In bi-national projects, Romanians impress primarily by demonstrating sound pragmatism. Should problems arise, a feasible solution is immediately sought. If circumstances require it, such a solution can often be extremely creative or even unconventional. In critical situations, Romanians often have the ability to turn things around, even if they have little to work with. Their talent for improvisation makes this possible.
As a result, it is hardly surprising that Romanians don’t think much of planning ahead for months and years. It is assumed that things can quickly change anyway. Long-term thinking and planning are thus deemed as almost counterproductive, but at any rate as rigid and inflexible. When working together with Romanians, you should, therefore, be prepared for changes at short notice and try to handle them in a flexible manner.
Romania is a polychronic culture, which means that your Romanian project partners or colleagues tend to do a lot of things simultaneously. That way, they maintain a certain flexibility and can quickly respond to changing circumstances.
There is, however, a certain danger of making mistakes. You should, thus, depending on quality standards, precisely define your expectations and make good use of the Romanian way of multitasking in a profitable way.
Deadlines are generally still met at the last minute due to the Romanian talent for multitasking and improvisation. You will often witness that the working commitment of Romanians fluctuates heavily during a project. Projects are usually started without much planning and with a certain overeagerness, followed by sluggishness, which is then made up for by mobilising all available resources just before the project’s deadline. Deadlines are thus only just met or met with a few days delay.
Because Romanians are multitasking talents and have a strong focus on the individual, priorities can quickly change. Romanian co-workers often tend to do something for the individual and not the business matter itself. Those who communicate in the most insistent manner how important their request is are most likely to be heard.
If you would like your Romanian project colleagues to guarantee that a deadline is adhered to, you should enquire, preferably early on and regularly, in a friendly and diplomatic manner. Point out why you need something and when. Romanians will want to support you, if you are friendly. The personal relationship is more important than any schedule. A regular and friendly communication is thus the best way to lead a project to success.
Katrin Koll Prakoonwit
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