by Dean Foster

The real, pronounced “hay-ow” in Portuguese, is the name of the Brazilian currency you’ll hopefully earn more of once you master some of the following tips on working with your Paulistano colleagues.

The high-powered business lunch or dinner you expected might turn out to be a group gathering for several hours at a churrascaria, a uniquely Brazilian restaurant where different cuts of meat just keep on coming. (As long as you keep the little green flag “up” at your seat. Fly your red flag when you’ve had enough). Waiters save the best cuts for last, so go slowly at the beginning, no matter how hungry you are. Then wash down the feast with some chope (draft Brazilian beer) or a caipirinha (the national drink of Brazil, made from cachaça—a sugarcane liquor—fruit and ice).

Brazilian bureaucracy is legendary, and it does slow things down: Despechantes (individuals legally empowered to move things along, for a fee) are essential when working in Brazil, especially after you return home and need to make sure a project is continuing to progress. Expect to work with a despechante, and ask your contacts for recommendations at the start of your stay in the country. Once you’re back home, stay in touch with your Brazilian colleagues often.

No big fans of conflict, Brazilians will often resist informing you of difficulties or problems, and will assure you of their progress whether or not things are going smoothly. When you meet with them in São Paulo, in addition to negotiating the deal, make a special effort to build a close working relationship with a key individual who will tell you what’s really going on all the time, especially after your visit is over. ______________________________________________________

DEAN FOSTER is principal of Dean Foster Associates (learnaboutcultures.com) and an expert in intercultural management for global business.