After spending a month in Italy studying abroad, I learned how different business and everyday interactions can be depending on where you are in the world. One of the biggest things I noticed when conducting business, is how much Italians value relationships. Before any business gets done, people want to take the time to really get to know each other. For our international business consulting project, we had to ask the business owners we were working with about their family and where you’re from before any business talk started. At first, I thought it was just small talk, but it’s actually a huge part of building trust. I also learned that flexibility is key here. Meetings don’t always start on time, and plans can change at the last minute. For instance, for our first meeting with the owner of the company we worked with, he was almost an hour late. At first it seemed very unprofessional but eventually after talking to him I learned to appreciate how he took the time out of his very busy day to come see us in person. He made the meeting feel less rushed and much more personal! Honestly, before coming here, I pictured Italy as this super laid-back place where everyone takes long lunches and strolls around. While that is definitely true in some aspects, I also met tons of people through our consulting project who are incredibly driven and passionate about what they do. I met entrepreneurs who are creating ways to thrive in and who are super hardworking. This was an aspect I never really thought about when traveling but it was truly eye opening to get to experience. This trip definitely changed the way I think about working with people from different countries and cultures. It reminded me that patience, open-mindedness, and personal connections matter just as much as efficiency sometimes. Further, I think now having this understanding of business in Italy/Europe and the USA will be so beneficial for future business engagements.
Overall this trip gave me such a deeper appreciation for other cultures and their way of life. I can’t believe it has already been a month and I am so sad it is already over. I will be forever grateful for this experience, the people, and the memories we got to make all over Italy! I will highly recommend this program to anyone interested!
