Courtney said one of her family mottos was, “Work with what you have.” I love it. What I love most about it is what she coupled that motto with at the end of her talk. When she was explaining what we should be paying attention to while traveling in Chile, she said that we should pay attention to the culture. We should pay attention to how people make decisions, how they think, how they approach problems. When we understand more about the culture and where people are coming from, we can better determine how to lead effectively in their work culture. Courtney explained how the culture can play a role in everything from how contracts work to how meetings are run. In order to work with what you have, you need to know what you have.
“Work with what you have,” and know what you have. This seems like a simple concept that would play a role in any context, but I think it is especially salient when operating in a culture different from your own. Courtney was able to leverage the fact that she had a foot in both the Chilean and Californian wine worlds to learn the keys to success and continue to strengthen her business model. She was very knowledgeable about both wine worlds, and the context they operated in. I was impressed with her clarity around what has and hasn’t worked at the vineyard. It was a great introduction to the business environment in Chile and I look forward to hearing more and then seeing it all in action myself!
“Work with what you have,” and know what you have. This seems like a simple concept that would play a role in any context, but I think it is especially salient when operating in a culture different from your own. Courtney was able to leverage the fact that she had a foot in both the Chilean and Californian wine worlds to learn the keys to success and continue to strengthen her business model. She was very knowledgeable about both wine worlds, and the context they operated in. I was impressed with her clarity around what has and hasn’t worked at the vineyard. It was a great introduction to the business environment in Chile and I look forward to hearing more and then seeing it all in action myself!