Working with Italians
Italy is so much more than fashion, pasta, and the dolce vita!
Italy today is the 3rd largest EU economy and the 12th largest world economy. A vibrant, highly diversified and innovative business environment. Family-owned small – to medium – sized companies is a characteristic and major strength of the Italian economy. The majority of major international Italian companies do not seem to be concerned by day to day swings share prices. Italy is above all a country where the economy is driven by relationships, networks and creativity.
Aim
Understand Italian culture and adapt your behavior to develop lasting relationships and succeed in your professional projects.
Duration
1 day – 7 hours, face to face or by video conferencing.
Group
2 – 14 participants
Prerequisites
Any professional that is doing or going to do business or live in Italy. Proficiency level required (TOEIC 750) for the course in English.
Course language
English or French
Course certificate
Certificate of course completion
Participant Profile
This “Working with Italians” program is designed for any manager or executive in charge of projects with Italian customers, suppliers and /or colleagues.
Benefits
• Become aware of your cultural DNA and its similarities and differences with Italian professional culture and values
• Understand the dynamics of culture and the behavior of Italian and avoid misunderstandings related to cultural differences
• Appropriate communication strategies to cooperate more effectively with Italian partners
• Be able to successfully hold meetings, make presentations and carry out negotiations with Italian partners.
Content
Before the seminar:
Each participant will carry out a personal cultural assessment with the online tool Meyer Personal Culture Profile™. This tool will enable each participant to understand their values and cultural preferences and compare them to a standardized Italian professional profile.
During the seminar:
Our training is very participatory and experiential. Our approach includes alternating between theory and practice, simulations, and group activities. A variety of case studies and group interaction are programmed into this training course. Our objective is to engage learners mentally, emotionally and behaviorally, aligning them to the complexities and richness of intercultural exchanges with the Italians.
Some possible key topics:
• Key dates and events in Italian history, description of Italian society today, and civic values
• The importance of Catholic and Family traditions in Italian society
• The different facets of Italian identities, The North South divide and today’s political situation.
• The concept of ‘bella figura’ or good image and its importance to Italians.
• Making time to create interpersonal relationships and networks key to business success
• Economy, business and Italian SMIs and Multinationals.
• Italian management attitudes, Manager’s Status and Manager-subordinate top down relationships
• Decision making in Italy; long top down processes
• Communication with the Italian at work: preference for oral communication interpersonal relationships, giving feedback
• Meetings and presentations adapted to Italian business culture
• Negotiating successfully with Italian business partners
• Conflict management in Italy
• Importance of Etiquette and manners in developing trust and loyalty with Italian partners and subordinates