Italian organizations are hierarchical—there is a clear leader, and people expect the leader to decide. But they also expect to be consulted before that decision is made.
This does not mean taking a vote or running a democratic process. It means talking to people, informally, before you announce a decision. It means understanding where people stand, gathering perspectives, building enough alignment that the decision does not come as a surprise.
If you make a significant decision without this informal consultation process, Italian colleagues will feel bypassed—not because they wanted to overrule you, but because the act of consulting is itself a sign of respect and relational investment. The leader decides, but the path to the decision runs through people, not around them.
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