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Cultural Awareness - Working with French People

ActionCOACH Executive Coaching Program


Management Style
Most senior management in most French companies were educated at the Grandes
Ecoles which are the elite schools of France. These colleges champion an intellectual
rigour in their students, which is rarely matched elsewhere in the world. This
produces a highly educated management population, which approaches leadership
with an unusual degree of academic precision. 'Intellectualism' is something to be
cherished rather than sneered at and a comment once attributed to French
management was that 'this idea seems alright in practice but will it work in theory?'
Thus, management is an intellectual task to be mastered and thought about in terms
of detailed analysis, the complete mastery of complex concepts and information and
the eventual application of rational decisions. More pragmatic issues of buy-in,
motivating staff etc. (in the Anglo-Saxon understanding of these terms) are not as
prominent in French management thinking.
Decisions, once taken at senior levels, will be passed down the chain to lower
management for implementation. This directive approach can be seen, especially by
those from a consensus oriented, non-hierarchical background, as being overly
authoritative and lacking in the necessary team-building elements.
Teamwork:
The education system fosters a sense of rivalry and competition from an early age,
with peers competing to pass entrance examinations to gain entry into the elite
Grandes Ecoles. A sense of team working is not encouraged in this process and does
not therefore come naturally in later working life. People prefer to have definable,
personal sets of objectives rather than to work in more general team roles. Thus
teams are often defined as sets of specialists working on single issues for a strong
leader.
Teams arranged between functional lines for the purpose of promoting one particular
project (as found in the USA) are often difficult to implement, with loyalties being
divided between the project team and the 'home base' of the team member.
20 Cultural Tips
Tip 1
Educational background and intellectual dexterity are important commodities in France.
Tip 2
French government and industry have traditionally had a closer relationship than has been in
evidence in many other industrialised nations and this has resulted in many senior civil servants
taking senior roles in industry.
Tip 3
Long-term planning has been a central tenet of the French approach for many decades and leads
to detailed forward planning by companies.
Tip 4
In keeping with the centralist tendencies apparent in France, most major French companies have
their HQ in Paris - where most major decisions will be made.
Tip 5
The CEO (or PDG) of a French company is usually a highly charismatic leader who guides the
general direction of the company in an authoritative manner.
Tip 6
French companies tend towards rigid hierarchies with clear upward reporting and decision
making lines.
Tip 7
Socialising across hierarchical lines is quite unusual.
Tip 8
Promotion is gained through a combination of seniority, educational achievement and
demonstrated competence.
Tip 9
Management style is often directive with instructions being given to subordinates in information
style meetings.
Tip 10
Little open dissension with the boss will be witnessed in open, formal meetings. Any such
disagreements will be aired in pre-meeting lobbying sessions.
Tip 11
Peer-group competitiveness can make cross functional project teams difficult to manage.
Tip 12
Logic is expected and respected. Any lack of discernible logic could be interpreted as sloppy
thinking or lack of intelligence (or both).

Tip 13
There is less job-hopping than in some other countries. The French have traditionally been one-
company focussed in their professional life.
Tip 14
First names are often used amongst peers (especially amongst the younger generation), although
surnames are often reverted to in more formal situations or when dealing with superiors.
Tip 15
Eloquence is an important attribute and French managers will often try to dominate people
through the force of their rhetoric.
Tip 16
It is important that any written communication is produced in a grammatically correct format.
Tip 17
Humour is based on wit and the intelligent use of satire - neither of which translate very well.
The French are less likely to use humour in very serious situations in business than some other
nationalities.
Tip 18
A strong separation is made between business life and private life and between business time and
family time.
Tip 19
Business lunches can be long and not necessarily for the discussion of business. They are more a
relationship building occasion than a place to discuss the finer points of a contract.
Tip 20
Punctuality is variable - possibly better in Paris than in the provinces.

¿Qué acciones tomarás en tu negocio y en tu vida, en este sentido?


Comentarios e Información: josevillacis@actioncoach.com - www.coachpepevillacis.com - Tele. (442) 140-
1210

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