have to do it together, right?
The boss will also listen to the staff when improvements are suggested. Because it is easier to talk, it is also more likely to be suggested to make the work easier.
RESPECT the CULTURE and learn the LANGUAGE
When an officer says “jump” almost all of the world every one will jump. We Dutch will ask why? But when we are convinced, we jump higher than everyone else!
In the Netherlands, older people are always addressed with 'U' (formal).
I had trouble with that when I was in my late 20s. I work for a large multinational (5,000 employees) and found it difficult to address my managers informally and by their first name at first. In the Netherlands, it is also expected that you are honest and criticize a manager (also teachers). Because, that is what they expect, so that they can do their job well. But when I was young, I found that difficult.
I recently had a conversation with my CEO, we had a cup of coffee and a chat. My CEO is in his late 60s, so I addressed him with 'U', to which he said, no, just call me 'Jij' (informal) and his first name. Then I accidentally addressed him with U again, to which he said again, no, it's jij!
Because he is twice as old as me, my gut automatically says 'U'.
I'm Dutch, but i find it disrespectful and annoying when i, as a customer, am spoken to in an informal way by somebody i don't really know. I myself never do that to customers of the company i work for. I find it unpolite and unprofessional.
My boss however, when i addressed him as "mister so-and-so" he told me: "my dad is 'mister' i'm just (first name) to you.😅
40 years ago I spoke to Prins Bernhard, never used your majesty, or something like that, only “u”, he didn’t give shit about it, even though he was from German decent.
4:35. Nonsense about us only speaking Dutch. Most people switch immediately to English when needed
@@jurgenvoogt1638 as a fellow Dutch person I agree. Apparently according to studies 9 out of 10 dutch people speak comfortably English and this is the highest out of all non English speaking countries.
@dude11444 precies goser, het ga je goed.🖐️👊👍
The rule in the Netherlands is. Everyone is equal. Don't behave like you are better than others. Of course there is hierarchy. There is a boss and he is the end decider. But we will not accept him behaving like he is better than the guy who mops the floor. In many companies the way the boss is treated is informal. That doesn't mean he doesn't get respect, but we will not see him as better than the rest.
We don't like it when people stick their head above the rest so to speak. In our culture we say: act normally, that's enough.
In the Netherlands it is also mandatory to not only have but to take free days. If, at the end of the year, you haven't used your free days you will be called in to make sure you take them. It's the law.
In regards to the way we address people. We do have a formal way of saying you (U) and an informal way (jij). The informal way has been on the rise the last decade. A lot of people don't like it. Especially older people as that is not the way they were raised. To an older or unknown person you use the formal way (u). However, that is no longer the case in many instances.
I agree with a lot of it. There is a hierarchy such as the boss would still have the final say. We just slowly got rid of all the etiquette and pomp behind it.
Yes, in the Netherlands we work less hours, but our bbp is worldwide on place 12th, and in Europe on place 7, and thats very good for such a small country.
That’s not answering the question, “are the Dutch anti hiërarchie?”
Hierarchy as a different meaning in our country. Your boss can be your friend, doesn’t want to be referred to as the boss but a colleague , in the end he makes the decisions even though it might look like the decision was taken together. In the end he holds the responsibility and if things go wrong it’s on him.
I work in a nursing home and a lot of elderly people want to be addressed informally and with their first name. My colleagues, my supervisor, and everyone else also address each other by their first names.
4:40 In my case, my younger sister usually speaks hybrid English-Dutch with me. She can't say anything to me without sneaking in *some* English.
Very nice reaction. I had trouble with it as a child with teachers.. One of my teachers when I was 10 or 11 was very informal, ¨were all friends ¨ joking around etc. But for me out of the blue, she would stand on her status at a discussion or something. As a child I didnt understand that shift.
When I worked for the police we said, "The ones that can do the job, do it. The ones who cann't end up running the place". I will follow rules, but they have to make sense. Bowing for a boss? I don't think so. We do different work but are equal i.m.o.. When I have a question about a new rule, I want to know why.
In English it's 'you' for everyone so that's easy but in other languages you have to make the difference between formal and informal
I was raised with the old dutch politeness. I will always use 'U' (you) and speak with two words (Ja Meneer (Yes sir), Ja mevrouw (yes madam) at first meetings untill someone say they don't want that. Especially for the elder that applies.
I’m Dutch. Simple answer is Yes. On the surface.
But if you dig deeper the answer is No.
The people speaking in the video are well known tv personalities, but they don't represent us as a people. Their opinions and thoughts are irrelevant.
In the Netherlands like over 80% speaks english. We like you try speak dutch….but most…if they understand you dont automatically start to speak english with you.
That is a problem for most expats who try learning dutch…all people round them always turn into english the moment they meet them.
The Dutch have the highest percentage non native English speakers in the world, and we also have a culture/tendency of switching to English whenever just one person in a group doesn't speak Dutch.
Which is great in a informal setting, but business-wise it (imho) doesn't always make sense to have 90% or more communicate suboptimally just include one person if he or she isnt the guest or centre of attention.
the people in the video who explain there IS hierarchy "forget" to say that that comes with the job they're doing. When they're in their lunch break there is no hierarchy and everybody is equal. Of course the CEO has to run a company and can lay off somebody, which is not one of the production workers tasks within the company, so that comes with the job. Other than that I think in the Netherlands everybody is equal.
Yes we are 🇳🇱😊
Everybody is equally, until you start to tell us what to do….
It originated centuries ago and worsened after the flower power.
I am from Nederland the last job i workt 5 day i could come in between 7 and 9 am en left 8 hour later the bos want 40 hour a week!
English actually has a formal “you” and informal “thou”, but nobody uses the last one. Sir I find complicated because it can mean somebody is very polite or you’re doing something you’re not supposed to do? Ironically Boss is derived from the Dutch word Baas.
Nowadays in a lot of stores in a student city like Groningen, employees don't speak Dutch. Like in the Nike factory store. Lots of times you are forced to speak English because the employees are EU students who don't apeak Dutch.
Also there is a difference between Dutch from foreign descent. Like I have a Dutch mother and Moluccan father. Moluccan culture has different 'rules' of adressing people.
Absolutely bogus that you only have to be polite to certain people and only have to listen to certain people. "Bosses" would like that though but truth is, people r very very well protected. A ceo cannot fire anyone "just because". Its hard to do. So better just be polite to everyone.
The Dutch are just rebels that is why they don't want to honor people older or higher in status. But the case is ybst there are always people who don' see the finer lines in a rough sketch. They will think that thry can speak anyhow to the owner of mansger of the company. This THING will leave a lot of young people confused or they just don' t understand who to respect and to fear and who not.
The Dutch don't like speaking English? That would make it difficult for all those expats who have lived in The Netherlands for years and still don't speak a word of Dutch. The Dutch have the highest English proficiency in Europe. Most of the time a slight English accent is enough for a Dutch person to automatically switch to English.
We are very anti-hierarchie. Pretty much the opposite of for example British culture. We are all equal and my boss is not above me. And if you are a boss, or very rich - you need to show that you are not stuckup.
Nethetlands has evolved to this only in the last 20 years maybe. So this is a rearly new phenomena wich we all like because hierarchy is bs😊
American laws are based on the Dutch laws ... remember New Amsterdam again
Politicians are not really respected, well, really not I must say. They are very low on the social ladder, we don’t think they actually work!
zag maar jan lenguagua is that
Jezus wasten ook voeten!❤🇳🇱
It’s not a thing of respect. Don’t confuse that with the way we address you.