How to Operate on Norwegian Time

After spending enough time in Norway you might start to feel like time moves just a little slower here. Everyone and everything from planes to trains is on time, almost exactly on time in fact. Work is always delivered on time. However, everything else just seems to take a little bit longer.

Obsession with Quality

The Norwegian is, yes, highly time efficient with their daily routines. Making deals and large advancements in business still take a great deal longer than it does in other business cultures.

One of my favorite examples is how Norwegians hyper-obsess over the design of just about any detail. No matter how small. I have on more than one occasion seen new products delayed because the color of a font was simply not quite right. It had to be rethought, discussed as a group, new samples reviewed and rethought again.

Risk to Reputation

Why are Norwegians like this? It comes down to their concern that their product, their work, their contribution will not appeal to fellow Norwegians. If a product is not perceived as extremely high quality, borderline perfect, it's not likely to appeal to Norwegians.

To release a product or service before every detail has been thoroughly scrutinized is simply too high of a risk for most Norwegians. They would rather not risk their reputation on something that is not perfect.

"Det er bra nok" (It's Good Enough)

Norwegians do have their own version of "it's good enough" — "det er bra nok". However, it does not typically apply to producing business results faster or of lesser quality. It's more a comment that someone's work is good, but not great.