When working with French colleagues, understand that they expect significant decisions to be preceded by deliberation—careful thinking and consideration before deciding. Quick, unconsidered decisions are suspect; serious matters deserve serious reflection.
This means decision-making processes may appear slow, but within French cultural logic, speed is not virtue—decision quality is. Deliberation demonstrates that the decision was taken seriously.
If you push for rapid decisions without adequate consideration, you may create resistance or produce decisions that lack buy-in. Build time for reflection into decision processes; recognize that the investment in deliberation produces better-founded, more defensible, more sustainable decisions. The process of reaching a decision matters, not just the conclusion reached.
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