Being an expat in Amsterdam
“I came to Amsterdam because they speak English everywhere here, and after 15 years I’m still a foreigner with a British passport. I do feel at home in Amsterdam though, because in England I miss the typically Dutch things.” Born in Scotland and raised in London, biologist and chartered accountant Lynn Poelman came to the Netherlands to work for PriceWaterhouseCoopers. She is currently Assurance Practice Partner at PWC, married to a Dutchman, mother of two children and working four days a week. Scientific researcher and project leader at De Baak Paula Kibbelaar talked to Lynn about globalization, the life of an expat and diversity within PWC.
By Petra Baars
The Netherlands has unexpectedly traditional values
How does Lynn define ‘being an expat’? “The Anglo-Saxon background is very different from the Dutch mentality. People speak English in Amsterdam, but that doesn’t mean that they understand each other. You notice the differences in culture. You can be completely accepted as a foreigner in England and even become mayor –you’d be another four generations further before you could fill such a role in the community as a foreigner in the Netherlands. The Netherlands has a lot of traditional values that surprise you and there are many viewpoints and values that you don’t easily understand. There are also just practical differences that sometimes cause confusion. A decision-making process is for example very different and fairy incomprehensible. It’s all about reaching a consensus here; in England the boss just tells you what you have to do. The Dutch have got an opinion about everything and are happy to share this. Sometimes I really don’t have an opinion and I’m really not bothered about forming one either; I just agree with someone else. Dutch people don’t get that.”
Is Amsterdam still a Dutch city?
Lynn: Amsterdam is unique as an international city also within the Netherlands; people who live in Amsterdam, including Dutch people, enjoy that difference. Amsterdam is a world player and just like London, it’s a unique city for me. But when you’ve lived here for a while it’s just a big village, which is very different from London. The people that live in the centre here cycle around. My work at PWC often brings me into contact with international companies that have a lot of expats here. Many people are surprised about how international Amsterdam is when they arrive; they often would have preferred to have gone to London or New York, yet enjoy the down-to-earth experience and diversity. The availability of CNN and Sky Sports here means that you can still keep one foot in your own country. I actually see that as a disadvantage, because there are people who learn nothing about their new environment; they live isolated in their expat communities. It’s important to come into contact with the culture during the first six months of your stay in the Netherlands. It’s up to the company whether they give attention to your arrival in a new country. You’re not on holiday. Join a sports club, learn the language and the customs; in other words, what do you do in your free time? Work and private life are separate in the Netherlands; in England your work is also a large part of your social network. Expats in the Netherlands actually form a ‘fluid’ community: they come and they go. Some stay for six months, others for a number of years. Sharing best practices is important and acting on these as soon as they arrive.”
Openness and the business relationship
I read recently that business executives like to surround themselves with expats so that they can think more globally. I see being an expat in the Netherlands as an enriching experience. It teaches me to look at my life from a different perspective. It also makes you more tolerant – you learn that your ideas aren't the only ones and that every culture has something distinctive. Dutch people aren’t able to laugh at themselves and they don’t understand sarcasm in humour very well. The British are much better at that; but then Brits have less self-esteem. Dutch people find it easier to show what they can do and they like to win. They are also good at building business relationships and - in addition to the fact that they speak English well - they often find good ways to do this. They have a certain openness and are prepared to listen.”
Globalization will not destroy each individual cultural identity
Lynn believes that one of the main issues concerning globalization is fundamental cultural identity. “It seems that we need the national borders in order to feel safe. We will never become a global population of English-speaking people; that fear is rife though. But despite the fact that Amsterdam is becoming increasingly international, the Dutch will keep doing their typically Dutch ‘thing’ at the individual level. Think about Queen’s Day, when everyone appears in orange without the slightest hint of embarrassment. There is already a lot of American culture in Amsterdam at the moment, but you can take from it what you want and also maintain your own culture. I personally enjoy that. I am able to tune into the ‘global world’ if I want to, but I can also switch it off for a while. It’s true though that there’s an art to finding a balance and then adapting to the positive aspects of the various cultures.”
Female expats and gender differences
Men have a dominant presence in my line of business and I always used to think ‘I have to adapt’. But I view this differently now. I see that women work hard and that they let the results speak for themselves. They rarely demonstrate their successes; men sell themselves better. Actually, both styles are equally good. I can be myself more now and also successful. If you don’t remain true to yourself you have to struggle to keep things going, and that gets very tiring. As a working mother, you sometimes want to go home earlier and work four days a week, while other colleagues always do overtime. How can you get these groups to appreciate each other? There’s been a culture change within PWC that stimulates this, but you have to organize it yourself and be clear about what you want. Yet I’ve noticed that Dutch women have very traditional views about being at home and looking after the children. If you have to go to every birthday party then of course you can’t have a career. It’s far more normal in England for women to work five days a week and to travel for their work. In Spain there are currently more women than men in the government and in Italy there are even very attractive women in the government. As a woman in a high position, you often receive comments about your appearance - as if you’re not allowed to look beautiful. It was quite some time before I talked about my children at work.
Awareness programme for men
“White men feel more and more repressed now that diversity is so ‘in’. ‘I can’t do anything right’ they then say; but this is not how it should be, since they still form a large part of the workforce. We also have to appreciate them. We have developed programmes for men within PWC and workgroups have been set up within the various business units. These programmes are managed by women and they include a game in which men are allowed to participate in a roleplay of two different meetings: one in which women form the majority and one in which men do. We film these meetings and watch them later. What you see happening is so classically stereotypical. If there are more men, the women sit and talk and the men stand up and say how things are to be done. No conferring, no discussion. But if there are more women, they feel uncomfortable. Hopefully this helps men to realize what you are talking about – that there is a difference and not that one is better than the other. It’s all about whether you can appreciate each other.”
Differences in status and ambition
According to Lynn, status is less connected to your work in the Netherlands than it is in England. What really makes you better or worse than someone else in England is how much you earn. In the Netherlands you talk about your holiday or your hockey club at a party, and your social ties stem from who you know. A managing director might play sports with the postman, for example. Class differences are less important here, which perhaps makes it easier for Dutch people to say, ‘I’m happy working four days a week; I don’t want to manage a company.’ There is less ambition here.