Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
The authors present a practical set of guidelines for people wishing to communicate professionally in Mexico or with Mexicans, following the model of the similar books by Kelm and Victor on Brazil and Japan of presenting on key cultural concepts. Good communication requires more than knowing the language. Olivia Hernandez-Pozas, Orlando Kelm, and David Victor, seasoned cross-cultural trainers for businesspeople, provide a guide through Victor's LESCANT model (Language, Environment, Social Organization, Context, Authority, Nonverbal, and Time). Each chapter addresses one of these topics and demonstrates how to evaluate the differences between Mexico and others in North America, presenting examples to help people avoid common communication mistakes. The book is generously peppered with photographs to provide visual examples. The authors complete the book with a case study chapter on a business interaction between Mexican and other North Americans (NAs). They then gathered comments from various NA professionals working in Mexico and Mexicans working with US professionals about the interactions in the case, providing helpful observations about the situation. The book straddles some language and communication topics, international relations, and reaches into the business community. .
Synopsis
How do you build successful professional connections with colleagues from Mexico? While most books focus simply on how to avoid common communication mistakes, this book leads its readers to an understanding of how to succeed and thrive within the three cultures, Mexico, the US, and Canada. Kelm, Hernandez-Pozas and Victor present a set of practical guidelines for communicating professionally with Mexicans, both in Mexico and abroad, providing many photographs as examples. The Seven Keys to Communicating in Mexico follows the model of presenting key cultural concepts used in the earlier books by Kelm and Victor on Brazil and (with Haru Yamada) on Japan. Olivia Hernandez-Pozas, Orlando Kelm, and David Victor, well-respected research professors and seasoned cross-cultural trainers for businesspeople, guide readers through Mexican culture using Victor's LESCANT Model (an acronym representing seven key cross-cultural communication areas: Language, Environment, Social Organization, Contexting, Authority, Nonverbal Behavior, and Time). Each chapter addresses one of these topics and demonstrates how to evaluate the differences among Mexican, US, and Canadian cultures. In the final chapter the authors bring all of these cultural interactions together with a sample case study about business interactions between Mexicans and North Americans. The case study includes additional observations from North American and Mexican business professionals who offer related suggestions and recommendations.