Overall, I think that success is defined pretty similarly in Sweden as it is in the United States, but with some pretty major differences.
As far as the workplace goes, I think that success would be accomplishing your tasks in a timely fashion and making significant contributions to the company’s wellbeing and success. Additionally, as far as my internship goes, it feels nice to be trusted with more substantive tasks and responsibilities. However, from the jump, I felt as though I was trusted with a pretty wide range of important responsibilities.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, there are some major twists to the idea of success in Swedish culture. I noticed from the beginning of my internship that the Swedes prioritize a healthy work-life balance. Many people in Sweden, if not all, are very serious about their midsummer vacations. This is partially due to the fact that Sweden is very dark during the majority of the year and that people wish to take full advantage of the sunny weather to spend time with their families and doing the things they love. Coming from such a hostile and toxic work culture back in the States, I really admire the Swedes dedication to vacation. I know that sounds silly, but in a culture where time off is around upon and we are expected to work until we drop, I think that it is exemplary and that we should prioritize our personal time more. I think that part of what success means in Sweden is to also enjoy your time off and spend it with your loved ones, doing the things that truly bring you the most joy. Everyone seems to be far happier with their professions as they have more autonomy over their time off and where/when they work.
This is not to say that the Swedes do not work hard. That would be far from the truth. As I mentioned before, success in the workplace seems to be universal. Part of that healthy work-life balance is to make significant contributions to the company. I noticed that during our weekly meetings, the success of the team was of very high importance. Working cohesively as a collective was always a priority, which means that good communication was always necessary. Because of this, I would say that to be a successful employee would be to have both efficient and effective communication with all necessary parties, ensuring that only pertinent information is being discussed so that there is minimal confusion and ambiguity.
Overall, I think that success looks differently depending on the individual in Sweden. In the United States, we have a pretty uniform idea of success. But in Sweden, success looks differently across the board. For some, it might be working longer hours and pushing their business further, but for others, it might be relaxing in the countryside. Overall, it is up to you to define success and figure out what that may look like to you.
