"New skills for new jobs" is the new EU strategy that concerns also the ability to solve problems, learning from different disciplines and multicultural experiences,to work and take decisions in a global context. In this sense,VET actors and trainers need to improve their training offer and methodologies in order to boost this kind of skills and aptitudes.This project, through the transfer of an innovative methodology based on the use of “analogies” and cross-cultural cues for the management education,answered to this increasing need for skilled resources for managers and entrepreneurs.A particular attention was paid to the specific sector of small family-based enterprises,whose business approach is often far from the consideration of that set of multidisciplinary hints and suggestions which are of the out-most importance in a context dominated by globalisation and intercultural dynamics. Multicultural training is intended to be an effective instrument to help SMEs entrepreneurs and managers to acquire an intercultural vision based on a cross-functional set of information, histories and best practices which are often very far from their way-of-thinking.In so doing,entrepreneurs were supported to look behind the specific scenario in which their activities take place, learned how to reason and act in global and intercultural terms.The analogical training addresses SMEs' needs to:-increase their capabilities to act in a global context -increase their aptitude to analyze problems in a strategic way,combining different cultural approaches-increase their problem solving skills,with a particular emphasis on the management of multiculturality and internationalization processes-support companies family-owners aptitude for a new concept of leadership,based on a multicultural,competitive and business-oriented approach-spread of a cross-functional approach,able to support SMEs' evolution from a traditional functional structure to a new inter-functional oneLEAN project aimed to transfer innovative didactical methodologies for problem solving and decision making training. To be trained on topics that apparently are not relevant with specific working problems means to learn a new thinking methodology that can be very useful in a business world marked by rapid changes.The Consortium was composed of 4 internationally recognized institutions, active in the management education and enterprises support and of a local NCCI.