The CEO’s question was a non sequitur.
We’d been talking about the absurdity of competitive girls softball in Texas. Then he took a sip of his gin and tonic, scanned the steakhouse, and said:
“If qualified Hispanic labor is our biggest constraint to growth right now, what do I need to know about becoming the preferred employer?”
“Oh, okay. Done with softball,” I said. “Two things: The language barrier and a lack of cultural awareness.”
“That’s why we’re investing in Construction Spanish, right?”
“Yes. But organizations don’t improve faster than their leaders.”
“What does that mean?”
“You’ve treated this like a they problem. It’s also a you problem.”
“So I need to learn Spanish now?”
“Wouldn’t hurt. But no. When things break on-site—injury, rework, whatever—everyone blames language. Language is secondary. The primary issue is cultural intelligence.”
He sighed. “So what do I need to know?”
“I can send you my book.”
“How long?”
“A mere 275 pages.”
“Nope. How about five minutes?”
I said I’d try.
This is me trying: An executive’s guide to cultural intelligence—in under five minutes.
If Hispanic labor is your biggest constraint, you can’t delegate this.
No, you don’t need to learn Construction Spanish. But you do need enough cultural awareness to ask better questions.
In Good to Excelente, I outline eight cultural dimensions. These are the first four—the ones that show up every day on the job.
Why these?
Because misunderstandings around trust, motivation, authority, and persuasion drive rework, safety risk, and delays.
1. Trust: Task vs. Relationship
Low trust slows everything—communication, problem-solving, execution.
In the U.S., trust is task-based: Do good work, earn trust.
In many Hispanic cultures, trust is relationship-based: Who you are comes before what you do.
If you’re all business, all the time, you’re limiting your influence and effectiveness.
Taking time to know your people—their goals, their families, their hometown—isn’t wasted time. It’s how trust gets built.
And when trust is high, everything moves faster.
2. Individualism vs. Collectivism
Americans default to the individual: Speak up, stand out, take ownership.
Many Hispanic cultures default to the group. On the job site, decisions and accountability often flow through the team.
Workers are watching each other.
Respecting hidden hierarchies.
Deferring to the group.
Calling someone out—positive or negative—in front of peers creates discomfort.
Criticism makes someone lose face.
Praise isolates them from the group.
Leaders who shift from coaching individuals to coaching crews get better results.
Recognize teams.
Train in groups.
Deliver feedback in a way that preserves respect.
Influence the group, and you influence the outcome.
| 3. Power Distance Power Distance is how a culture views authority. In the U.S., we question it. Just scroll Instagram for thirty seconds. In Hispanic cultures, authority is respected—and rarely challenged. That head nod on the job site? It often means: I respect your authority. It does not mean: I understand you. That gap is where mistakes happen. If you want clarity, confirm it. Ask workers to repeat instructions—not as a test, but as a tool. Create channels for feedback that don’t require public confrontation. Respect for authority is high. Shared understanding still has to be built. 4. Persuasion Early in my career, I was delivering a project update when the president interrupted me: “Don’t tell me about the birthing pains, Hartmann. Just show me the baby.” That’s the American style: Cut to the chase. Lead with the conclusion. But that’s not universal. Many Hispanic cultures prefer context first—principles, then conclusion. Start at the beginning and end at the end. The mistake leaders make is overcorrecting, thinking they need long, drawn-out explanations. They don’t. Simple stories work. But they still need a beginning, middle, and end. Awareness > Ignorance “Some of my people will push back on this,” the CEO said. “You ever hear this?” I asked. “If you don’t like change, you’ll like irrelevance even less.” Every leader has to decide how hard to push for change, for better, more thoughtful leadership. But the best leaders don’t lead the way they prefer to be led. They lead the way their people respond. If something isn’t working on your job site, don’t just push harder. Look closer. What looks like defiance, laziness, or lack of skill—might be culture. When you understand that, you don’t just manage differently. You lead differently. And yes, I told the CEO—this affects your stock price too. Thanks for reading. We’ll see you back here in two weeks. |
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