Keeping people waiting

In most Western countries, particularly the Unites States, the United Kingdom or Germany, punctuality is the name of the game. You do not expect to be kept waiting. Only people of very high status can keep people waiting without causing overt resentment. Having to wait is not only demeaning for Westerners, but also indicates a lack of organization as well as of consideration for others.

I have heard foreigners say that the Western concept of time is very un-Turkish. It all depends on who you know here. In some places things move at a slower pace. However, among the highly educated and affluent Turks -- the movers and shakers -- you will find they stick to the clock.

Just as each culture has its own spoken language, each has its own language of time. To function effectively in Turkey, you must learn the Turkish language of time. This is easier said than done, because among Turks you find varying opinions of the concept of time. Time to the Turk who wheels and deals in Maslak will vary much from the small business owner in another part of the city. A number of foreigners I have come across have told me that individuals such as, let’s say, Mehmet Amca or Ali Ağabey have them come to their shops and drink tea and practice speaking Turkish. Mehmet and Ali seem to have all the time in the world. Times are changing in Turkey, and this is not as common as it used to be.

You can see in the urban centers all kinds of people with different ideas of time. Some people move very slowly, and others move rapidly. The two are definitely not “in sync” and probably rarely ever cross paths. The Turks who move more rapidly have obviously been exposed to Western cultures.

Have you ever noticed how Westerners talk about time? People talk about it as though it were money, as though it were something that can be “spent,” “wasted,” “saved” and “lost.” It basically orders our lives and sets our priorities.

Northern European cultures operate more like this, whereas the southern European ones swing between the two concepts of time.

The other concept of time is when relationships are more important than schedules. For example, someone was telling me the other day about a Turk being late for his appointment. The German who was telling me this had asked the Turkish person why he was late he said he had met an old friend by chance on his way to the appointment and had a chat with him. The German was surprised that this had made him late. The German then added that he asked the Turk why he had not told the other person he stopped to talk with that if he stayed to talk briefly he would be late to an appointment. The Turk replied that the idea had never crossed his mind.

Below is an excellent example of the difference between a person who is result and schedule oriented and another who is relationship oriented:

“A French salesman working for a French company recently bought by Americans found himself with a new American manager who expected instant results. Because of the emphasis on personal relationships, it frequently takes years to develop customers in France, and in family-owned firms, relationships with customers span generations. The American manager, not understanding this, ordered the salesman to develop new customers within three months. The salesman knew this was impossible and had to resign, asserting his legal right to take with him all the loyal customers he had developed over the years. Neither side understood what had happened.” (“Hidden Difference,” Edward T. Hall and Mildred Hall)

This example could have just as easily happened in Turkey with Western management. Making contacts is relational.

Many Western foreigners who have come to Turkey to teach or work or start a business have found that the real trade or work barriers are cultural ones that have nothing to do with lesson plans or quotas or regulations.