Mexico, Leadership, Soft Disagreement

What the Boss Wants to Hear

In September 2021, IDC Online reported the Mexican results of “Los Escuchados y los No Escuchados” (The Heard and the Unheard), a survey in 11 countries by the Workforce Institute of UKG and Workplace Intelligence. “El 56% puntualiza en que es más probable que le diga a su jefe lo que quiere oír” (56 percent say that they are more likely to tell their boss what the boss wants to hear).

“El 31% prefiere no hablar para evitar ‘una política interna tóxica'” (31 percent prefer not to speak, to avoid “toxic internal politics”). At the same time, “el 92% de los mexicanos aseguró sentir que sus jefes escuchan sus inquietudes, pero no accionan” (92 percent of Mexicans said that they feel their bosses listen to their concerns but do not act). The article does not say how many workers were surveyed in Mexico.

Never in Front of Subordinates

Article 35 of Mexico’s General Regulation of Military Duties, published in the Diario Oficial on March 26, 1937, asks a soldier to show “consideración y deferencia a los inferiores” (consideration and deference to subordinates). It adds that he will “nunca hará observaciones, ni correcciones en presencia de inferiores, ni de personas extrañas” (never make remarks or corrections in front of subordinates or of outsiders).

Article 50 defines the reprimand. The superior points out the fault, “invitándolo a corregirse” (inviting him to correct himself). The reprimand is given so that no one of lower rank than the person concerned “se aperciba de ella” (becomes aware of it).

Praise in Public, Scold in Private

In October 2017, the Mexican marketing magazine Merca2.0 published a column by Leoncio Cruz titled “Se felicita en público y se regaña en privado” (Praise in public, scold in private). The column repeats the rule in capital letters: “SE PREMIA EN PÚBLICO Y SE CASTIGA EN PRIVADO” (Reward in public, punish in private).

Ways to Avoid Saying No

Yo te aviso, “I’ll let you know.” Ahorita, a la vuelta, “in a little while, on my way back,” said to a street vendor. Ahí para la otra, “next time, then.” Déjame pensarlo, “let me think about it.” En un ratito, “in a little while.” In 2017, Matador Network in Spanish listed these among nine expressions Mexicans use to avoid saying no.

Obeyed and Not Complied With

Spanish colonial law gave officials a way to stop a royal order for a time. A royal declaration of 1509 says such orders “primero deben ser obedecidas y no cumplidas, y después consultadas” (must first be obeyed and not complied with, and then consulted on). The Recopilación of 1567 uses a similar formula: “que la tal carta sea obedecida y no cumplida.”

Between 1571 and 1574, the authorities of Mexico City, doctors included, applied the formula obedézcase pero no se cumpla, “let it be obeyed but not carried out,” in a dispute over medical practice. A study of the case sums it up: “obedecieron pero no cumplieron” (they obeyed but did not comply).

Saying No Without Saying No

In 2019, BBC Mundo asked Mexican scholars why it is hard for Mexicans to say no. Alí Albarrán of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters at UNAM said: “Decir que no a alguien que te está ofreciendo algo de buena voluntad es considerado una ofensa” (Saying no to someone who offers something in good will is considered an offense). The anthropologist Roger Bartra said that “it is not very polite to say no openly.”

The article describes the common solution: “para no decir no, dicen que sí, pero no ponen un plazo” (to avoid saying no, they say yes, but they set no date).