When Italians plan, they plan together — through conversation, discussion, and negotiation among the people involved. A plan is not something one person designs alone and then hands to others for execution. It is something that takes shape through dialogue.
This means that planning meetings may feel like extended conversations rather than structured decision sessions, and that is intentional. The conversation is the planning. Through it, everyone develops shared understanding, surfaces concerns, and builds the commitment needed to carry the plan forward.
If you are working with Italian colleagues, expect planning to involve more discussion than you might anticipate, and understand that this discussion is doing essential work. The people in the room need to talk through the plan together — that is how it becomes real and how it earns their genuine commitment.
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