Arriving Early

My intercultural training and experience has taught me at least one important lesson: it’s not the cultural differences you expect that get you. When I was on a business trip in Switzerland I showed up about ten minutes early for a meeting with a Swiss colleague. It was our first meeting and, being American, I didn't want to risk insulting him by arriving late. I fully expected to wait patiently in his outer office until the time of our meeting but he came out in a flurry and whisked me into his office. It took me a bit by surprise when he mumbled, “You Americans are always in such a hurry.” It turns out that Swiss punctuality is intolerant of both earliness and tardiness. Who knew.