I’ve been working with Sparckies from Portugal for several years but had never visited them until this summer – and the experience changed my way of thinking.
I’ve always found it difficult to choose the right time for a holiday but this year I got my act together and booked the first week of August in Lisbon.
Little did I know that this trip would end up being about out so much more than rest, relaxation and exploration.
When I landed in Lisbon, I didn’t just feel engulfed by the warmth of the sun but also by the beauty and vibrancy of the city. The energy of the place gave me a deep sense of comfort, joy and freedom.
The people, the culture, the food, the weather, the views, and the sense of community gave me something I’d unknowingly been craving.
With my Sparck wellbeing hat on, I talk a lot about the need to switch off, and to enter a state of flow while at work.
On holiday in Portugal, I made it my goal to switch off, let my mind wander, and imagine possibilities.
Ironically, liberated from work stress, I suddenly found myself having more ideas about how to foster psychological safety at work, and to create that deep sense of connection I believe we need on the team.
Culture add is better than culture fit
You can take the architecture of Lisbon as an example of ‘culture add’.
The distinctive azulejos tiles would not have existed without inspiration from Moroccan design.
Another example might be the Portuguese language. The Portuguese word ‘obrigado’ meaning ‘thank you’ is thought by some to have evolved from the Japanese word ‘arigato’. (Or maybe it’s from the Latin word ‘obligo’… but the other suggestion is more fun!)
Often other languages can help us find words to describe complex ideas. The Portuguese word ‘Saudade’ means the longing, melancholy and nostalgia evoked from experiences by certain experiences. We don’t have a single handy word like that in English, useful as it would be.
Simply through discovering this new word, I was able to conceptualise, understand and better describe my feelings to others.
This checks out: scientists have observed that learning languages can broaden our perception of reality.
Since leaving Lisbon, I’ve been experiencing ‘saudade’ every time I think of it.
Portuguese people on Portuguese culture
It’s a bit weird to have a bloke from Manchester trying to explain Portuguese culture, though, so I thought I’d better talk to some actual Portuguese people.
First, I chatted to Julia Silva, who is actually based in our Leeds office. She underlined the idea that great things happen when cultures collide:
“Where I’m from, Madeira, we have a traditional Christmas cake called ‘Bolo de Mel’ which translates to honey or molasses cake. It’s our version of the English Christmas. For a long time, Madeira was known as a good place to recover from tuberculosis and there a lot of upper-class British people who went there and stayed. That’s how the cake came about. Our version is alcohol free but is not less delicious!”
Joana Coelho is based in Lisbon and, being a product designer, has a keen visual eye:
“Portugal’s unique style is heavily influenced by our sea explorations from the 15th to 17th centuries, known as the Age of Discovery. You’ll notice elements like waves, seashells and ships woven into our architecture, music, literature, and even in the design of the Eurovision logo when we hosted the event in 2018. While we take pride in being pioneers during that time, we’re also fully aware of slavery and colonialism that were part of that era. We acknowledge both the achievements and the mistakes of our past.”
Pedro Miguel, a service designer also in Lisbon, has an almost poetic take:
“Like the oranges or the infusion of tea leaves that travelled continents, culture and history flow through our existence, shaping the essence of who we are. Just as Catherine of Braganza introduced tea to England, our past is a precious blend that enriches our present. In the tapestry of life, Portuguese culture remains a vibrant thread, connecting us to a legacy of exploration, trade, and the captivating stories that define us today.”
Mónica Costa is a foodie and provided some amazing insight into the cultural significance of different dishes:
“For almost five centuries the Moors had a huge influence on Portugal’s architecture, culture, language and cuisine that lasts to this day. This can be seen in dishes like Arroz de Marisco, a fragrant seafood rice dish often infused with Moorish spices like saffron and cumin. There’s also the alheira sausage, with its roots in 15th-century Portugal, which holds a significant connection to Jewish history. Faced with persecution and the need to publicly convert to Christianity, Jewish people ingeniously crafted the alheira to outwardly mimic pork sausages while using kosher ingredients like poultry, garlic, and bread. This clever adaptation enabled them to maintain their dietary laws in secret, showcasing their cultural identity and resourcefulness amid adversity.”
Finally, Mariana Gaspar Ferreira summed it up like this:
“I only realised how much Portugal meant to me after living abroad for a few years. I missed the warm weather and the feeling of my feet on the sand, the buildings and monuments that speak to our history, and our traditional food – the one and only pastel de nata especially! Our culture is what makes this country so unique and special. Our fado music, our wine, and our traditional costumes are part of who we are. I couldn’t be prouder to be Portuguese.”
Open your mind, broaden your perspective
Spending some time immersed in, thinking about, and talking about Portuguese culture totally energised me.
It made me think about the benefits of engaging with other cultures, such as increasing our emotional intelligence and emotional vocabulary.
It can also help us address our subconscious biases, prompting us to look at the world through the eyes of others.
At work, what this means is that you should open your mind to understanding the differing perspectives of your diverse workforce.
A thriving team needs everyone’s input, not just the commanding voice of one individual, or the perspective of a dominant cultural group.
And we know from research that diversity drives innovation so, apart from creating a happy workforce, diversity is especially important in tech and design.
Say hello to Sparck Portugal
I feel grateful to have had chance to hang out with the Sparck crew in Lisbon and to feel that, even just a little bit, I’d really connected with the culture.
If you want to catch similar vibes, connect with some of the Sparckies mentioned above on LinkedIn.
And if you’ve got a design or innovation project underway in Portugal, give us a shout to talk about how Sparck can help.
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