I’ve had the good fortune to work with a lot of people with different nationalities in my career. It breaks down a lot of the sterotyping, but watching and listening to these guys interact and the different expectations, habits and social customs they displayed was fascinating.
I was once contracted to work on a massive multi-million pound building project along with contractors from at least a dozen different countries. The Japanese, the Italians, the French, the Germans, Mexicans, Israelis, Spanish etc etc.
I could fill this thread, but I’ll keep it brief. Let’s start with the Italians.
The first thing that stood out about the Italians I was working with was how laid back they were. Practically horizontal. Nothing fazed them; deadlines didn’t seem to bother them. Only one thing bothered them and I’ll get to that in a second.
My colleagues and I needed some construction work to be done so that we could move in and do our own work in there. We needed it done very soon.
Soothing words and calming hand gestures from our Italian friends. “It’ll be done tomorrow.”
“You said that yesterday. We need it done now, or we’ll have lawyers breathing down our necks accusing us of being in delay.”
More soothing words. Time passed. We were getting nowhere until…
“You want me to call the wife?”
I swear, they were out of their chairs faster than greased lightning. “No, no, no, no. Promise, it’ll be done today.”
The door slammed open and two pairs of steel-capped boots clattered down the stairs. You could see them running across to site from the cabin window.
“Ruddy hell, Jack. I think they’re scared of the wife. Remind me to never make an Italian woman mad, will ya?”
“Can do,” was the amused reply, and we all cracked up laughing.
No offence to our Italian friends. They’re great guys, but they’re just so laid back. At least, the ones I’ve met are.
Musk
