Canadian culture

Every culture is has its own norms, including workplace culture. In a Canadian workplace, communication and behaviour may be different than your previous workplaces. Here are some possible differences you should be aware of before you begin a new job in tourism.

Canadian culture can be highly individualistic. Therefore, you may encounter: Independent decision-making rather than group consultation ,Looser and less permanent relationships between people, compared to other cultures, Performance assessment on an individual basis, rather than as team member, Direct praise and criticism

The Canadian approach to work and time may be unfamiliar to you. Typical Canadian attitudes toward work and time include: A strong division between home life and work life, An emphasis on punctuality and “getting down to business” rather than on building relationships

Canadians can be very informal in work relationships compared to individuals from other countries. Their typical behaviour may include:  A stress on equal opportunity, Saying “no” directly, Emphasizing accomplishments over family background, titles, age or gender, Expecting you to say what you mean more directly .

When we interact with others, we continuously give and receive wordless signals. All of our nonverbal behaviors—the gestures we make, the way we sit, how fast or how loud we talk, how close we stand, how much eye contact we make—send strong messages. These messages don't stop when you stop speaking either.

Oftentimes, what comes out of our mouths and what we communicate through our body language are two totally different things. When faced with these mixed signals, the listener has to choose whether to believe your verbal or nonverbal message, and, in most cases, they're going to choose the nonverbal because it's a natural, unconscious language that broadcasts our true feelings and intentions in any given moment.

Since the visual sense is dominant for most people, eye contact is an especially important type of nonverbal communication. The way you look at someone can communicate many things, including interest, affection, hostility, or attraction. Eye contact is also important in maintaining the flow of conversation and for gauging the other person’s response.