Intercultural Communication - Spain

Points to avoid

• Don’t aim to plan everything 100% perfectly. What the Spanish value is how you react when unforeseeable conditions arise. The effort spent on building the personal relationship invests in a mutual trust that safeguards everyone’s “face” in tricky situations. Expect delivery dates, schedules, budgets, forecasts to be only approximations and rough guides for action. Who knows what will happen tomorrow? The sign of competent leadership is courage (valiente) and how one responds to the unpredictable.
• Don’t go into initial meetings with a fixed agenda and points ready to be ticked off. Be prepared to do more socialising during business than you consider “normal” or beneficial. Don’t make the mistake of thinking it is all a “waste of time”: your body language can break any potential deals!
• You don’t win points with Spaniards by pursuing a discussion based on who is technically correct and incorrect, or who is at fault and who is not. The quality of the relationship and one’s obligations to it are more important.
• Avoid talking about business or giving detailed descriptions of your job/current projects, etc., once you and your colleagues have moved out of the business environment. If someone asks, keep it short and sweet. Social occasions are not an extension of the business day. No one is that interested in all the details! Remember: they are more interested in you.
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