Holiday Cultural Differences Between the US and Mexico

Mexican Posada, a group of friends with sparklers during Christmas in Mexico | Holiday Cultural Differences Between US and Mexico

The end of the year is almost here! And with it the celebration of Christmas and New Year’s Eve. As well as all the wishes and changes that the end of a year and the start of a new one can bring. One of those changes can be relocation and moving out of your country of origin. That sounds scary, but it can also be incredible!

A common place for Americans to move to is Mexico. Is this your case? Are you planning to move to Mexico? Congrats! That’s a big deal! We’re sure you’ll love your new life there!

There are many magical things about Mexico, but there are also some differences between Mexico and the USA that can make you feel lost and confused.

Is your move coming at the end of the year? Then one of the main things you must be informed about are the holiday cultural differences between the US and Mexico. So you don’t get too confused when celebrating your first Christmas and New Year’s Eve there.

To help you out, we’ve created this guide with the holiday variations you’ll notice between both countries. It also works if you’re a Mexican moving or relocating to the USA.

Don’t worry, just because there are differences, it doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy the holidays just as much as in your country.

Religion

One of the differences can be religion, which we know is a huge part of Christmas. Even nowadays in which not everyone is religious, many still like to enhance the religious part of these holidays. After all, it’s part of Christmas’ history.

In the USA, you’ll find people from many different religions. But you must know most of them identify as Christians, up to 70%. And even though there are some main religions in the USA, like Judaism and Hinduism with many practitioners, those aren’t the only ones. There are still many more than just those.

Meanwhile, in Mexico you’ll also find many different religions. But you must know that most of the people are Catholic, around 77% of the population! Contrary to most of the people in the USA where, as we said, they’re Christians. We must remember that though they’re similar and they interconnect, Christianity and Catholicism have differences.

Now that you see this you can notice you won’t have a problem celebrating Christmas in Mexico. Because most of the people there are Catholic religious and therefore celebrate it. Even a lot of the people that aren’t religious like celebrating the holidays. Because it’s a tradition and they like the good spirits of it and to reunite with their loved ones.

Posadas

“Posadas” are Mexican parties centered around Christmas that are celebrated throughout the entire holiday season. So throughout the entire month of December. So, yes, they’re a huge tradition in Mexico, but they’re also celebrated in Central America.

They’re hosted in all kinds of places, both professional and personal. Sometimes, companies throw a “posada” in their offices and headquarters for all the employees. Schools do the same for all the kids. And, of course, people also throw posadas in their houses or neighborhoods.

People are always very excited about these kinds of parties, because they’re perfect to reunite with loved ones, maybe even meet new people, and celebrate the Christmas spirit.

People decorate with Christmas ornaments the place where the posada will be held. They also cook or buy traditional food, like tamales and tostadas. An element that can’t be missed in any “posada” is the “ponche de frutas”. Oftentimes, they also have “piñatas” to break them among all the guests.

Of course, they play Christmas carols. And sometimes, more traditional people or kids in the school go singing these carols door to door. This is something we also see in the US, though it’s not that common.

Oh, and people can be invited to many different “posadas”. So, if you have many Latin friends, you can expect to be invited to a lot.

As you can see, Mexicans don’t stick to just the Christmas’ eve celebration dinner or party. They start before that date.

In the US, you might have gone to some Christmas parties, but not necessarily “posadas”. Or maybe you did go to a “posada”, probably organized by a Latin friend. Because the Latin community in the US still likes to celebrate “posadas”, because they’re part of their culture.

Food

Of course food is going to be a huge difference! This is because everyone around the world has their own traditions and gastronomy, which influence what they eat on Christmas.

In the USA, they usually eat turkey, ham, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and cranberry sauce. As well as eggnog, pecan tassies, gingerbread, and the classic fruitcake, among others.

While in Mexico it’s common to eat pork leg, pork loin, tamales, menudo, cod, romeritos (rosemary with mole), pozole, churros, and buñuelos. As well as ponche de frutas (fruit punch), and one of the most popular, ensalada de manzana (apple salad).

Though you might miss the traditional Christmas dishes that people eat in your country, this is a great opportunity to try new dishes. Who knows?

Some may become part of your favorites. Plus, remember that this is not obligatory, if you really miss a specific food, you can still prepare it for Christmas. Yes, even if you live in a new country now. You could even do a mix of cultures and prepare dishes from both the US and Mexico.

Do you want to know one dish and one drink that are typically consumed during Christmas in both countries? The turkey and cider! So you won’t miss these.

Guadalupe-Reyes Marathon

You probably already know that Christmas Eve is on December 24th and Christmas is on December 25th. And that New Year’s Eve is celebrated on the last day of the year, so December 31st. And the Three Wise Men Day is on January 6th. These are the typical dates for the celebrations during these holidays.

But did you know that in Mexico they have a marathon with even more dates celebrated during this Christmas season and holidays? No, we’re not kidding. But we also don’t mean a marathon in the sense of running.

Rather, it’s called that because there are many celebrations and food eaten during those days. It’s like celebration after celebration. And it starts on the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe and ends on the Three Wise Men Day.

Here are the dates for the “Maratón Guadalupe-Reyes”:

  • Throughout December – Posadas
  • December 12 – Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe (Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe)
  • December 24 – Nochebuena (Christmas Eve)
  • December 25 – Navidad (Christmas)
  • December 28 – Día de los Santos Inocentes (Feast of the Holy Innocents)
  • December 31 – Víspera de Año Nuevo / Fin de año (New Year’s Eve)
  • January 1 – Año Nuevo (New Year)
  • January 6 – Día de Reyes (Three Wise Men Day)

So if you go to Mexico, be prepared to celebrate and eat during all these days.

Fluency Corp Helps Celebrate the Holidays in Your New Country

Part of the process of adapting to a new country of residence is recognizing the cultural differences and celebrating the holidays. To do this, you’d have to learn the language, so you can talk and party with your new friends and coworkers.

We just helped you learn the holiday differences, now let us help you with the language part. After all, you need to truly know the language to feel more part of this new culture.

Fluency Corp is a corporate language school truly committed to helping companies and employees improve their language skills. This means you’ll learn everything you need to know to succeed at work. This includes adapting to the new country you live in now, whether because you chose it or you were relocated.

We have native teachers that will make the learning process better. Because you’ll get to hear the real accent and pronunciation of words, as well as learn from those who know the language inside out. After all, they live and use the language every day.

On top of that, our classes are completely customized to the job and your needs. So tell us what you want to achieve and we’ll create a plan accordingly.

Oh, and don’t worry about learning to speak like a local to adapt better to your new country. We make students speak in their target language in every single class using everything they’ve learned. It’s the best way to achieve language fluency.

So, are you ready to master your favorite language? Choose between our online or onsite classes. Then, contact us for a free consultation; we will answer all your questions!

Cultural Differences When Working in Mexico

Group of young business people in meeting using laptop on terrace office working in Mexico

Cultural differences with Mexico can be huge and sometimes confusing. This applies to every area of life. These differences appear while making friends, going to school, ordering food, paying the check at a restaurant, greeting someone and, of course, working.

So, if you’re doing business in Mexico, you must learn the different ways they work and all the cultural differences it has with your hometown. This will make the process of adapting a little bit easier and a lot less confusing. You might also end up loving some of these things.

To guide you, here are some cultural differences when working in Mexico or with Mexican employees.

Greeting

You might’ve heard already that Mexicans are very effusive when it comes to greeting people. They like to show their warm nature. They tend to hug and kiss on the cheek.

If you’re not used to this type of behavior, you’ll probably feel weird and out of place at first. But, imagine how awkward it would’ve been if you went to Mexico without knowing this! Have you ever lived a moment like this?

Here’s the important question: Do they also greet like this in the workplace?

Well, not really. Or not everybody.

If you’re greeting your boss or a figure of authority, then you should greet them with a handshake. You can also say a kind but formal:

  • Buen día (good day)
  • Buenos días (good morning)
  • Buenas tardes (good afternoon)
  • Buenas noches (good night)

That’s how people usually greet others in business. They don’t tend to hug or kiss there. The same applies for your coworkers. Especially men and women, or men and men.

If you’re a woman who is friends with another female colleague, then you may kiss her on the cheek. These kisses are mostly just cheek to cheek and making the sound of a kiss, like sending the kiss to the air. They don’t really give you a kiss.

In some companies, the women that are bosses may also greet each other with a kiss on the cheek. Especially if they have a good business relationship. But it’s not common for them to kiss their employees.

Goodbyes

The same thing happens when Mexicans say goodbye: They tend to be super warm and hug and kiss each other on the cheek. But, this isn’t the case in the workplace.

You can simply wave goodbye and say:

  • Adiós (goodbye)
  • Hasta luego (see you later)
  • Hasta mañana (see you tomorrow)
  • Hasta luego, buenas tardes (see you later, good afternoon)

When a meeting is over, you might see some businessmen give each other a hug. That’s just a kind way of saying goodbye and it’s usually a sign that the meeting went well. But it’s not necessary to do this.

Punctuality

Mexicans don’t have the best sense of punctuality. They tend to arrive late everywhere, sometimes even to work. So, don’t be surprised if somebody arrives after the beginning of their work shift or a meeting starts late. Of course, we can’t generalize; it’s not everybody.

Some companies have an approximate ten-minute tolerance.

That being said, you shouldn’t do this. Just because some Mexicans arrive late, doesn’t mean it’s well seen in the workplace. It actually is not. Some companies even have penalties for not being punctual. So, you better stick to being a punctual person.

This punctuality is especially well seen when you have a business meeting with your boss or an important partner. Because it means you respect them and their time.

But if you’re meeting a friend after work or on a weekend, they might arrive later. Or if you’re going to a party, then expect people to arrive a bit later than the scheduled hour.

Work Shift

The work shift in Mexico starts very early. For most corporate jobs, it can vary from 8:00 am to 9:00 am. And it usually ends at 5:00 pm or 6:00 pm. Basically, it is scheduled to last eight hours a day. At least it should be that way. But, sadly, not many people (bosses) respect the end of the shift.

Some hate to see an employee leave at their scheduled hour. And it’s expected for them to stay longer.

Some workers also stay extra hours if they haven’t finished their work yet. Of course, the company should pay for extra hours, but this is not always the case.

If you’re a boss, it’s up to you to tell them it’s okay to leave at their agreed schedule.

The normal 8-hour workday includes one hour of lunch break. Sadly, not many employees take the whole hour, because of the workload.

We don’t mean to say this is the best way to do it. In fact, many Mexicans don’t think so either. We’re also not saying you should do it this way. But you might see this happening when working in Mexico or with Mexican employees.

By the way, in some companies, they only work half a day on Fridays. But it depends on the company.

Formal Attire

Are you wondering how you should dress when meeting a Mexican business partner or going to work? Good question! You don’t want to look out of place.

In Mexico, people tend to dress formally at work; that’s the way it’s expected.

So, for women it would be formal dresses or skirts not too short, and it’s better if you use tights underneath. It can also be formal pants and suits. No crop tops.

And for men it would be the classic suit, shirt and tie. No shorts.

The shoes should also be more formal, no flip flops at all.

Some companies allow the employees to wear more casual or informal clothes, like jeans, on Fridays.

Celebrate the Employees

This is not how everyone does it, but some companies celebrate the employees that reach a certain amount of time or years working in the company. It’s usually done with those that achieve 5, 10, 15, 20… years in the company.

How do they celebrate them? Simply by giving them a gift! That’s a nice thing to do.

It’s common for companies, bosses and especially coworkers, to celebrate the birthday of an employee. They all cooperate with some money to buy a cake and sometimes food, like a pizza. During lunch break, they sing “las mañanitas”, a Mexican song for birthdays, and eat the cake and the food.

Meetings

Mexicans love to do meetings while eating at restaurants, a hotel’s restaurant, or maybe a nice cafe.

These meetings are usually with clients; they want to impress them. But they can also be among business partners and high executives. These meetings don’t usually involve employees with lower roles.

The meetings that involve employees are hosted at the workplace, in the offices’ boardrooms.

You have to know how to engage in small talks, because that’s how all meetings tend to begin. As we said, Mexicans have a warm attitude and like to feel like they know others a bit better before doing serious business. That’s why they do small talk before starting the business’ topic and discussions.

It’s almost like a warm up.

If at the meeting there’s a new person or someone that you’re interested in doing business with, you can exchange business cards.

New Year’s Eve Dinner

Should we keep up with the celebrations? Some companies host a New Year’s Eve meal to celebrate the holidays. At this celebration, bosses and high executives do tend to hang out with employees.

Sometimes, they raffle prizes.

Of course, these celebrations aren’t exactly on December 31st. They can be any day of December.

Conquer Business Worldwide with Fluency Corp

Do you know what’s appreciated in any job position worldwide? That’s right: Bilingualism! If you learn a second – or even a third – language, you’ll have more chances of success in business.

After all, we’re all connected nowadays, and companies need people that will help them break language barriers and reach new foreign markets.

So, whether you want to learn Spanish for your job in Mexico or because you have Spanish-speaking employees, we can help you! We also have other languages in case you also want to conquer the business world in other countries. Just check our Fluency Corp corporate language training with native teachers!

Did you say native teachers? Yes, we did! This means you’ll learn from people that know all the nuances of your target language and how locals use it. You’ll learn things truly useful for real life.

Plus, all of our classes are customized to the job and your needs. So tell us: What do you want and need? Is it vocabulary for a specific job? Or maybe some accent training? Or is it learning how to write a proper business email? Whatever it is; we’re here for you!

As if that weren’t enough, we focus on speaking. So you can communicate effectively. All classes are based on the Bellieu Method, created by our founder and CEO, Micah Bellieu. It consists of encouraging students to speak in their target language. This constant practice will help you achieve language fluency!

Choose between our online or onsite classes. Then, contact us to schedule a free consultation. We’ll answer all your questions!

What is the Difference Between Spain and Mexico?

Mexico & Spain Differences

Even though they speak Spanish in Mexico, and the Spaniards are the reason for that, there are huge differences between the two peoples. Accent, culture, food, just to name a few.

Today, we’re going to dig into the more granular ways that the two countries and their people are so different, even though the Spaniards colonized the country over 400 years ago.

Top Differences Between Spain and Mexico are:

Where are Spain & Mexico Located?

Now, I do not want to offend you by stating the obvious, but sometimes this fact is not quite so obvious – Spain and Mexico are on two different continents. Mexico is just south of Texas, in North America, connecting the United States to Central America. Spain is just north of Africa, to the east of Portugal, and is in Europe.

At Fluency Corp we believe everything is easier to remember with a story! We’ll tell a short, yet entertaining, story that will help you remember.

Imagine Hernán Cortés: not a super tall Spanish guy in the 16th century. He’s been on a boat for months to get across the Atlantic Ocean. He probably left at the southern port of Cadiz (no clue if this is true, but geographically it makes sense), and he is eager to claim some land and resources for Spain.

Cortés and his boss hit up Cuba, and his boss told him to then go back, but Hernán Cortés wanted more. He pushed on through the Caribbean Sea/Gulf of Mexico and landed in the state of Yucatan. Can you visualize it? Hope that helped.

What are the Biggest Challenges Facing Mexico & Spain?

Corruption and the absence of rule of law are the 2 largest problems facing Mexico today. We are reminded almost weekly that the crime and homicide rate still makes this country out of control.

When 43 students were murdered in 2014, the country rose up in protest.Yet, the murderers, supposedly the exact army that was supposed to be protecting the country, is still not in jail. Enormous crimes like this can be committed, and no one is held responsible. This sends a message that the drug cartels can get away with bribing officials and get away with it.

Spain, on the other hand, has more first world problems, as we call them. In 2008, the housing bubble burst and the GDP growth finally hit a wall. In 2012, the Spanish financial sector could no longer continue and they had to get bailed out by the European Stability Mechanism. This affected the unemployment rate especially hard, caused a severe economic downturn and bankrupted many companies.

At this same time, we saw many Spanish companies go abroad to stay afloat. We’ve been working with infrastructure powerhouse Ferrovial teaching their employees Spanish and English since 2013.

They knew that in order to stay relevant and continue building highways, tunnels and airports, they would have to seek clients in other countries, and in order to be successful in those other countries, they would have to invest in language training. They have most definitely succeeded since they now have projects on almost every continent.

What is the Difference Between Spanish Food & Mexican Food?

Mexican Food
Very different! These two foods could not be any more different, actually. Mexican food staples are corn, chili, beans, tomatoes, fruit and meat. Each region of Mexico has their specialties, like shark and octopus in the Yucatan region.

Corn is mostly found in the famous, warm Mexican tortillas and tamales, which are filled with just about any vegetable or meat and dipped in one of the many salsas, from mild to very picante. Or as my grandfather says, picosa.

When I said chilies, you didn’t think I meant just one, right? Just a few of the chiles you will run into in Mexico are: mulato, cascabel, poblano, serrano, and of course, the one we all know and love, the jalapeno.

Spanish Food
Spain food features a delicious Mediterranean diet: olive oil, fish, vegetables, legumes, fruits, some poultry, and some dairy. As you can see, the Spanish diet hits heavier on the Omega-3s, and contains more of a variety in their vegetables while Mexico leans heavily on corn and beans (what could be found locally, of course).

Spain, surrounded by water, logically gets a large amount of its food from the sea and the olive trees that flourish in Spain. Just like in Mexico, every region in Spain has its own specialties, like the empanadas from Galicia, or the spicy Basque-style chicken from Basque country. Of course, no matter where you are, you can get the famous Jamón ibérico.

What are the Pronunciation Differences Between Mexico & Spain Spanish?

The Z and the C (before e or i) in both languages are pronounced very differently. You can immediately tell if someone is from Spain due to this letter difference. In Mexican Spanish it sounds like a regular English S sound. Using Spain Spanish, it sounds like someone speaking English with a lisp (or, the TH sound in English), but it’s not a lisp – that’s how it’s pronounced.

Why did this happen? Well, this would be the same answer as to why Brits do not pronounce the H and Americans do. Over hundreds of years and many thousands of miles, groups of people change a spoken language over time. The resulting change is very different from the group that is far away. This is the simple evolution of a language.

In Medieval Castilian Spanish, just as in Medieval Olde English, words were spelled differently. Interestingly, Spanish used to use the same letter used in French, the ç, called a cedilla, to spell words like plaça, which is today spelled like plaza (but still using the TH sound where the Z is).

How do Mexico & Spain Communication Styles Differ?

I have lived in both of these countries so I can most definitely tell you that even though Spain brought a lot of people over, they did not bring their communication style. Or, at least, it didn’t stick.

I found the Mexican people to be overly polite (for my blunt American style of communicating), indirect, long-winded (again, for my blunt taste), and sugary sweet (I also lived in the bustling city of Boston, and liked the direct communication style there). They were most definitely polite.

Spain, on the other hand, does not have any of the above characteristics, and I do not mean that in a negative way. They say the truth, even if it may sting a little. Spaniards are direct, but at the same time diplomatic – not rude, but frank. They are quite gregarious and will talk a lot, and possibly loudly to show their feelings about a particular topic.

Similarities are seen in the formal nature of communicating in public, and the respect given by not using first names, but rather Mr., Mrs., etc.

What are the Biggest Cultural Differences Between Mexico & Spain?

Based on one Mexican’s journey to Spain, the largest differences he found were:

  1. The people
  2. The flow of life

When you arrive in Mexico City, you realize quickly that it will take possibly an hour to arrive at your hotel from the airport. During this drive, it will be quite chaotic, people will be running to cross the street, motorcycles fly between cars, and the flow is quite fast. Of course, the capital is the main area where you’ll encounter life at this speed. In Spain, it seems more calm, organized, serene, and CLEAN.

This Mexican tourist also found that the general way of being was intimidating. Remember, we said that the Mexican culture was more affable, polite, and less frank. So the strong character (not rudeness!) of the Spaniards was more in your face than Mexicans, or even Americans, are used to.

Does the Vocabulary Differ Between Spain & Mexico?

Just like an American traveling to Britain, there are stark vocabulary differences between Spain and Mexico. Asking for a fag in the U.S. might make some eyebrows raise. In the same way asking where the loo is might get you an introduction to a large, trucker named Lou! The same happens in Mexico and Spain.

There are hundreds of differences, but here are just a few:

  • Los servicios vs el baño (the bathroom).
  • Vale in Spain expresses ‘okay’ or agreement. This is not said in Mexico.
  • Tio or tia in Spain expresses guy or gal, but the dictionary meaning is uncle or aunt.
  • Boletos (Mexico) versus billetes (Spain) both mean tickets.
  • Computadora (Mexico) versus ordenador (Spain) both mean computer.

These are just a few of the hundreds of differences!

If you interested in learning Spanish from Spain or Spanish from Mexico, or if you have a cultural challenge at your multicultural or multilingual workplaces, please reach out to us.

We transform communication with employees and their families so the success of international relocations are greatly increased. For a free consultation, contact us or call us at (800) 401-3159. Read success stories on our testimonials page.

Cultural Differences Between Mexico and Spain

Cultural Differences Between Mexico and Spain

As corporate language trainers, we can tell you that there is more to language classes than just language. For example, when we help our clients learn Spanish, we also teach them about the culture of the Spanish speakers they’ll be interacting with.

We do this because effectively communicating in another language doesn’t just mean knowing the right vocabulary words. It also means understanding the behaviors of those around you.

In Spanish-speaking countries around the globe, you’ll find a variety of rich cultures. However, the cultures our clients most frequently need to learn about are those of Spain and Mexico. Just as these two countries have differences in the way they use Spanish, they also have important cultural differences.

In this article, we’ll give you an overview of some of those differences. (Please keep in mind, though, that — just like in the U.S. — there are also regional variations within each country.)

Communication Styles in Mexico and Spain

Before founding Fluency Corp, I spent time living in both Spain and Mexico. So I can give you my firsthand impressions of how people in both countries communicate.

Spaniards are direct, but at the same time diplomatic – not rude, but frank. They say the truth, even if it may sting a little. As someone who has also lived in Boston, where people also have a direct communication style, I felt very comfortable with this. People in Spain are also quite gregarious and will talk a lot — possibly loudly to show their feelings about a particular topic.

While the Spanish brought their language to Mexico, they did not bring their direct communication style. Or, if they did, it just didn’t stick. I found Mexican people to be very polite, indirect, and sugary sweet.

There are some similarities in the two countries’ communication styles, though. Communicating in public is more formal than what English speakers may be used to. Spanish speakers in both countries also show respect by using courtesy titles and last names (for example, Señor Smith) instead of first names.

Social Etiquette in Mexico and Spain

The differences in how people interact in Spain and Mexico can be evident from the first time you meet someone. In Mexico, I’ve found greetings to be warmer and more effusive. In Spain, things are a little more on the formal side.

The same kind of preferences play out in personal space. In Mexico, people tend to stand closer to you when speaking than they do in the U.S. In Spain, the opposite is true. The (unwritten) rules on punctuality, however, are a little looser in Spain. Both at work and in social settings, meetings or events can start a bit later than the stated time.

In Mexico, starting things on time is a bigger deal, especially at work. In informal, personal settings, things are a bit more flexible.

Differences Between Mexican and Spanish Food

Let’s finish up with a topic that most people love: food! I’ve had wonderful meals in both Spain and Mexico. But the cuisines of these two nations are very different.

Mexican food staples include corn, chilis, beans, tomatoes, fruit, and meat. Corn is found in the famous, warm Mexican tortillas and tamales, which are filled with just about any vegetable or meat and dipped in one of the many salsas, from mild to very picante. (Or as my grandfather says, picosa.) Just a few of the chiles you will run into in Mexico are cascabel, poblano, serrano, and jalapeño.

Each region of Mexico has its own specialties, such as shark and octopus in the Yucatan region.

In Spain, the typical daily diet is more Mediterranean style: olive oil, fish, vegetables, legumes, fruits, some poultry, and some dairy. Spain gets a large amount of its food from the sea (the country is surrounded by water) and the olive trees that flourish there.

Just like in Mexico, every region in Spain has its own specialties, like the empanadas from Galicia or the spicy chicken from Basque country. Of course, no matter where you are, you can get the famous Jamón ibérico (ham).

While the food is delicious in both Mexico and Spain, the way residents of each country enjoy that food is a little different. In Mexico, meals are more leisurely. In fact, there’s a word for Mexico’s dining style: sobremesa. It refers to spending relaxed time hanging out after a meal.

Teaching Fluency in Language AND Culture

If your organization’s U.S. employees interact with colleagues from Spain or Mexico, cultural fluency goes hand in hand with language skills in smoothing communication and encouraging connection.

At Fluency Corp, our language classes, both in person and online, are taught by native speakers who also serve as cultural guides.

Ready to learn more? Set up a free consultation by contacting us or call us at (800) 401-3159.

How LaLa Foods Reduced Turnover by 50% with Cultural & Language Training

LaLa Foods in Mexico Reduced Turnover by 50% with Language Training

Lala Foods transferred an entire service department to Mexico. That transition, however, wasn’t nearly as smooth as they had hoped. Miscommunications, frustrations, and inefficient meetings were only the beginning for the popular dairy product company serving Mexico and South America.

Allyson, the compensation and benefits manager for LaLa Foods, realized that the new teams were struggling. Tasks were taking longer, colleagues in both the US and Mexico were frustrated, and little was going as planned.

As turnover increased, Allyson knew that something had to change. She saw that it wasn’t just a language issue; many employees spoke both Spanish and English.

There Was a Different Issue Beyond Language Training

LaLa Foods employs around 35,000 individuals in Mexico and South America, and about 300 in the US. As a well known brand in Mexico, the company wants to make their reputation just as strong in the USA. But that means the US teams have to efficiently and accurately communicate with the Mexican teams.

To streamline processes, the finance department was moved to Mexico. US colleagues who were once able to walk across the hall and talk with the finance department now had to email or set up video chats with the department based in Mexico.

As a consumer packaged goods company, there are many levels of customer interactions that need to be handled. The US based team interacts with local vendors and customers, and the Mexican team handles processing, accounts payable, and a lot of the IT work as well.

But when you’re not all on the same page, snags come up. Sometimes it is largely a language barrier, but other times, it has more to do with cultural differences than anything else.

They ran into a problem that only a customized solution from Fluency Corp could figure out.

Conflict Arises Between Different Cultures

The methods of working in Mexico are vastly different from those in the US. Micah Bellieu, founder of Fluency Corp, describes it as “a bit of a turtle and hare” situation. Where both parties have the same end goal, but the means of getting there are considerably different.

For many of the US based employees, work is very task oriented. If there’s only 30 minutes allotted for a meeting, then you jump right in and get started in the meeting. But that’s not how things are done in Mexico. In fact, if you don’t spend 10 minutes or so talking about kids, weekend plans, and catching up, you come across as downright rude.

Of course that sets the entire meeting on edge from the beginning. So at the end, when the question is asked, “Are there any questions, anything that’s unclear?” A simple and straightforward, “No” would result.

But that, “No” wasn’t the truth. There were plenty of questions, but the conflict at the beginning of the meeting meant that nobody wanted to raise their hand and ask the questions.

Communication was Breaking Down; Inefficiencies Increased

Situations arose where work wasn’t done as requested, or it wasn’t done on time. The goal of creating this cross-cultural team was to streamline processes. The reality was that miscommunication and conflict led to frequent inefficiencies.

“The Mexican team is very transactional,” Allyson tells us. “The US teams were not expecting that. They [the Mexican team] would process transactions exactly how they were written.” But that’s not what needed to be done; double checking for duplicates and asking clarifying questions was expected.

After Micah presented at a global HR workshop, Allyson and LaLa Foods knew that Fluency Corp was exactly what they would need to help solve this problem.

A Custom Solution Beyond Language Training was the Only Option

Off-the-shelf cultural and communication training doesn’t exist. Because cultures vary incredibly, even within a small geographic area, and because every culture interacts differently, you would need billions of courses to accurately cover all of them.

In the same vein, communication challenges are situation specific and company specific. Understanding the issues before providing a solution is critical to ensure the training is relevant and immediately applicable.

Instead, Fluency Corp sits down with every company to discover how they operate. Only then can they create customized training that fully addresses what’s going on within the cross-cultural departments or communication challenges.

For LaLa Group, it was a unique combination of global communication with SASS training.

SASS – which stands for Simplified, Ask, Support, Slow Down – helps corporations fully understand where their communication is falling short. What seems perfectly clear to the speaker is often misinterpreted by the recipient. These misinterpretations are compounded when there are language or cultural differences.

By simplifying the language, asking for input on what made sense (and what didn’t), finding support through communication training, and slowing things down (people speak really fast, slow it down by 20% for better understanding), the groups talking to each other were able to relay the right information.

Learning about Different Cultural Norms

In the US, it’s very fast paced. In Mexico, things are a bit more leisurely.

To fully understand how these cultural norms affect interaction, Fluency Corp developed a role play to emphasize the differences. Individuals were randomly assigned either an A or a B.

Those receiving an A designation were to be reserved, speak quietly, stand at least 3 feet apart, don’t shake hands, and don’t talk much about yourself. Group B, however, was the opposite. They were energetic and loud, touching people on the arm when they speak, hug when you first meet them, and ask lots of questions.

The goal was to illustrate the vast differences in the way people interact. And for those who are naturally an “A” to understand that the “B” isn’t being rude, but rather doing what comes naturally to them, and vice-versa. Throughout the exercise, the two groups gained an understanding of how awkward it is when you’re dealing with a person that’s the opposite.

The Cultural & Language Training Resulted in Less Stress & Fewer Resignations

With nearly every cultural and language training, the biggest successes can’t be measured and quantified.

Instead, they are seen and felt in the workplace, in the office culture, and in the job satisfaction amongst all the teammates.

The end result is that employees have a better feeling about coming to work each day. Increased job satisfaction means that there are fewer resignations. Over the course of about a year, LaLa Foods noticed that there was roughly a 50% improvement in turnover rate. More people were staying because of the improved cultural awareness and communication.

But it doesn’t stop there. Many of the US based employees were seeing jobs being transferred to Mexico; the knee-jerk reaction was that they were about to lose their job. With cultural training and improved communication, everyone found out that nobody was coming for their job; instead, they were able to work with some amazing cross-cultural colleagues.

When resignations did come down the line, sharing those responsibilities with the rest of the company was much easier. So as a person from the payroll department left, it wasn’t a mad scramble to find a replacement; instead, it was a promotion from within the Mexican team to alleviate the burden on the US team.

Off-the-Shelf Rarely Works: Fluency Corp Customizes the Training

Allyson explains that “Micah customized the approach for the need. She took the time to understand what the issues were, and really dug in. It wasn’t a surface-level training at all. She customized the content, and then followed up every two weeks to check in and see how people were doing: did they implement, are they following through, what struggles they were having.”

It’s not just enough to learn a new language, but also how to use it in a certain context. You also must learn aspects of the new culture that goes along with that language.

When everyone understands – and respects – the differences, only then can an organization say that they truly have their communication firmly in place.

Do you think your company could benefit from customized cultural and language training? Set up a free consultation with Fluency Corp by contacting us at getfluent@fluencycorp.com or (800) 401-3159.

Moving to Mexico: 6 Things to Know about Assimilating

Moving to Mexico - 6 Things to Know about Assimilating

Has your company decided to set up shop in the country to our south? Or maybe your company already has an office in Mexico and they’ve decided to send you there for a few years to improve collaboration and productivity between the two offices. Either way, you’re heading towards warm beaches, cool mountains, amazing food, and exciting historical sites. But what you probably aren’t expecting is how you’ll have to adapt when moving to Mexico.

Time is Different in Mexico

First off, you’ll need to adjust to the time difference. No, Mexico is not in the Japanese Time Zone, but time is seen very differently there. When arriving at dinners or even parties, you may want to be a little more than fashionably late. Or, sit outside the party and watch what time people generally start arriving. You don’t want to be the first to arrive and surprise the host while he or she is still cooking the meal.

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The same goes for office meetings as well, but not quite so dramatically. Depending on the type of meeting it is, it might not start right on the hour like your meetings in the US. The start time and the meeting outline might be a little blurred, and there will probably be some small talk and chit chat to get the meeting going.

Everything has a Little Spice in Mexico

Get ready for a little bit of spice in everything, even the candy. We all know that Mexican food is known for its addition of chiles. There are 64 chiles grown in Mexico, the most known being poblano, habanero, jalapeno, serrano and ancho. Although many Americans think they’re eating Mexican food when they’re eating Cali-Mex or TexMex, there are few similarities in the flavors and the dishes. Typical dishes in Mexico vary greatly by region. For example, the north produces the famous queso fresco that is lightly crumbled over dishes. On the Pacific coast, they make pozole and menudo. The central region called Bajio produces the yummy bunuelos, and the south pacific region boasts 7 types of mole (the chocolatey-chili peppery sauce). The one thing most of these dishes have in common is some element of some kind of chile. Even the candy, eaten by children starting at a young age, has quite the kick to it. I was surprised to twatch the children lick the sucker, freak out from the spice, then go back for more. I guess this is how they build up their abilities!

Indirectness in Mexico

They’re not avoiding the question, they’re just being polite. If you want a direct answer, don’t hold your breath. Generally, Mexicans are not big on confrontation, even if you’re just asking a question or requesting something directly at work. Don’t be surprised if you don’t get a straight ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Many find it awkward to disappoint or go against what you want, so you may even get a mild ‘yes’ or ‘ok’, but then it never happens or materializes. If you didn’t get a direct ‘no’, but you definitely didn’t get a ‘yes’, then you might want to ask more questions in order to figure out why. Expat tip: Engage in more small talk than you might be used to. Asking about your colleagues’ weekends, family or even talking about the weather is an expected pleasantry before getting down to business.

Formality in Mexico

Along with avoiding confrontation comes a level of formality. In families, you might still hear the use of Usted when the younger generation is speaking to their elders. This third person form of ‘you’ shows respect for the older generation. You will likely hear this if you’re a client, and you should use it with your clients. Even at a convenience store, or bumping into a stranger in the street, you will often hear this used, since you are not familiar with each other. Also, you might hear the words ‘Don’ or ‘Doña’ as a generic honorific name for mature peoples, as in Don Miguel or Doña Silvia. My brother calls his wife’s mother ‘Doña Stella’. She is over 60 and he wants to respect her.

Catholicism in Mexico

Yes, of course we have Catholicism in The United States, but Mexico is much more saturated in the religion and so you’ll see most of the country participating in or observing Catholic holidays. It’s the second largest Catholic population in the world after Brazil, with a whopping 91% of the country identifying as Catholic (compared with 23% in the US – for some perspective). While in the US we might believe that everyone makes their own fate, in Mexico you could hear ‘if God wills it’ ideology. I wouldn’t suggest getting into any theological debates with the older generation about faith or big questions like, ‘Is there a God?’. Accept it and enjoy the optimism and faith.

Sensitivity in Mexico

In the US, we might be told bluntly that our idea wasn’t good or that we need to start from scratch. In Mexico, I do not believe this would go over as well. We should probably put an extra layer of diplomacy on our words and be sensitive to the way negative messages are relayed. While in the US, this sensitivity could be seen as a weakness, this is not so in Mexican culture. I’m not saying that people will start crying at work if you criticize them, but this will not likely be the way to run a team if you want them to be successful. Guiding them through the way that it could be better and applauding the good parts will get you to the goal faster (and with more followers). You can catch more flies with honey, right?

Micah Bellieu is CEO and Founder of Fluency Corp, a corporate language class provider, servicing expats, employees and their families, all over the globe. Our private lessons are about so much more than language. She worked in Mexico for a year and a half, teaching English to kids and adults. After that, she moved to Dallas to start Fluency Corp. If interested in learning more, contact us here.

Your Guide to Spanish Dialects in Latin America & Spain

Differences in Spanish Dialects
Differences in Spanish Dialects
© Volodymyr Maksymchuk

Spanish is spoken in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

As you can see, apart from Spain, most Spanish-speaking countries are found in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean islands: Cuba and Puerto Rico.

But, the question remains, is all Spanish alike?

The quick answer is no, and yes.

Ask yourself this: can you, as an English speaker, understand a movie with British actors? Of course you can! So that stands to reason that a Spanish speaker from Spain will be able to understand a Spanish speaker from Argentina or Mexico, so the Spanish must be fairly similar. For example, there is no other word for ‘walk’. If you are walking, then you saying walking, in both dialects. Yet, there will be challenges with rhythm of speaking, intonation, pronunciation, and of course, vocabulary.

I remember when I traveled to Lafayette, Louisiana to visit a friend. His aging grandmother made us lunch and we had a nice chat around the table. Little did anyone know it, but I had a very hard time understanding her, and I spent most of the lunch nodding in agreement. To what? I’ll never know. Just kidding! But really, it was challenging, and I was quite shocked at how hard it was to understand someone else speaking to me in English… English that was only an 8-hour drive away!

So even though the language is 99% the same, you’ll have things like pronunciation and vocabulary that can throw you off.

Spanish – Main Grammar Differences from Country to Country

The grammar used in Spanish from Latin America and the Spanish from Europe is not that different, although there are distinct differences. The main difference is in the subject and verb-form used to match that subject.

For example, in Spain, they use the vosotros form of the verb to talk to a group of more than 1 person: “You all (you guys) are doing a great job today.” In Spain they would use the subject and verb agreement for vosotros, but in all Spanish-speaking countries south of the USA, they would use ustedes to express ‘you’ plural.

For example – “Do you (all) want to come?”

In Spain: ¿Vosotros queréis venir?
In Mexico/Central and South America: ¿Ustedes quieren venir?

Now, there is something funky happening in Argentina (and some other countries)… I’m not gonna lie.

“Vos”, in Argentinian Spanish (also Uruguay, Paraguay, Nicaragua and Guatemala), is referring to the “TÚ” (informal ‘you’); “TÚ” is typically used in all other Spanish-speaking countries. Also, special to Argentina, “sos” means “you are”, whereas in most other Spanish-speaking countries they would use “eres”.

Why did this happen? These are only my thoughts on the subject, but it’s the same progression that happens with any language that travels far and wide. Some things stick and others don’t. The “Ustedes” stuck in Mexico for the plural “you”. In Argentina the older form of the “you” stuck and is still used today (and in other countries mentioned above).

In Spain, they continued with “vosotros” for “you” plural, and apparently this word did not travel well, so Mexico, Central and South America did not continue using it over the hundreds of years of evolution of the language. Just as evolution always does, it evolves, and we’re seeing less use of “vos” in countries like Costa Rica, yet some cities there still find it common to use.

It’s like “y’all” in Texas and “youse” on the East Coast. We all have our favorite way of saying the plural “you” – apparently, it’s worldwide.

Spanish Main Vocabulary Differences from Argentina & Mexico to Spain & Ecuador

If you’re going to take Spanish classes in your office, home or with a live instructor online, make sure you learn where the instructor is from first. If you cannot find an instructor in your area from the country where you’ll be doing business (or people you’ll be doing business with), then I suggest looking online. Of course, every Spanish speaking will be teaching you Spanish, but if you are going to primarily be doing business with companies from Spain, then why not focus on the vocabulary and accent from there? We mention this because while there is a standard Spanish, there can be confusion in vocabulary that might take you a moment to figure out if you’re talking to someone from another Spanish-speaking country.

In English, Americans call the bathroom, well, the bathroom, and Brits might call it the lou and Australians might say the toilet. It will only take a moment to figure out the meaning, if you’re not from the same country. The same thing happens in Spanish. When I learned Spanish, I learned Spanish from Spain. When I moved to Mexico, people were amused with my accent and vocabulary, but we always figured out what each other meant, and in order to assimilate, and make myself more quickly understood, I learned the Mexican equivalent to all the words that made people furrow their brow.

Now let’s dig into the differences in Spanish.

 

Latin America English Spain
computadora computer ordenador
durazno peach melocotón
coger to get something/to have sex (vulgar) coger
pastel cake torta
lentes glasses (to wear) gafas
jugo juice zumo
piso floor suelo
carro car coche

Spanish – Regional Variations in Pronunciation

In Spain, the letter z and the letter c (only when before i and e), are pronounced like the ‘th’ sound in English: lispy, airy, light. In all other Spanish-speaking countries, these letters are pronounced like the English letter s.

In the Caribbean, on the other hand, they seem to be allergic to the letter s, and have decided not to pronounce it at all! Not really, but they really do seem to avoid it. Take this common question: “¿Cómo estás?” There’s a letter s at the end of that verb. This question means ‘How are you?’ Yet in the Caribbean, they would leave that letter s off the word.

The letter J in Spanish can vary as well. My theory is that the closer you get to Spain, the more the letter J sounds like the R in French. It sounds like you’re trying to spit something out of the back of your throat. But in Latin America is sounds more like the English pronunciation of the letter H.

The double “ll” typically makes a sound like the letter Y in English. But in Argentina, instead of phonetically sounding like may yah-mo (My name is…), it will sound more like may zhah-mo.

If you are interested in supporting your employees’ second language pursuits in Spanish, will be working in Spain or Latin America, already are working in Spain or Latin America, or work with Spanish speakers, then now is the time to start learning Spanish. You will build a deeper connection and show great respect for their language, their culture, and their lifestyle. Ready to get started or interested in how to set something like this up for 1 person or 100 people? For a free consultation, contact us or call us at (800) 401-3159. Read success stories on our testimonials page.

Holiday Traditions in Mexico

Holiday Traditions in Mexico

Just as in the U.S., the holiday season is a big deal in Mexico. It’s a time of beloved, beautiful and meaningful traditions and celebrations. If you’re spending your first holiday season in Mexico as an expat, or you’re visiting Mexico in December, you may be curious about how the country celebrates the winter holidays. So we wanted to help you learn a little more about holiday traditions in Mexico.nnThe Christmas season in Mexico brings a religious festival called Las Posadas from December 16-24. Each night there are processions that represent Joseph and Mary’s trek from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

Las Posadas also brings parties each night, and those parties include piñatas (traditionally star-shaped).

Nacimientos, or nativity scenes, are the most traditional Christmas decoration in Mexico.

Christmas Eve is called Noche Buena in Mexico. It’s the last night of Las Posadas, and the heart of the Christmas celebration.

Food is a big part of the Christmas season in Mexico. Popular dishes include pozole, a pork and hominy stew; tamales; and buñuelos, fried dough covered in cinnamon sugar.

Buñuelos are also popular during the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah, written in Mexico as “Januca.” Another tradition: dreidel-shaped piñatas.

New Year’s Eve in Mexico

On December 31, Mexicans enjoy a special dinner to ring out the old year and ring in the new.

On New Year’s Eve, it’s traditional to eat 12 grapes as the clock chimes midnight. This is to bring good fortune in the coming year.

But New Year’s does not mean the holiday season is over. Mexico celebrates Día de Los Reyes on January 6 to honor the Three Kings, who fill children’s shoes with toys and gifts.

Sources: britannica.com, apartmenttherapy.com, inside-mexico.com, whychristmas.com, howstuffworks.com, isabeleats.com, atlasobsura.com, parade.com, mexicobob.blogspot.com

If you are curious about other aspects of living and working in Mexico, check out these past articles from Fluency Corp:

· Expanding to Mexico: What Your Company Should Know
· Cultural Tips for Doing Business in Mexico

Are you relocating to Mexico soon or helping other employees at your company prepare for assignments to Mexico? For a free consultation, contact us at getfluent@fluencycorp.com or (800) 401-3159.