swedes@meetings - en rolig bok om svensk möteskultur.

"A meeting without an agenda is like a restaurant without a menu.

Swedes love an agenda and they stick to it religiously. If the Bible had been written by a Swede, then Moses would have asked for comment on each commandment before ticking them off.

You can always notice Swedes at a meeting as they ‘tick off’ – prickar av – each point on the agenda after everybody has taken turns discussing it.

All meetings are scheduled to start and finish on time. Not sticking to an agenda may cause the meeting to ‘drag on’ – att dra ut på tiden. And that, my friends, is considered a corporate crime.

Swedes are skilful at moving swiftly through the agenda. The main reason being that they all have another meeting to go to fifteen minutes after this one has finished – 14.30 on the dot, or prick, as the Swedes say.

The next to last point on the agenda is a favourite among Swedes. It’s the date and time of the next meeting. This is the final compromise of the meeting – everybody agreeing to a meeting on Thursday at 15.00 – 15.45 sharp.

For Swedes, it is a comforting experience. It is proof that life will continue as they know and love it."