Spain and Mexico: different but not too much

I have previously explained the origins and the differences between the different Spanish speaking cultures within Spain and Latin-American countries. But in this post, I want to offer you a more focused glimpse into the most important differences and strengths between Spanish Business Cultures and Mexican Business Cultures. Having a boss from Spain is not the same as having a Mexican boss, but yes there are many characteristics that are very similar.

Different in many ways

• Clarity in Roles: While Mexican executives and workers favor clear job descriptions, and they will challenge doing work that does not fall within their defined area of ​​responsibility, either in their own defined scope of work, or formal job description, Spanish people tend to prefer flexible work assignments, and are open to do any task they feel is necessary to get the job done.
• Control over External Environments: in Mexico, there is a strong belief of the influence of external forces, such as fate, religious powers, and nature that controls what happens, while in Spain, although not totally thinking they have a control on what happens or on the environment, there is a bigger tendency in thinking that people should take responsibility for what they do and do their best to get things done.
• Decision Making Styles: As I mentioned in my previous post, Iberian and Hispanic America cultures is much more hierarchical, but in the Mexican culture, decisions are expected to be generally more top-down, and detailed instructions are expected by subordinates. Spanish business organizational members, although not totally focused on consensus, decisions are made much more in groups.

Awareness of how they’re different

As I have been so insistent in mentioning in the short narratives in my blog, understanding one’s culture and understanding the cultures with which we work, is crucial to continuously increase our own capability to identify cultural differences, understand and work effectively with other organizations by not judging them. On the contrary, adjusting my perception about the other cultures and learning to combine and enjoying the best from each one of them, is key to successfully building a bridge between the different cultures, and thus be more successful as global leaders.

How can I help?

The understanding, both through knowledge and respect, of the different Cultural Dimensions of both one’s own and the different cultures one works with, is fundamental to successfully interact across cultures. As an Executive Intercultural Coach, I offer to accompany the Global Leader to discover both themselves and the new cultures they are encountering in their career paths, helping them effectively cross the bridges into the new world that is presenting itself to them.

In my next post, I will dive a bit deeper into the Culture within a Country, in this case the many geographical cultures with Mexico.