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José Caraball
Getting Things Done and Culture
Q&A by Jose Caraball
1. a) In your opinion, what elements of David Allen's work is more "American" than "universal"? In other words, what part of his work could in theory be completely rejected or misunderstood by a different culture?
In Latin America people like to have fun, and hard work is exactly that- hard work. There is resistance to work, so when you present efficiency to people many times they misunderstand it as "more work" rather than what it is: smarter work that produces better results with less effort. When people get that, they love it. Some people believe being organized is a limitation of freedom, or that some degree of chaos equates with freedom. The book in Spanish is called Organize Yourself with Efficiency. So GTD is often thought of as organization work, which ignores all of the thinking and focusing part of it.
b) In your opinion, what makes these elements American?
American culture, as seen from here, is materialistic. There is a lot of focus on success, material stuff and having. Here, even though people love material stuff, they pretend to be more focused on philosophical, spiritual or intellectual issues. People in Latin America take advantage of having busy lives- they show up late and have plenty of excuses. Getting organized (which people often perceive as being the goal of this work) is more demanding and people don’t like that. Being too-organized or uptight is seen as “Anglo-Saxon” in general, not just American.
2. What were some of the changes (if any) that you had to make to adapt DA's material to your country's market/culture?
What I present is basically the same as what David Allen presents. I just use local examples that people can related to. From my point of view, this material is universal.
What I recommend is that people implement the system as soon as they can because if they don't, things will stay the same. Sometimes people blame the training as "not valuable" because doing so is easier than implementing it. Many countries in South America have a "reasons" culture instead of a "results" one. Lately what I do with companies is I deliver a training one day and the next day we go back to their workplace and do the implementation. This is working very well and clients tend to perceive a bigger return on their investment.
3. What were some of the problems that you encountered in bringing DA's material to your country?
I haven’t found any problems with the material itself. But if I had to come up with something that can be challenging, it would be trying to sell people on the value of being more efficient. Many people don't really need it- they don't have that much stuff on their plates. Alternatively, many people want the prize without running the race.
I have also found that people want software. They want an implementation tool. They want boxes to put their stuff in or some lines where they can fill in the blanks. People (and I'm not sure if this part of our culture or if it is universal) don't want to think, make the decisions.
Another issue is pricing. People here are accustomed to hiring people for very little money. Even professional doctors charge $30 for a visit. So charging $5,000 for a one-day training is like selling good French wine… it's not for everybody, but those who can pay for it, really enjoy it. The culture here is to pay a lot for things (TV sets, cars, computers, etc.) but to pay very little for work hours or intellectual work (software and music piracy here is extremely common).
4. What were some of the successes (anticipated or unanticipated) that you encountered in bringing DA's material to your country?
When people get it, they love it and become ambassadors of the product. Many of our "followers" have made changes that have improved their quality of life in a big way. A lawyer friend of mine changed the focus of his practice. He started delegating in a more effective way and he's now making more money and going home earlier. Most of my new clients come from referrals.
5. Do you have any advice to give to someone who is going to negotiate a sale with a client from a different culture than their own? (Either a sale of DA's services or a sale of any product in general.)
I would listen to them; try to understand their needs and the see if your product can help them. If they're looking for something you can not deliver, say thanks and leave. But, in the majority of the cases they are looking for what you can offer, the important thing here is to use their own words. For example, I'm negotiating with a bank right now where they believe they are already extremely efficient (they are getting excellent results, but the human price they are paying is very high). So efficiency is something I can not sell them, but they are in a process of transition, so I am presenting GTD to them as a way to support people and take advantage of these changes with elegance and with less stress. They like that.
6. Do you have any comments in general on “Getting Things Done” and its appeal/marketability in other countries aside from the US?
I would not necessarily associate GTD with American culture. I would present it as "the best universal practices,” meaning that this methodology is a good product anywhere. I enjoy looking for peoples’ needs to see how this work can be adjusted for them. I have talked with people that just want to be more productive and have better results in a very competitive market. We can help them make faster decisions, use better tracking systems for their personal stuff, be more responsive to their reports, clients, boss, etc. They want to be the best, and we can help. Other clients are just interested in surviving under the pressure they feel. For these clients we are a lifesaver. We can show them how they can get things off their minds, manage one action at a time and take the most appropriate action at that moment. They can achieve more and be able to enjoy life when they get home. For people that want to be more productive, responsible, and better leaders, we help them keep their eye on the ball while they manage the details. These tools can really assist people in having a better life and in contributing to your life and those of others in a very elegant way.
About Jose: I'm Chilean but I do most of my work in Brazil. I also deliver in Venezuela, Mexico, Honduras, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and last but not least, Chile. I have my family in Chile (Lovely wife and two fantastic kids) a mortgage and a car. Enough reasons to come back after each training.
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