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How do you get stuff done with people from an unmotivated culture?

SDET

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Indigenous people are great company and are a joy to be around, but it takes the patience of Job to have them get things done. That, of course is offset by the damage done by Anglos fronting, posturing, passive-aggressiveness and sabotaging each other to get ahead of someone else. I currently work with an offshore team in South America and thoroughly enjoy them. However, they won't pass up an opportunity to set things aside and not work on anything. Still, I would rather deal with that than a toxic, backstabbing culture. I hope to specialize in working with South American offshore teams. I look to my own wife as a prime example. It took me five years to teach her to drive and took her eighteen years to learn enough English to pass a citizenship exam. The payoff is that I get to do whatever the hell I want in exchange for enabling her lack of motivation, which is indeed worth it. My entire daily experience is with people of an indigenous background and it's pretty good. I'm just trying to figure out how do get more done when necessary. There is a certain mentality of "don't do anything unless someone tells you to do something".
 
I think this simply comes down to the individuals in question, rather than any real culture they're from.
 
Indigenous people are great company and are a joy to be around, but it takes the patience of Job to have them get things done. That, of course is offset by the damage done by Anglos fronting, posturing, passive-aggressiveness and sabotaging each other to get ahead of someone else. I currently work with an offshore team in South America and thoroughly enjoy them. However, they won't pass up an opportunity to set things aside and not work on anything. Still, I would rather deal with that than a toxic, backstabbing culture. I hope to specialize in working with South American offshore teams. I look to my own wife as a prime example. It took me five years to teach her to drive and took her eighteen years to learn enough English to pass a citizenship exam. The payoff is that I get to do whatever the hell I want in exchange for enabling her lack of motivation, which is indeed worth it. My entire daily experience is with people of an indigenous background and it's pretty good. I'm just trying to figure out how do get more done when necessary. There is a certain mentality of "don't do anything unless someone tells you to do something".

Different priorities in life and culture.

Who says that your way is better? It's demonstrably not healthier.

Unfortunately, intrusions of other cultures and lifestyles clash and then those people may not be able to...or want to...do the same. The conflict is esp. clear when they see the rewards of work work work but dont choose to put in that effort.

But being 'a slave to the man' or the establishment, working 8 hr days (or more), etc...who says that's 'the right way?' It's generated a HUGE amount of consumerism and stress in man western countries.
 
I have lived in several countries, all with different senses of “urgency” when it comes to getting things done or different definitions of “promptly”.

But we Americans are an odd lot as well. We all know that when we are on our death beds we aren’t going to be wishing we worked more. We KNOW that we will be wishing we had spent more time “living in the moment”, enjoying life and spending time with our families. We know that is how we will feel and yet we continue living day to day as though that day will never come. And we get annoyed with people, and cultures, who DO live their lives as though they know that day is coming.
 
Indigenous to where?

From MW dictionary: Definition of indigenous
1 : produced, growing, living, or occurring naturally in a particular region or environment
indigenous plants
the indigenous culture
 
Different priorities in life and culture.

Who says that your way is better? It's demonstrably not healthier.

Unfortunately, intrusions of other cultures and lifestyles clash and then those people may not be able to...or want to...do the same. The conflict is esp. clear when they see the rewards of work work work but dont choose to put in that effort.

But being 'a slave to the man' or the establishment, working 8 hr days (or more), etc...who says that's 'the right way?' It's generated a HUGE amount of consumerism and stress in man western countries.

I didn't say it was better. If anything, it's worse. Nonetheless motivating people is a good skill to have. Actually, I get pissed off at my team lead when he yells at them and threatens to fire some of them.

I am going to pay them a visit this month to see if I can learn anything. One potential blocker I see for them is a fear of being called out if they have too thick of an accent during virtual meetings. I told the offshore team that I'm in a position to stick up for them because in the USA, the laws allow you to use the "carrot and stick" to make lawsuit stew.

They had never heard that expression before. I told them it means give a reward (carrot) for behavior they like and hit with a stick for unwanted behavior. From a supervisor, it means to treat employees like a mule.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carrot-and-stick#h1

History and Etymology for carrot-and-stick
from the traditional alternatives of driving a donkey on by either holding out a carrot or whipping it with a stick
 
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I didn't say it was better. If anything, it's worse. Nonetheless motivating people is a good skill to have. Actually, I get pissed off at my team lead when he yells at them and threatens to fire some of them.

I am going to pay them a visit this month to see if I can learn anything. One potential blocker I see for them is a fear of being called out if they have too thick of an accent during virtual meetings. I told the offshore team that I'm in a position to stick up for them because in the USA, the laws allow you to use the "carrot and stick" to make lawsuit stew.

They had never heard that expression before. I told them it means give a reward (carrot) for behavior they like and hit with a stick for unwanted behavior. From a supervisor, it means to treat employees like a mule.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carrot-and-stick#h1

I am not sure if you are talking about the indigenous people like Indians or just people from that area, but I was just having this discussion with a friend two days ago.

I want to open up a shop to restore cars in where I am in Mexico and I was told that the hardest part will be finding workers that will give a **** about the work and not steal you blind.

It is odd that in Mexico it is understood that the Mexican worker is ****, but once he crosses that border he is the best worker in the world.

Something is off about that.
 
Indigenous people are great company and are a joy to be around, but it takes the patience of Job to have them get things done. That, of course is offset by the damage done by Anglos fronting, posturing, passive-aggressiveness and sabotaging each other to get ahead of someone else. I currently work with an offshore team in South America and thoroughly enjoy them. However, they won't pass up an opportunity to set things aside and not work on anything. Still, I would rather deal with that than a toxic, backstabbing culture. I hope to specialize in working with South American offshore teams. I look to my own wife as a prime example. It took me five years to teach her to drive and took her eighteen years to learn enough English to pass a citizenship exam. The payoff is that I get to do whatever the hell I want in exchange for enabling her lack of motivation, which is indeed worth it. My entire daily experience is with people of an indigenous background and it's pretty good. I'm just trying to figure out how do get more done when necessary. There is a certain mentality of "don't do anything unless someone tells you to do something".
I’m sorry you feel that way. Some of us gave up the bottle quite awhile ago, but the stigma of a savage scalping people
is hard to expunge from society.
 
As we all know, China has sent thousands of managers and workers to a certain large continent to build infrastructure.


From what I have read, there has been some friction between the Chinese teams and the people who live in those countries. Apparently, the two groups have a different idea when it comes to the work ethic.


Re: the thread question, I guess that there is only one choice: Do the best that you can in gently encouraging them to work, or simply leave. As other posters have said, let's not judge them.
 
I didn't say it was better. If anything, it's worse. Nonetheless motivating people is a good skill to have. Actually, I get pissed off at my team lead when he yells at them and threatens to fire some of them.

I am going to pay them a visit this month to see if I can learn anything. One potential blocker I see for them is a fear of being called out if they have too thick of an accent during virtual meetings. I told the offshore team that I'm in a position to stick up for them because in the USA, the laws allow you to use the "carrot and stick" to make lawsuit stew.

They had never heard that expression before. I told them it means give a reward (carrot) for behavior they like and hit with a stick for unwanted behavior. From a supervisor, it means to treat employees like a mule.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carrot-and-stick#h1

M'ok but you were complaining. And you usually claim to know 'this culture' and praise it. Everything has a downside.
 
People that come from a culture with a bad work ethic should be fired and potentially deported we don't need people like that here north of the Border
 
I’m sorry you feel that way. Some of us gave up the bottle quite awhile ago, but the stigma of a savage scalping people
is hard to expunge from society.

Tom Horn:

I hope you know that scalping was a European tradition learned by American First Nations the hard way. Europeans also cut off hands, ears, and other body parts to be redeemed for bounties. So the first savage scalping people in America were likely European explorers and adventurers going all the way back to the Vikings described in Thorvald Karlsefni's saga (IIRC) c.1020 AD and quite possibly before that.

Cheers.
Evilroddy.
 
If you want workers to work hard and to show more initiative or ownership for their labours then reward them better and do so in such a way that greater productivity rewards them rather than down sizes them or forces them to work even harder for the same pay. Wind up wages rather than allowing them to spiral to the bottom and build in a profit sharing component and you should see marked increases in productivity ceteris paribus.

Cheers.
Evilroddy.
 
Indigenous people are great company and are a joy to be around, but it takes the patience of Job to have them get things done. That, of course is offset by the damage done by Anglos fronting, posturing, passive-aggressiveness and sabotaging each other to get ahead of someone else. I currently work with an offshore team in South America and thoroughly enjoy them. However, they won't pass up an opportunity to set things aside and not work on anything. Still, I would rather deal with that than a toxic, backstabbing culture. I hope to specialize in working with South American offshore teams. I look to my own wife as a prime example. It took me five years to teach her to drive and took her eighteen years to learn enough English to pass a citizenship exam. The payoff is that I get to do whatever the hell I want in exchange for enabling her lack of motivation, which is indeed worth it. My entire daily experience is with people of an indigenous background and it's pretty good. I'm just trying to figure out how do get more done when necessary. There is a certain mentality of "don't do anything unless someone tells you to do something".

Oh, my ****ing G^d, man! I'm going to hold up this doll. We want you to point to us on the doll and and tell us where the bad man touched you!
 
Different priorities in life and culture.

Who says that your way is better? It's demonstrably not healthier.

Unfortunately, intrusions of other cultures and lifestyles clash and then those people may not be able to...or want to...do the same. The conflict is esp. clear when they see the rewards of work work work but dont choose to put in that effort.

But being 'a slave to the man' or the establishment, working 8 hr days (or more), etc...who says that's 'the right way?' It's generated a HUGE amount of consumerism and stress in man western countries.

<Lurch rubs his chin in deep thought> "being a slave to the man". <sigh>

Boy does the above ever have a nice ring to it :)
 
I didn't say it was better. If anything, it's worse. Nonetheless motivating people is a good skill to have. Actually, I get pissed off at my team lead when he yells at them and threatens to fire some of them.

I am going to pay them a visit this month to see if I can learn anything. One potential blocker I see for them is a fear of being called out if they have too thick of an accent during virtual meetings. I told the offshore team that I'm in a position to stick up for them because in the USA, the laws allow you to use the "carrot and stick" to make lawsuit stew.

They had never heard that expression before. I told them it means give a reward (carrot) for behavior they like and hit with a stick for unwanted behavior. From a supervisor, it means to treat employees like a mule.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carrot-and-stick#h1

Thanks for man-splaining the carrot and stick thing to us, oh great pedagogue!
 
People that come from a culture with a bad work ethic should be fired and potentially deported we don't need people like that here north of the Border

Problems with penguins?
 
Tom Horn:

I hope you know that scalping was a European tradition learned by American First Nations the hard way. Europeans also cut off hands, ears, and other body parts to be redeemed for bounties. So the first savage scalping people in America were likely European explorers and adventurers going all the way back to the Vikings described in Thorvald Karlsefni's saga (IIRC) c.1020 AD and quite possibly before that.

Cheers.
Evilroddy.
i know all about scalping, and the history of. It transcends from the cutting off of heads. Some did the scalp thingy, while others did ears. Easier to transport. I believe scalping became prominate because one did not have to kill the victim while skinning their head. While taking both ears was usually lethal in itself.
 
<Lurch rubs his chin in deep thought> "being a slave to the man". <sigh>

Boy does the above ever have a nice ring to it :)

Heh, speaking of, how did your '2 dates' go?
 
It is odd that in Mexico it is understood that the Mexican worker is ****, but once he crosses that border he is the best worker in the world.

Something is off about that.

It's not that odd. This is why Asian kids seem to perform better than American kids in American schools and why Indians often end up as doctors in America. It isn't a coincidence and has nothing to do with race. The average person from a foreign country who also happens to have the means and the drive to come all the way to America seeking a better life is generally an above average example of their culture.
 
It's not that odd. This is why Asian kids seem to perform better than American kids in American schools and why Indians often end up as doctors in America. It isn't a coincidence and has nothing to do with race. The average person from a foreign country who also happens to have the means and the drive to come all the way to America seeking a better life is generally an above average example of their culture.

You misunderstood what I posted.

The same people that are bad employees in Mexico go to the US and are magically thought of as the best workers of all time.

You can explain why. I am at a loss.
 
You misunderstood what I posted.

The same people that are bad employees in Mexico go to the US and are magically thought of as the best workers of all time.

You can explain why. I am at a loss.

Where did this information come from?
 
Where did this information come from?

This information comes from anybody that has ever had a business in Mexico.

I will give you an example that was told to me.

This man has a business. It doesn't matter what kind of business it is.

Three employees had stolen 5 million pesos worth of merchandise over a two year period.

The owner asked them why that happened when he paid them well and her treated them right.

One of them said his mother was sick so he had to get more money.

The owner, of course, told them they were fired.

The man with the sick mother told the owner that if he was fired he wouldn't have the money to take care of his mother and if she died, it would be the owners fault and if she did die, that man would come back and kill this owner.

The owner said he wasn't responsible for the mans mother and that he wasn't afraid of the man, but he decided to keep the man but to keep a close watch on him so he didn't steal any more.

My response would have been very different as a bad employee can never be a good employee.

This is a common story with Mexican employees.

The saying "Los que no tranzan no avanza" is common among employees here. That means that somebody who does steal and scam, doesn't get anywhere.
 
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