The Dutch have a form of straight-talking in the workplace, which, to the average mild-mannered Brit, sounds mildly terrifying.<\/p>\n
“Bespreekbaarheid”, as\u00a0BBC Travel<\/a>\u00a0explains, means\u00a0speakability; the notion that there are no taboos, and everything can and should be talked about.<\/p>\n “I think the Netherlands are a place where\u2026 no-one is going to pretend. [For example], when you say something in a business meeting that is not a very smart suggestion, people will always point it out,\u201d says\u00a0Ben Coates, author of\u00a0Why the Dutch Are Different<\/a>.<\/p>\n This creates\u00a0\u201cthe sense that people have the right to say whatever they want and be as direct as they want. And if other people don\u2019t like that, it\u2019s their fault for getting offended.\u201d<\/p>\n