Ireland: Appointment Alert!
From ExecutivePlanet.com
Making appointments
Appointments are relatively easy to schedule at practically all organizational levels. You'll find that many executives will be pleasant, approachable, and willing to meet to discuss business. Senior executives, however, are likely to have many 'gatekeepers' in the form of secretaries. The best policy is to arrange an appointment two weeks in advance and, if necessary, a bit of banter with the secretary will work wonders in getting you in front of the top man or woman.
Business hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday with an hour for lunch. It's quite usual still for companies to close completely for lunch between 1:00 and 2:00 p.m. during which time the phone will not be answered.
For the business traveller, the best time to visit is from September through May, since the tourist season is very hectic during June, July and August. Avoid scheduling visits around Christmas and Easter, since many executives will be on vacation during these periods. Family is top priority in Ireland and these are important family occasions.
While you should strive to be punctual, understand that the Irish have more of a casual attitude toward time. In some cases, if you are a few minutes late to a meeting, it will be overlooked. In other instances, however, your late arrival may cause you to be perceived as a careless, unreliable businessperson--particularly if you are foreign. On the other hand, if you find yourself waiting for your Irish counterparts to arrive, remain patient and accommodating. The Irish are always slightly suspicious of foreigners--don't be fooled by the outwardly friendly banter--it takes a good while before they will trust you. Yet, on the other hand, they are always keen to learn from other countries and bring new ideas into their business--they have a respect for the efficiency and business sense of certain other international countries [but they won't admit it!]
If you are an employer, it's not enough to insist that your Irish employees arrive on time; you will have to give convincing evidence that their tardiness is harming the organization.
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