Starting as a manager of a Spanish team

Terms used

• Tú — Tú is the informal way to say "you" in Spanish, used with colleagues and friends.
• Usted — Usted is the formal way to say "you" in Spanish, used for respect or distance.
• Menú del día — The menú del día is a fixed-price weekday lunch at a restaurant, often shared with colleagues.
• Cañas — Cañas are small glasses of draught beer, the usual drink at casual after-work gatherings.

Key rules

• Relationships first: Personal contact and approachability build trust before your formal credentials do.
• Pace of change: Spend your first one to three months listening, and change nothing big until you understand why things work as they do.
• Formality: Follow the other person's lead on tú or usted, and propose tú if the setting allows.
• After-work drinks: Coffee and team lunches matter more than after-work drinks, which are optional.

Trust starts with people, not process

In Spain, trust comes mainly from personal contact. Relationships come first, and trust in your work follows. Warmth and approachability in the first weeks count for more than your CV.

Learn each person's name, role and background. Make time for informal conversation and show real interest in them as people. Then back it up: know your subject, admit what you don't know, keep your promises and treat everyone the same way. Never criticise anyone in public.

Listen before you change anything

Changes made before you have built relationships and understood why things work as they do tend to backfire. Plan to spend your first one to three months listening and learning.

When you do change something, consult the team first and explain your reasons. Phase changes in, and say out loud what already works well.

Some changes cannot simply be imposed. Changes to hours, pay, work location or shifts must follow a legal procedure. Where the company has worker representatives, you must consult them. Check with HR before you promise anything in these areas. Collective agreements can make the rules stricter.

Hold early one-to-ones

Individual meetings with each report in your first weeks are usual and welcome. They show interest and let you listen. Keep them conversational: ask about the person's role, history, concerns and ideas. A formal review is the wrong tone. Skipping them can look like distance or lack of interest.

Regular weekly one-to-ones are less standard than in Anglo-American firms. They are common in multinationals and larger companies, so follow what your company does. Public administration is more formal and hierarchical than the private sector.

Choose your level of formality

In most workplaces, colleagues and managers use tú and first names, even with senior managers. This is most true in private companies, start-ups, tech and among younger staff.

Usted is used mainly with clients, older or very senior people, and in formal first contacts. It is also more common in public administration, law, banking and traditional firms. Latin American-owned firms may differ.

Follow the other person's lead. As manager, you can usually propose tú yourself by saying so plainly.

Be present in team routines

Shared routines are where relationships form. Join the mid-morning coffee break (café), often around 10:30 to 11:30. Join team lunches, such as the menú del día, and birthday, farewell and Christmas celebrations. As a manager you are expected to join some of these, because it signals that you are approachable.

After-work drinks (cañas) are optional. No one is penalised for declining now and then, but a short appearance is appreciated. Lunch breaks in many offices are shorter than the stereotype suggests, so don't assume long lunches.

The timeline and the 30-day checklist below put these steps in order, and the questions below cover the common doubts.

Timeline and deadlines

• Listen and learn: meet people, understand why current practices exist, change nothing big: during the first one to three months

• Consult the team and explain your reasons before introducing any change: after the first one to three months of listening

• Phase changes in gradually and recognise what already works: once the team has been consulted

• For changes to hours, pay, location or shifts, follow the legal procedure and consult worker representatives where they exist: before the change takes effect

First 30 days as manager of a Spanish team

• Hold an informal one-to-one with each report in week 1, ideally over coffee or lunch.

• Ask each person about their role, background, concerns and ideas, and share a little about yourself.

• Learn every report's name, role and history before you suggest any change.

• Meet your own manager and key peers in week 1.

• Meet stakeholders and other departments in weeks 2 and 3, and ask how things really work.

• Run a first team meeting in weeks 2 and 3 where you explain your style and expectations without announcing big changes.

• Share what you have heard with the team in weeks 3 and 4.

• Agree a few small, visible priorities in weeks 3 and 4.

• Check those priorities with informal leaders in the team before you confirm them.

• Put off major structural or personnel decisions until trust is built.

• Plan meetings around the Spanish rhythm of later lunches and working days, and meet in person where you can.

• Keep your promises, treat everyone consistently and never criticise anyone in public.

Frequently asked questions

Should I use tú or usted with my Spanish team?

Use tú and first names in most workplaces, but follow the other person's lead. Usted is more common with clients, very senior or older people, and in public administration, law or banking. As the manager, you can simply propose tú yourself.

Do I have to join after-work drinks as a new manager?

No, after-work drinks (cañas) are optional, and nobody is penalised for declining now and then. A short appearance is appreciated. Coffee breaks, team lunches and celebrations matter more, so try to join those.

How long should I wait before changing how the team works?

Wait about one to three months before changing how the team works, spending that time listening and learning. Then consult the team, explain your reasons and phase changes in. Changes to hours, pay, location or shifts also need a legal procedure and consultation with worker representatives where they exist.

Are regular weekly one-to-ones normal in Spain?

Weekly structured one-to-ones are less standard than in Anglo-American firms, but they are common in multinationals and larger companies. Public administration is more formal and hierarchical. In smaller firms, keep the conversation relaxed and ask about the person's role and ideas.