I was completely shocked to see the extent to which the Italian lifestyle is different compared to home. It seemed like time moved slower yet more intensely in Italy. People live intentionally and time to rest is highly valued. I had a hard time adjusting to this lifestyle change.
I am so accustomed to moving at the speed of light and staying busy 100% of the time. Once I began to embrace change, I realized how vibrant everyday life is. I now understand why Italian business is largely family-owned. Everyone invests time in their relationships and the people around them, which gives small businesses a significant advantage over large corporations. An American in Italy has to adjust from our fast-paced work culture to a much slower and relationship-driven work culture in Italy.?
As a business attempting to establish itself in Italy, it would be hard to form the relationships necessary to conduct business with locals. You would also have to adjust to the lower business hours of 10 am to 1 pm and 3 pm to 5 pm. If you could successfully embrace the slower lifestyle and the value of family in Italian business, you might be able to integrate successfully.
