Before I started, I assumed the cultural side of working in Sweden would be the difficult part, and that the work itself would be the straightforward part. What I’ve found is almost the complete opposite. The parts I expected to struggle with turned out to suit me, and the part I assumed would be simpled is the one I am still working on. The social side came easily. Swedish culture is reserved in a way that a lot of people find cold when they arrive. People don’t like to make small talk with strangers. Nobody strikes up conversation on the bus. There is no awkward silence because they do not need to fill those gaps. There is also a strong instinct against standing out or talking yourself up. Being loud, or promoting your own achievements lands badly here, unlike the US. None of that has been too hard for me, because I am a faily reserved anyway. I’m usually not the one who introduces himself loudly to a room, so what other people find difficult, I find kinda easy.

The workplace is where I had the toughest time. Swedish workplaces are very flat. There isn’t much visible hierarchy, and the expectation is that you have an opinion and say it, including to people more senior than you. Disagreeing openly isn’t considered rude, but just participation. This is where being reserved works against you rather than for you. Staying quiet in a meeting doesn’t read as respectful, but more about not having anything to say. The same thing applies to how decisions are made. A lot of decisions happen by consensus, which means the process is slower and more people get consulted than expected. But it also means that if you stay quiet while thats happening, you view generally doesn’t get counted. There usually isn’t a second round where someone comes and asks you privately what you actually thought. The meeting is the most important part for getting ideas around.

That expectation shows up in how work gets handed to you as well. On my competitor research project, I wasn’t told which tools to use or where to look for information. I was expected to work it out myself, and to say something if I got stuck. At first I read that as instructions being unclear. But I have come to see that as a form of trust and it comes with the opportunity to speak up in a meeting.

The other adjustment has been leaving at 5. Staying late isn’t treated as a sign of commitment here. If anything it shows you planned your time badly, or that something has gone wrong with your work. I had to unlearn the instinct that visible effort is how you show you’re taking something seriously. The goal is to have the work done, not been seen doing it for a long time.

I believe I have adapted well over here. Socially, I think a little better, but I didn’t have to put a lot of effort in. I am lucky to come to a city where they have similar tendencies to me. The workplace side I would say I’m still practicing. I have got better at saying something during a meeting before anyone asks me directly. I learned that saying a half formed opinion is better than sitting and waiting for a fully polished one. What I have taken from this is that adapting to a new culture isn’t only about learning what people do differently. Some of it is about noticing which of your own habits happen to fit the place, and which ones don’t.