Ecuador - Working and dealing with the Ecuadorians
Objectives
The aim of this seminar is to significantly improve the participants’ effectiveness in their professional relationships with the Ecuadorians, enabling them to be operational right from the start.
At the end of this training, participants will have acquired insights and techniques to:
- Be aware of their own cultural baggage
- Fully understand Ecuadorian context and culture
- Analyse possible situations in which misunderstandings may arise and identify ways of communicating
- Reduce stress and misunderstandings
- Decipher and understand Ecuadorian decision-making and negotiation processes
Programme Outline
Module 1 : Understanding cultural differences
1. Intercultural awareness : The key to success in international business
- Taking stock of one's own cultural baggage
- The basics of effective intercultural management
- Identifying and going beyond cultural stereotypes
2. Key aspects of Ecuadorian culture
- An Amerindian state comprising three distinctive regions
- Native, Hispanic and mixed race inhabitants: a multiethnic population
- An ancient and prestigious civilisation
- The impact of colonisation and slavery
- Impressive but insufficiently developed economic resources
- A complex democratic system
3. The impact of values and behaviour patterns on professional dealings and relationships
- The importance of family life and marriage
- Costeños and Serranos: identification with one's region of origin
- A patriarchal social structure
- A clearly defined class structure: respect for age and titles
- Religious fervour
- A restricted view of space coupled with a flexible view of time
- Pride and a sense of honour
4. The Ecuadorian corporate world
- An extremely hierarchical organisational structure
- A clear focus on productivity and on the end result
- National and international companies: managerial differences
Module 2: Succeeding in your work and dealings with the Ecuadorians
1. Effective communication with the Ecuadorians
- Frank and direct communication
- Smalltalk, greetings and displays of warmth and emotion
- The widespread use of non-verbal communication
- English for business and Ecuadorian Spanish
2. Adapting your working methods
- Effective management: sincerity, leadership and fairness
- Building trust and confidence: listening, supervising and leading by example
- Involving and praising others: encouraging adaptability and personal commitment
- Conflict resolution: understanding and interpreting respect and silence
- Discreet management. Dealing with touchy and sensitive people
- Pitfalls to be avoided
3. Successful meetings and negotiations with the Ecuadorians
- Giving relationships that personal touch: the vital role of the human factor
- Appearances are as important as content
- Patience, prudence, tact and perseverance
- Understanding written contracts, their interpretation and implications
- Organising the post-negotiation phase
4. Final handy tips
- Caution, patience and humility
- Protocol and etiquette
- Social standards, gifts, business cards, dress code
- Sensitive subjects: politics, history, religion
- Humour: a double-edged sword
