Mar 30

Top Tips for Doing Business in the USA

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources No Comments »

It has been said that Britain and the USA are two countries separated by the same language. Many assume that Brits and Americans are similar due to their colonial ties and special relationship but actually they are often more than just an ocean apart. Since independence in 1776, the United States has developed its own identity and ways of doing things. Compared to the Brits, Americans’ communication style and attitudes are more direct and open and this affects doing business in the USA.

Statue of Liberty 3 Nikada i Top Tips for Doing Business in the USA

© istockphoto.com/ Nikada

Americans tend to be very easy to deal with due to their open nature. They have a very strong work ethic and are not afraid of taking risks to succeed. Success is often measured in terms of profit, so when conducting business, they will tend to prioritise tasks over relationships. Just as former US President Calvin Coolidge once stated, “The business of America is business.”

As the world’s largest economy, America’s influence on business culture around the world is unmistakable. There are boundless opportunities for others to achieve their very own ‘American dream’. An understanding of this young diverse culture as well as knowledge of American business etiquette is essential for anyone doing business in the United States.

The following tips will help you to maximise any opportunities of doing business in the United States.

  • Be punctual. Arriving late to appointments can be considered disrespectful.
  • Meet deadlines. In the United States ‘time is money’ and Americans place great emphasis on getting the best results in the shortest period of time possible.
  • Be polite. Politeness is highly valued in the United States and Americans will expect you to match their level of politeness.
  • Participate in small talk. Americans like to create a comfortable environment before doing business by chatting for a couple of minutes.
  • Always remember to shake hands when greeting American counterparts. It is customary to begin and end business meetings or negotiations with a brief but firm handshake.
  • Americans are known for their openness and are often not afraid to share details of their personal life with you. Following up about an event they went to or a family member they told you about is appreciated and will help you build a stronger relationship with them.
  • Remember to minimise physical contact. Americans respect other people’s space and privacy and are very protective of their own ‘personal bubble’.
  • If you are working on a long-term project in the US, don’t be surprised if a colleague or counterpart invites you to their home for a meal or BBQ.
  • Address colleagues with their appropriate title at first, but don’t be surprised if you are invited to call someone by their first name soon after meeting. Colleagues will almost always refer to each other by their first name.
  • Don’t be offended if your American colleague seems frank. Americans like to get down to business and don’t like to ‘beat around the bush’ when it comes to negotiating. They are often blunt which can be perceived as rudeness by certain cultures.

Considering and respecting the top tips for doing business in the US above is the first step towards building effective relationships with your American counterparts. Participating in a cross cultural awareness training course such as Doing Business in the United States will give you a deeper insight into the cultural differences you may find in the US and it will improve your ability to anticipate and manage them effectively.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

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Jan 26

‘Crazy Americans or Lazy Europeans?’ – Interpreting Different Perspectives When Working Effectively across Cultures

Cross Cultural Training, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources No Comments »

“Are Europeans lazy? Or Americans crazy?” This is the rather provocative title of a conference about the perception of work on both continents organised in 2006 by Stephen Nickell, a British economist working for the Bank of England. Behind this question lies the ever lasting conflict between two opposite visions of life: do we work to live or do we live to work? The answer to that question is likely to depend on your cultural background, the country you live in and how this impacts working effectively across cultures.

Business People walking urbancow i ‘Crazy Americans or Lazy Europeans?’ – Interpreting Different Perspectives When Working Effectively across Cultures

© istockphoto.com/ Urban Cow

The way Europeans and Americans work can, of course, be explained by economical, historical or sociological traits like unemployment rates, the number of hours worked each week, worker productivity levels and the social system. But these differences also come from fundamental cultural differences that exist between the two continents. The importance of family, free time, personal development or even religion within a specific culture can influence the working practices of a country. These differences can get in the way of working effectively across cultures and they can harm the performance of multicultural teams.

Let’s look a few examples of differences in working practices and attitudes you may find when working across cultures. Many employees in Norway and Sweden have adjusted their working hours in order to spend more time with their families as this is what is important to them in life. In France, people work 35 hours per week and they take more annual leave which gives them more spare time to spend with family and friends. In Spain there are many religious celebrations that are taken as official public holidays which allow people to share the occasion with family and close relations.

Some people in the US who tend to believe that ‘time is money’ may look at these countries and feel that ‘Europeans are lazy’ due to their shorter working hours and longer holidays. This perception can be linked to the highly competitive and business oriented approach to work common in the US. On the other hand the incredibly strong work ethics and the common practice of working long hours and taking a few days off work each year can result in some Europeans thinking ‘Americans are crazy’ for not spending more time with family and friends.

Working effectively across cultures requires an understanding that every culture has its own unique approach to work ethics and time management which can have a significant impact on how working preferences are perceived and managed. An achievement and result oriented country like the US, for example, will strongly encourage workers to do their best individually every day to fulfil their goals in the most efficient and profitable way no matter how long it takes. A relationship oriented culture like Spain will encourage people to work together toward success but they be less likely to expect this to be achieved through overtime or shorter holidays.

Despite many references to Europe as a whole, there isn’t any cultural uniformity between European countries. France is completely different from the Netherlands and you cannot compare the UK to Italy as each country has its own set of core cultural values. Each European country differs greatly from the US in its own way, and the existence of false assumptions based on preconceived ideas like ‘all Europeans are lazy’ can create obstacles for an American manager or employee coming to Europe for an international assignment.

These obstacles can cause frustration and misunderstandings, preventing them from working effectively across cultures. Following a cross cultural awareness training programme such as Doing Business in the US or Working Effectively across Cultures can help multicultural teams or organisations to cope with the challenges and create their own strategies. By avoiding quick judgments and false assumptions about how lazy or crazy your counterparts are around the world, you will be able to create good relationships, harness everyone’s strengths and work more effectively across cultures.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

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Oct 26

The Ryder Cup – When Culture Meets Sport

Cross Cultural Training, Culture 1 Comment »

The recent 2010 Ryder Cup, arguably the most exiting golf event of the season, proved to be a success with millions of golf fans around the world. The competition, which takes place every two years,  brings together the best players from the US and Europe.

Golf Dan Bachman i The Ryder Cup – When Culture Meets Sport

© istockphoto.com/ Dan Bachman

The origins of the Ryder Cup remain a mystery. Most believe it stems from American journalist James Harnett who had the idea to have a US/UK golf tournament in 1920. A lack of sponsors forced him to abandon his idea however until Samuel Ryder decided in 1926 to officially create a tournament and provided the cup that now bears his name.

From 1927 to 1977, the tournament only included teams from the US and the UK. For 50 years the US domination was overwhelming as they managed to win 19 out of 22 tournaments. In 1979 other European countries were able to enter the competition, transforming the British team into the European team. This modification had a major impact on the success of the European team which has subsequently won nine out of the sixteen Ryder Cups played since .

The Ryder Cup is a fantastic occasion for Europeans and Americans to compete. While playing styles and techniques may vary from one continent to another, cultural values and differences have also contributed (and still do) to some of the most memorable moments.

One of the best examples of cultural difference at the Ryder Cup was the controversy that occurred during the tournament played at Brookline, Massachusetts in 1999. During the last game, American Justin Leonard successfully holed a a very long putt against his opponent, the Spaniard José María Olazábal. The US team, who were following this crucial match, ran onto the green to celebrate and congratulate their player before Olazábal had been allowed to putt out.

The US team did not break any written rules (albeit sportsmanship was ignored) but their behaviour was highly criticised by the British European captain Mark James who described it as an unacceptable lack of self control. Some may view this as a mere sporting controversy but it is in fact a perfect illustration of how different the US and the UK can be. The expression of strong feelings is perfectly understandable and acceptable in the US, but it is seen as unacceptable by the British as well as many other European cultures.

This incident shows us that while sports like golf can bring together cultures, it can also reveal our cultural differences. As a result, even sportsmen can widely benefit from cultural awareness training courses. In the case of the Ryder Cup, cultural awareness training could be interesting, especially for the European team, as it is brings together players from a multitude of countries across Europe and therefore combines many different cultural attitudes and preferences. Cross cultural training could also help the two teams to socialise and interact more smoothly on and off the course.

This year the Ryder Cup was free of any cultural clashes or misunderstandings and victorious for the European team. However, there is no doubt that the US team will muster its cultural strengths and winning desire to secure a victory in future tournaments.

© Communicaid Group Ltd.2010

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Oct 21

‘The New Mainstream’ – A Multicultural Consumer Population

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources, Culture training for the Public sector No Comments »

“Numbers are the way we make decisions now” said Census Bureau Director Robert Grove in a recent interview with Guy Garcia, multicultural consumerism expert. The two speakers commented on the American census data in a conference at the ARF, an open forum for discussions on marketing and advertising. The outcome was an interesting new vision of the American social construct.

‘The New Mainstream’ A Multicultural Consumer Population ‘The New Mainstream’ A Multicultural Consumer Population

© istockimages.com/Sean Locke

If we are still thinking of Americans as loud, open and boastful people, perhaps it is time to reconsider our stereotypes. The census results are significant because they show major shifts in the cultural make-up of American citizens, from their age to their ethnical background. The record 14.6% of marriages between people of different ethnicities or race is just one example of how the population is changing a rapid pace.

The workplace is a mirror of such demographic change and will experience different approaches to meetings, negotiating, building trust and closing sales as a result, all of which will impact the success of doing business and selling across cultures. The ever changing lifestyle trends of an average American means that marketing and advertising initiatives also need to change. For instance, if Americans are increasingly marrying later in life, having pictures of a young couple advertising a home insurance policy might feel out of place.

International organisations are slowly beginning to recognise that a multicultural population like that of the US has a strong impact on marketing and business. A more diverse cultural background means that consumers’ preferences and habits are more varied and marketing campaigns must pay a lot of attention to the new social expectations and attitudes. However many organisations don’t realise that increasing immigration and the inevitable transformation of society means that cultural differences are present not only abroad but at home so they often fail to adapt their marketing campaigns accordingly.

Increased awareness of your potential clients’ requirements and expectations across cultures is the new way forward when doing business both abroad and at home. Adapting your sales and marketing techniques effectively to a multicultural consumer base requires a unique set of cultural skills and understanding.

Being culturally inclusive and aware is more than choosing a set of images that include a range of ethnically diverse people. Cultural awareness for marketing means being able to identify consumers’ unique cultural values, attitudes and preferences and being able to adapt the product or advert accordingly. Cross cultural awareness training courses such as Selling across Cultures will help you develop the cultural skills required for an effective marketing campaign aimed at a multicultural population.

The US is not the only country seeing such changes to the cultural composition of their population and workforce. Migration on a global scale affects most nations. Some countries such as the UK have a long history of dealing with multicultural differences with many waves of different nationalities migrating to the country over the years. Others, such as Italy, are new to the diverse and bulky flux of migrants and are facing new challenges in industries like clothing retail which is struggling against a strong Chinese competition.

These cultural differences can easily lead to miscommunication and tensions, ultimately causing loss of time, money and revenue to an organisation. An intercultural training course such as Developing Global Competencecan help you to reduce the dangers and pitfalls that a multicultural working environment presents. A global economy requires marketing initiatives to be informed by cultural awareness the world over. Ultimately, capitalism is driven by diversity so successful business will be led by the ability to effectively adapt to such changes and cultures.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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