Location: Central Europe

Capital: Warsaw

Population: 38,130,302 (2009 est.)

Language: Polish is the official language of Poland.

Lifestyle & Aspirations
Popular leisure activities include:
? Cultural life, which flourishes in the larger cities, where many museums, cinemas, theatres, philharmonic halls can be found.
? Museums, usually open from Tuesday to Sunday until approximately 4pm. Admission charges are not high, and on selected days entry to some museums is free.
? Theatres can be found in all the larger cities, including the Contemporary Theatre (Teatr Wspólczesny), Common Theatre (Teatr Powszechny) and National Theatre (Teatr Narodowy) in Warsaw, as well as the Old Theatre (Teatr Stary) and Slowacky Theatre (Teatr im. Slowackiego) in Krakow. The Musical Theatre (Teatr Muzyczny) in Gdansk, operetta theatres in Krakow and Gliwicy, and the Roma Musical Theatre in Warsaw are also highly regarded.
? Classical music and open-air concerts, which are held throughout the summer.
? Cinema: there are cinemas in practically all towns, showing current blockbusters, which are not usually dubbed.
? Watching TV: With satellite channels like MTV now available, young people spend a great deal of time absorbing Western culture via the TV. It is typical in the home to have the TV on all day long.
? Pop music: Poland has a vibrant domestic music scene, which spreads its tentacles to cities overseas where there are Polish communities. Polish hip-hop is especially popular.
? Drinking beer and vodka: All major towns and cities have lively nightlife, in which drinking plays a big part.
? Internet: Practically all young people, especially in cities, are internet-savvy. E-commerce within Poland is on the rise, despite a slow start.
? Beauty products: Young Polish women take a great deal of trouble with their appearance and are avid consumers of fashion and beauty products.
? Travel: Poles are avid travellers, the most popular destinations being the neighbouring countries of Germany, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The north coast is popular for beach holidays.

The Essentials (10 Key Tips)
1. Personal contact with your counterpart is crucial -business is built on trusting relationships.
2. Success initially in Poland almost always requires a local representative or third party Polish advisor.
3. Polish workers have been described as enthusiastic, curious, proud and individualistic. They can, however, start a task with intensity, but then have difficulty sustaining performance. Monitoring performance is a key element of managing Polish workers.
4. Traditionally, a Polish business leader is strong -minded and expects to be listened to. For foreign bosses, establish youir professional credibility and move quickly into building rapport with team members and direct reports.
5. As one of the leading central European 'tiger economies', Poland has developed an energetic work ethic. It is important, therefore, to acknowledge this progress.
6. Evaluating your boss's performance is not a tradition in Poland so he/she may have difficulty in dealing with personal feedback.
7. Admiring things that are Polish are very good ice-breakers in conversation, as well as efforts to speak Polish.
8. Proper dress is a must when working in Poland which means suit and tie for men and appropriate business attire for women (this might be business sector specific).
9. Build in extra time to your planning to allow for delays in working through levels of bureaucracy.
10. Communication can appear very emotional at times. Poles are comfortable in expressing their feelings in a direct manner. However, self-control when under pressure in business is also respected.

Working with the Poles
Poles are formal and polite, with a strong sense of loyalty and an ability to listen. The workforce is young, enthusiastic and highly educated, but there is a gap between taking on board an idea and actually achieving a result. Teams need close leadership and supervision and managers often lack confidence, holding their foreign investors in awe. Polish managers have, in some cases, been promoted fast into positions of responsibility and can lack experience and initiative.
Doing business with Poles is generally rewarding, as they are usually keen for a win-win outcome in negotiations and are prepared to learn from their foreign investors.

Making a Good Impression
Poland is a rather formal and polite society, so good manners and etiquette must be observed at all times. Dress smartly but conservatively, be prompt for meetings (even though your Polish counterpart may not be) and be warm but not overly gushing or effusive; Poles can appear fairly dour until you get to know them and will be overwhelmed by grandiose gestures and expressions.
In business, the quickest way to make a good impression is to have a local contact to introduce you. This is often a necessity rather than a nicety. If you are selling something to Poles, they will be impressed and reassured if you have local representation and technical support. Written material should be in Polish and you should use a good interpreter.
The imposing of Western values on Eastern Europe is happening to an extent, but should never be forced, particularly if you are trying to implement change in the workplace. It is important to respect the local culture and way of doing things, but you will impress your Polish counterpart if you are prepared to challenge them as well. Many Poles look to their investors or head offices for leadership.

Business Etiquette
Communication style
Poles favour direct communication and may almost seem too direct in some cases, asking personal questions and catching their foreign counterparts unawares. Intentions, feelings and opinions are openly expressed.
The Polish culture has always been open to information from the West. With the demise of Communism, many aspects of education in Poland are in a state of flux. Poles are abstractive, processing information conceptually and analytically. They value relationships as much as the law. Truth rests more on objective facts than on the subjective feelings of the moment. Faith in ideologies that may change one's perspective on the truth is changing, shifting from the ideologies of the Communist party to those of nationalism and democracy.
The archaic third person form is used in addressing persons in the formal (impersonal) mode. Rather than ask, "Do you want…" Poles will say, "Does the lord (or lady) wish…" Even the simplest worker or peasant will use forms of speech and behaviour derived from the Szlachta (pronounced shlakh-tah), the landed nobility and gentry who ruled Poland until the end of the 18th century. Like the szlachta, today's Poles show an independent spirit and are ready to express their personal opinions on any subject raised. The szlachta embodied a belief in personal liberty, republicanism and individual rights.
Despite their directness, Poles are often subtle in their communication style. Thoughts are often expressed in an indirect and roundabout way in the expectation that the real meaning will somehow be understood. Humour is often used to make a point, provided Poland is not the butt of that humour.

Gift giving
According to Polish business etiquette, gifts are given at the beginning of a relationship, particularly when contacts are made for the first time, and also at the end of an association. In the first case, you should handle gift-giving with care in order to avoid being misunderstood.
If someone invites you for dinner or supper at a home, you should be aware that small gifts such as a bottle of wine or a bouquet of flowers for the hostess are expected. Do not forget to send a hand-written card to your host/hostess thanking them for their invitation and time.
The best gifts are always items which are typical or representative of your culture. Someone from Switzerland, for example, could buy some carefully chosen chocolate. Another good gift would be a book describing your country or the region you are from.
Do not give an extremely expensive gift - certainly no more than 200 Euros and always respect your company's policy when considering gift-giving.

Business cards
It is best to exchange business cards when you first meet a businessperson, and you should be the first to hand over your card. Have your business cards ready before each meeting. It is not necessary to have your business cards translated - English is acceptable. Carry a plentiful supply, though, as Poles like to exchange cards. If you read someone's title on a card and are not sure how to address them, the best way is Mr, Mrs or Ms followed by their title - director, editor, lawyer etc.

Business Meeting Culture
Planning a meeting
Visiting Poland and attending meetings is a demonstration to the Poles of your interest in them and your desire to build a relationship. You will not be able to do business in Poland from a distance and via email only. Personal contact is important.
Polish business people will want a clear understanding of what is to be dealt with in any meeting. A company profile and product literature, translated into Polish, should be provided.
Turn up on time for a meeting and if you are using technical equipment, make sure you know how to work it. Bring your own laptop and projector if in any doubt as to the quality of the Polish equipment. Poland has a well-established broadband service but it is still best to check in advance if you are depending on a fast connection for a presentation.
When entering the meeting room, wait for your host to point you to the place where you are going to sit. If in the meeting room there are people you do not know, wait for a third person to carry out the introductions.

During a meeting
Every kind of meeting starts with some small talk. This socialising allows everybody to relax and also to make first judgments about the negotiating partners. It is your chance to make a good impression as an intelligent and straightforward speaker. Do not be surprised if your Polish counterparts appear unsmiling and unforthcoming. This is normal. They may seem taciturn but will challenge you if they feel they need to.

Following a meeting
Any documentation prepared as a result of the meeting should be in Polish, particularly invoices and contracts. Faxed signatures are not permitted. Original copies of documents and signatures are requested in some instances by customs authorities if you are importing or exporting goods.

Motivating Others
One of the challenges in motivating Poles is introducing the concept that salaries should be fairly earned and should be based on job descriptions. There tends to be a strong element of expecting something simply because someone else has got it, rather than expecting to earn it. Having said this, a proper retention policy is essential within any company as the competition for the best skilled workers is intensifying.

As well as money, Polish workers are motivated by job security. The country has high unemployment and there is sometimes a concern about the long-term strategy of any Western investor. Communicating clearly with employees and reassuring them about the future are very important. Setting clear goals is also an important issue; while a Polish team may take on a task with great enthusiasm, they may find it hard to maintain the momentum. A good manager will use motivation techniques to keep this going.
Otherwise, typical employee perks for managers in Poland include life insurance, disability insurance, pension provision and private medical care. Private pensions and medical care are likely to increase as more becomes available on the market. Other perks like childcare, gym membership and company cars are less common, although a company car carries enormous prestige and the presence of a number of leasing companies in Poland means this is beginning to take off as a perk.
One thing investors in Poland find very difficult is absenteeism. Poles have been found in surveys to take three times as much sick leave as some other European workers, largely because they can. Polish workers are entitled to 35 days' paid sick leave a year, which is often taken as extra 'holiday'. Encouraging and rewarding good attendance is important to reduce labour costs, but will involve massive cultural change.

Effective Presentations
A Polish buyer is unlikely to conclude a deal until they have met the seller face-to-face.
Presentations and product demonstrations are important, as Polish people like to be persuaded by the practical. It can take time to establish your credibility in Poland, as business is dependent on personal trust. So a presentation is the ideal way to start off a relationship, introducing yourself, your company and your ideas or product.
A high-tech PowerPoint presentation will impress a Polish audience, although it is important to make sure that the technology is present to deliver the presentation, particularly a broadband connection and digital projector if you need one. Have slides and promotional material translated into Polish and have an interpreter at the presentation, as
it is unlikely that everybody will understand English.

Audience expectations
Poles are good listeners and in return, they expect you to listen to their needs and show that you have understood. They expect promotional material to be of a high standard and available in Polish, and they will want a chance to ask questions, usually after the presentation. Do not be surprised if your audience remains expressionless during the presentation.

Managing Relationships
Poles are people-orientated, quick to learn and keen to progress and once a relationship has been formed, it will be lasting, either between manager and team, or customer and supplier. Good leadership skills and a positive attitude to training are, however, essential when working with Poles.
Western companies are taking great strides in replacing the old communist ideology, although the notion of goal-setting and performance measurement are still relatively new to the Polish workforce, which is more accustomed to being judged on quantity than quality. Motivation techniques, too, were practically unheard of 15 years ago but are rapidly been introduced. This whole exercise does, however, represent a massive cultural shift, which takes time.
Customer service is improving in many areas, particularly private enterprises (much less so in government offices). Relationships with customers and suppliers need to be worked on carefully, as the new service-orientated culture places service second only to price in surveys.