Italians treat shared meals, celebrations, and social time not as distractions from work but as essential components of productive collaboration. The lunch together, the coffee break, the celebration of milestones—these are investments in the relational infrastructure that drives motivation. Skipping social time, eating at your desk, or treating meals as mere fuel breaks sends an unintended signal of disengagement.
When working with Italian counterparts, participate in shared social rituals. Accept invitations to meals and breaks. Invest time in the social dimensions of collaboration.
These experiences build the trust, warmth, and personal connection that Italians need to bring their best effort to shared work. The time spent in convivial settings is not time lost from productivity—it is time invested in the relationships that make productivity possible.
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