Tea Please!

One of the aspects of life in the Gulf that still surprises me is the manner in which meetings are conducted. In the West, our meetings and appointments are conducted in extremely efficient manners - you get in, talk shop, and get out as quickly as possible. This is not the case in the Middle East.

When entering someone's office for a meeting, a person is offered, and expected to accept, refreshments (coffee, tea, juice, milk, water, etc) and then a personal conversation ensues. During this conversation, those present at the meeting will inquire about families, health, activities, etc. There is an expectation of relationship building to occur before any business is discussed. As such, these meetings typically take longer than our meetings in the West.

While this phenomenon originally surprised me (despite having read about it in several books while preparing for my visit), I have grown to be quite fond of it. I think that sometimes back home we are so focused on being efficient and not "wasting" time that we forget that we are dealing with people. The practice sharing refreshments and conversation encourages people to build relationships and establish connections. I have come to value the opportunity to learn about those individuals with whom I am meeting.

As I prepare to continue in a field that places an emphasis on relationships and the well-being of others, I hope that I will be able to remember this practice and slow the pace of meetings, allowing relationships and connections to flourish.