Luis Gonzáles – Have Some Fun

Bio for Luis Gonzáles 

Luis Gonzáles is a Global Business Communications Consultant, Master Facilitator, Coach, and Trainer with more than 25 years of experience in helping improve business outcomes for organizations. 

Episode highlight

As a Mexican-American, Luis Gonzáles had varied cultural experiences in his personal and professional life. Listen in on how he assimilated his cultural know-how into his work as a cross-cultural communications consultant. 

Links

Email: luis.gonzales@fierceinc.com 

Website: https://speakonpodcasts.com/luis-gonzales/,https://fierceinc.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luisgonzales/

Quotes

“The goal I want - I have to recognize that, and what's the best way in my communication to reach that goal.” 

“The majority of people... are working remotely and now we have more opportunity to connect across borders.”

“Speak up when you see something because the risks might be too great if you don’t.”

Takeaways

Influential Groups 

Luis is a 2nd generation Mexican-American, whose grandparents crossed the US-Mexico border on foot. He was raised with their working-class hard-working ethic.

His parents divorced when he was young, and each remarried an African-American. He also went to a Roman Catholic school. 

Temperament and Personality Influences

Luis says he has always been passionate, energetic and loud, and struggled in school because of his hyperactivity. He now works on his communication style in the business world to make sure his energy doesn’t come off as impatience, and his passion isn’t mistaken as pushy. 

Cultural Epiphanies

Luis grew up in a household where the children would serve themselves and have relatively unsupervised meals. When he was invited to eat at his friend’s house in an English community in Long Beach, he found himself constantly being reprimanded for his table manners. 

Luis admits to being guilty of “code-switching”, speaking with different body language and intonation with Spanish speakers compared to American English speakers. 

Working for close to seven years in India, Luis realized that the top-down hierarchical leadership style did not sit well with him. When Indian expatriates would come to the United States to work, he had to train them on the American style of open and direct communication. 

Advice to an Employer 

Luis cautions people who are serious and business-focused that he prefers to have a little fun when working.

More Great Insights! 

Reach out to Luis on LinkedIn for more such insights. Also, visit Fierce, Inc.’s website for free resources on improving your communication for better results.