Cultural Lesson # ∞ + 9

Group versus Individual Mentality
The United States is a very individualistic country. According to a study made by Geert Hofstede, Emeritus Professor at Maastricht University of the Netherlands the US has a 91% individualism rating (IDV). During my first term as a missionary I've learned that my ability to work in Paraguay, or for that matter, anywhere in Latin America, will be greatly affected by my ability to work according to a group mentality rather than an individualistic one. Our desire is to one day work in Venezuela, they scored an IDV of 12%.

There are six countries in the Geert Hofstede research that have individualism (IDV) statistics that near that of the US: Australia (90), United Kingdom (89), Netherlands and Canada (80), and Italy (76)

My cultural formation has taught me that "I" am important. That my goals and the achievement of those goals are a priority. In fact, my goals are more important than so-and-so's goals, that is to say I'm not going to, by nature, miss out on achieving my goal for the sake of the other guy. I will encourage those around me to set goals, to achieve their goals, to be an individual and I will help them do so if I see that as a goal of mine. As individuals we've been raised to believe that we have inalienable rights to pursue happiness according to the manner that we determine is good.

Although the above-mentioned is true concerning my cultural coding, I don't buy into it 100%. I have values that guide me and keep me from the egotistical extreme, such as: the Bible, my immediate family and service to others (you can read the side-bar of my blog to understand my values in more detail). However, I do struggle within this culture where the norms are very different. I'm in the process of reprogramming myself.

In the culture of Paraguay the group is more important than the individual. It is more important that we conform to the common goal rather than going out on our own to do something different. In this culture, as in many cultures, the dreams and desires of the individual should be limited when necessary for the common welfare of the group. The benefits for the extended family are more of a priority than even my immediate family.

I've learned here in Paraguay that a family member has a strong sense of loyalty towards their family.
We are a church planting organization. Our goal is to multiply ourselves and plant churches here, there and everywhere. Now imagine that you raise up a leader, he/she receives a seminary education, they are prepared for ministry and you are ready to send them out. Only to find out that it is usually difficult (in some cases impossible) to get the person to move away from their family to the area that is in need of the new church. With coaxing they will probably move out of their comfort zone and do so, but it could cause some major dilemmas for them and their family structure. I think we are beginning to see this already as we attempt to plant churches in the greater Asunción area and we are not even considering the interior as of yet. What is the answer? I believe the team has a lot to mull over in the years to come to answer this question, especially as we look to the interior of the country. I do believe that part of the answer is giftedness. Who among the Paraguayans have the gift of apostleship or that of being a missionary?

I've learned that praise must be directed towards the group rather than the individual as it can cause damage to both the individual and the group.
Cultural snafus have been committed as I've praised the achievements of an individual in a public setting. I've seen what I meant for good turn out ridiculously muddled. The individual receiving the honor often times has struggled with pride and those not receiving have struggled with jealousy (you can read my previous post about Holy Jealousy). As missionaries we must learn the art of embracing the group in order to convey our appreciation, even as we may wish to show our appreciation on an individual basis (This is something I believe is imperative for short term teams to understand).

Promotions should depend on one's time invested and experience rather than one's performance and achievement.
OUCH! At the end of the day, not only do I want/expect the pat on the back for a job well done, I expect payment. As Rod Tidwell taught Jerry Maguire, we all want to see the money. We want promotion based on performance. In order to work in a cross-cultural environment we need to leave some things at the door, as much as it may cause us to be uncomfortable. Therefore, promotion based on seniority is not necessarily wrong while promotion based on performance is not necessarily right. When in Rome folks.... I'm beginning to see how this cultural norm works (they all work, we just need the lenses to see properly). When someone has invested the time, when they have been faithful during good and during hard times and when they've gained the experience necessary, then they will be prepared for the promotion. I have seen how premature promotion can nip me in the butt if I'm not careful.

Decision making is slow and that is OK.
This is difficult for me. According to my DISC personality profile I have a hard time working with slow people (and when I say slow I'm not talking mentally challenged... some people are slower and more careful than I tend to be). We tend to be faster as Americans, because we are a society of initiators and risk-takers. If we want to serve with excellence in Paraguay or in the Latin context we must learn to s-l-o-w i-t d-o-w-n. We need to be vision casters. We need to communicate with as many people as possible prior to making decisions. We need to listen to the group.

Out of all the cultural lessons that I've posted so far (this is #10), I believe this is the most significant. If an American wants to minister or even work professionally in Latin America, this concept must be understood and mastered. I've made my share of mistakes the first term because I did not understand this norm. Hopefully I'll be better equipped for the next cultural context in which we will serve.

Thanks for your prayers and support. We are TEAM!