Listening 21 – Listen for specific words

As the famous playwright George Bernard Shaw once said, “England and America are two countries by a common language.” Although the U.S. and the U.K. share a common history and language, the differences in business culture can be jarring for a businessperson going from the U.S. to the U.K. or vice versa. What is common, accepted, and even in one place may be seen as awkward or even unprofessional in the other.

For one thing, work attire in the U.K. tends to be more formal than in the U.S. – so Americans would be well-advised to dress impeccably when meeting with British clients or colleagues. In both countries, it’s common to have a few minutes of chit-chat before getting down to – though the topics of conversation are likely to differ. For Americans, small talk often centers on sports, celebrity gossip, and events in the U.S.; whereas the British usually chat about the and world news.

Americans tend to be more overtly friendly and right away, even when interacting with perfect strangers – and the British may appear rather standoffish by comparison. However, relationships are extremely important in business in the U.K. – perhaps even more so than in the U.S. Americans often see “networking” as a means to an end – a way to get a promotion or find the best business . For Brits, on the other hand, the relationships themselves are an important indicator of success. Also, Americans tend not to socialize with their coworkers, preferring to spend time with their families or other of friends – but for Brits, having a drink with colleagues after work is a near-universal pastime.

People who have worked in both countries describe the American business environment as far more and cutthroat. It is highly competitive and Americans tend to want everything done “yesterday.” This urgency ends up blurring the lines of work-life balance; it is common for American employees to stay at the office and check work e-mail even while at home or on vacation. In the U.K., business moves at a slower pace and there is no expectation of 24/7 . British companies tend to reward employees by offering more time off or more flexible hours, whereas American companies pay employees extra for working .

Although the American model puts more on its employees, it is advantageous in terms of progress – American companies can innovate, adapt, and implement new ideas faster. A strong entrepreneurial pervades the business culture of the U.S., whereas the British tend to be more risk-averse. British businesses typically seek to preserve the status quo, whereas American businesses often aim to it. One American in the U.K. commented that British businesses miss out on opportunities to make more money because they are wary of changing their traditional way of doing business.

One of the deepest-running differences between American and British business cultures has to do with hierarchy. The U.K. is one of the oldest monarchies in the world, and the focus on social class and seniority is in the business environment as well. By contrast, the U.S. has developed a culture with a strong emphasis on individual competency and .

This difference may be striking during meetings. American meetings often appear to be free-for-all brainstorming sessions, where employees of various levels of seniority freely contribute suggestions, and may even their superiors’ ideas. This type of initiative and assertiveness would be out of place at British meetings, where there is a clear and a socially-accepted time and place for each person to speak.

Another result of the American exaltation of the individual is that in the U.S., self-promotion is an art and skill for getting ahead in one’s career. Americans aren’t shy about their accomplishments or “selling themselves” in order to land a job, close a deal, or get a promotion. In the U.K., however, “tooting your own horn” is essentially taboo. Brits prefer to deflect and downplay their own accomplishments rather than basking in the spotlight like Americans do.

Finally, Americans and British have markedly different communication styles – and the differences go beyond spelling and pronunciation. Americans tend to be forthright with their thoughts and do not hesitate to offer . They are also more likely to demonstrate strong emotion, such as enthusiasm, at work. The British are more reserved and indirect, often speaking in understatements such as describing a complete by saying something like “things didn’t quite go according to plan.” Americans doing business in the U.K. must learn to “read the lines” in order to understand what’s really being said.

When giving directions to their subordinates, British supervisors tend to phrase their directives in terms of polite requests or suggestions rather than direct – and this can certainly cause confusion in day-to-day interaction at work. In the U.K., a manager might say, “If you have time, you might want to look into that problem” – and an American employee would this as being an optional and low-priority task. On the other hand, an American manager saying “Please find a solution for that problem right away” might rub a British employee the wrong way, as it would too blunt and even a little rude.