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 Guatemalan culture

• A "crossroads" nation in the very heart of Central America
• Mayas, Incas, Garífunas and Ladinos: a multi-ethnic population
• Civil war and exclusion: the painful scars of history
• Rural and urban Guatemala: two very different worlds
• A delicate political situation and a fragile economy

3. The impact of values and behaviour patterns on professional dealings and relationships

• Cultural behavioural systems influenced significantly by ethnic origin
• A flair for hospitality
• The importance attached to appearances
• Spiritual fervour, passion, pride and emotions
• A monochronic view of time 
• A respect for status, a highly patriarchal society
• The Guatemalan sense of humour: a keen and merciless sense of irony

4. The Mexican corporate world

• A highly structured corporate environment with a clearly defined hierarchy
• Employment as a luxury
• The influence of foreign entrepreneurs on the country's economic dynamism
• The logic behind privileges

Module 2 : Succeeding in work with the Guatemalans

1. Effective communication with the Guatemalans

• Body language: a means of expressing trust and confidence
• Politeness and courtesy
• The vital role played by networking
• Guatemalan Spanish, English for business and the role of the interpreter

2. Adapting your working methods

• Promoting trust by maintaining distance and impartiality
• The key qualities of a manager: qualifications and diplomacy
• Centralised decisions passed down via powerful intermediaries
• Supervising, verifying and advising
• Pitfalls to be avoided

3. Successful meetings and negotiations with the Guatemalans

• Cultivating your reputation in order to improve your credibility
• Giving relationships that personal touch
• Patience and perseverance: key factors when entering a restricted market
• The importance of the written word
• 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