🏢🤝☕ Office etiquette in the land of fjords: “du”, small talk and business meetings
📖 Why read
A short, practical guide to everyday communication ‘here’: how to address colleagues, what to write in emails and chats, what topics are ‘safe’ for small talk, how to write meeting agendas/summaries and give feedback, taking into account the local context of Janteloven (modesty, equality, respect for common rules).
🗣️ ‘Du’ and names: how to address people and when it is appropriate to be formal
- The basis is ‘du’ and the first name. Almost everyone is on a first-name basis from day one. Titles (Dr., Mr./Ms.) are not necessary.
- Formalities are rarely necessary. Official letters to external bodies may be more neutral in tone, but still without excessive hierarchy.
- How to introduce yourself: ‘Hei, jeg heter ... / I'm ...’ + role/task.
- Switching to informal: if in doubt, ask: ‘Går det bra at vi sier du?’ — ‘Is it OK if we use informal?’
👋🙂 Greetings, signatures, emojis and tone
- In a letter: start with ‘Hei, ...’ or ‘Hei alle’ and end with ‘Vennlig hilsen / Mvh + Name’.
- In chat: ‘Hei!’ + one thought per message; use emojis sparingly (👍🙂✅) as status/emotion markers.
- Tone: specific and friendly, without ‘superlatives’ or pressure. A question is better than a command: ‘Kan vi...?’ instead of ‘Need urgently.’
- Signature: name, role, contact details; no ‘long-winded’ quotes.
☕🍪 Small talk and ‘coffee breaks’
- Safe zone topics: weather/sports/hobbies, weekend trips, recipes, gardening/home.
- Use with caution/better later: salary, religion, sensitive political topics.
- Punctuality in the mix: coffee breaks — 5–10 minutes; if it's running late, let the next slot know.
- Queuing for the coffee machine: keep order, clean up after yourself, don't hog the kitchen for long.
📅📝 Calendar and meeting agenda
Open calendars are the norm: it's easier for colleagues to plan without back-and-forth emails.
Required fields: agenda, owner, notes, action items
Invitation template (abbreviated):
- Title: Standup Data — Tue/Thu
- When/Where: 10:00–10:20, Teams / Møterom A
- Agenda (3–5 bullet points): status, blockers, decisions
- Owner: Maria (facilitator), Alex (notes)
- Docs: link in the description
- Prep: who reads what before the meeting
- During: start on time, note decisions and responsible parties.
- Cancellation/postponement: no later than 24 hours in advance, add the reason and an alternative.
💻📩 Asynchronous and follow-up
- Asynchronous — default: updates in the thread/document, ‘decisions’ — in a separate block at the top.
- Follow-up (after the meeting): a short email/thread with Decisions / Action items / Owner / Due.
- Deadlines: realistic, not ‘yesterday’. It's better to agree on less and deliver.
Follow-up template (1 paragraph + list):
Thanks! Decisions: #1 Ship A/B test; #2 Move API cutover to 12 Sep. Actions: (Ola) finalise plan — 20 Aug; (Ingrid) update runbook — 22 Aug.
💬🤲 Feedback without ‘harshness’
- Directness + respect. I-messages: ‘I see a risk...’, ‘I'm missing...’, ‘I suggest...’.
- Janteloven background: avoid self-admiration and ‘authority pressure’. We value facts, not volume.
- Disagreement is OK. ‘I disagree because... Let's test X/Y’ — suggest a testable alternative.
- Praise for results: be specific about contributions and results, rather than saying ‘you're a genius’.
🌍🗣️ Correspondence, meetings, ‘mixed’ teams
- Mixed EN/NO mode: conduct the conversation in a language that is convenient for everyone; duplicate decisions in an EN summary.
- Meeting notes: EN title, key points in brief; the rest in the group's language.
- When is norsk appropriate: external clients/municipal partners; within the team, leave EN minutes so that no one is left out.
⏳📈 3-week plan: quick upgrade of communication skills
- Week 1: create a ‘neat calendar’ (titles without caps, descriptions, links) + 3 ready-made invitation templates.
- Week 2: convert 2 regular statuses to asynchronous (thread/doc).
- Week 3: Implement Decisions/Actions as a standard block in the summary (and stick to it for 5 meetings in a row).
✅📌 Quick route (checklist)
- Greeting Hei + name; end of letter Vennlig hilsen / Mvh + Name.
- Invite = agenda / owner / notes / actions.
- Asynchronous for statuses, meetings for decisions.
- Follow-up = Decisions / Action items / Due / Owner.
- Feedback: I-messages, fact + alternative suggestion.
❓ FAQ
In Norway, almost everyone uses first names and “du” (you) from day one — titles like Dr./Mr./Ms. aren’t needed. Formal tone is rare, mostly in official letters. Open calendars are the norm, making it easier to schedule without endless emails. For meetings, always include an agenda, owner, notes, and action items.
Safe zone: weather, sports, hiking trails, weekend trips, recipes, gardening, and home life. Avoid or save for later: salary, religion, or heated political debates. Coffee breaks last 5–10 minutes; if longer, warn colleagues.
Keep invites short and clear: title, time, agenda (3–5 bullets), owner, prep docs. Meetings start on time and end with decisions and responsibilities. Follow-up should be concise: 1 paragraph plus a list of decisions and action items with owners and deadlines.
Use direct but respectful language: “I see a risk…”, “I’m missing…”, “I suggest…”. Avoid authority pressure — focus on facts. Disagreement is fine if you propose a testable alternative. Praise specifically for contributions and results, not just “you’re a genius.”
