Chris Smit

Chris Smit is an Author, Entrepreneur, International Public Speaker, Consultant, and Interculturalist.

He has worked with thousands of individuals from over 100 nationalities in more than 45 different countries, sharing his know-how on Cultural Differences doing many hundreds of Cultural Awareness Workshops.

http://culturematters.com/about-chris-smit/


All Chris's Articles

Why Do the Dutch Speak English So Well?

By Chris Smit The Dutch are internationally known for the fact that their English is of a very high standard. Why is that? Well, there are a couple of reasons. On a technical level, the Dutch language has its roots… read more >


Economical, Not Stingy

By Chris Smit   Most of the work I do consists of giving 1 or 2-day workshops and giving lectures (anything between 20 minutes to 2 hours, I consider a lecture) about cultural differences. And to ‘ease’ the delegates into… read more >


She’s the Boss

By Chris Smit   “Belgium has a higher score on hierarchy than the Netherlands. This means that in Belgium, like in Guatemala, the boss is much more the boss than in the Netherlands, where the boss is more of a… read more >


Mental Health & Sanity

Fish Discover Water Last By Chris Smit   The old Arab proverb “Fish will discover water last” is a very useful term to describe, in a cultural context, how people only realize that they have a culture of their own… read more >


Being Bored Out of Your Skull

Having kids that go to school or university is always a good source of inspiration for writing an article. This year, my son spontaneously gave me the topic of this article when he was telling me about his current school… read more >


A Homey Affair

Heading toward Winter   It’s that time of the year again. We’ve put the clock back one hour (more about that later), it’s cold outside, dark when you wake up, and dark when you come home. But then there is… read more >


Why…?

When a Dutch manager gives an ‘order’ to one of his or her colleagues it is always (no, there is no exception) met with the – one word only – question; “Why?” Could you make those photocopies for me? Why?… read more >


Making Up Your Mind About the Dutch Healthcare System

The ones who have been to a Dutch GP already know I’m right; two weeks’ rest and a paracetamol are the most-prescribed medicine in the Netherlands. Living in Belgium it’s a different story. Going to your GP in Belgium almost… read more >


Your House on Wheels

One of the stereotypes that people have about the Dutch is that they are stingy or cheap. But in actual fact that is not true. The Dutch are among the most generous people in the world when it comes to… read more >


What’s the Role of a Dutch Manager in the Office?

By Chris Smit I like the saying an ex-colleague introduced me to: “We all do the same things, just differently”. In other words, we all eat, drink and sleep, but what we eat, when we eat, how we eat, and… read more >


A “B-” Is Good Enough

“Relax man” is an expression you might associate with a stereotypical Caribbean island such as Jamaica. But in Dutch schools, when it comes to being the best, the atmosphere is almost Jamaican; there is no pressure at all. In other… read more >


The Four Things You Didn’t Know About Dutch Meetings

In this article, the author takes a look into the details of a typical Dutch meeting. Let’s share his vision on the Agenda: The agenda, if at all present, consists, like most agendas, of the different points that are to… read more >