Two nations divided by a common language

Telegraph

(Filed: 08/09/2005)


Americans aren't offhand, they just want to get down to business. Try not to get offended, says Widget Finn

Oscar Wilde claimed that "the Americans and the British are identical in all respects except, of course, their language" while around the same time Henry Sweet predicted that within 100 years American and British English would be mutually unintelligible.


A sense of urgency "is deep in the American psyche"

Which is worrying when you consider that currently around 4.5m US business people work in European companies and about the same number of Europeans are employed by American companies. How on earth do they communicate with their colleagues?

Often with great difficulty, claims Allyson Stewart-Allen, an American marketing consultant who was sent over to London by PA Consultancy Group two decades ago, learnt the language and has stayed on ever since. When she arrived she admits she had problems.

"I didn't know whether being pear-shaped was good or bad, what a damp squib was or if being knackered was faintly improper. But being an outsider meant that I could ask questions which nobody else dared raise. In a first meeting over here it's considered totally inappropriate to mention money, but I could act the naïve American and ask about the budget. It was met with nervous laughter but I usually got an answer."

There are numerous pitfalls for the unsuspecting Brit who thinks English is universally understood wherever it is spoken.

In the US you can grow a beard or a tomato but not a company, and slating a meeting means that you schedule, not disparage it. Thus a headline ''Third Harry Potter film slated'' can mean good on one side of the Atlantic and bad on the other.

If you're asked whether you want hot milk in your coffee, "I don't care" in New York is the same as "I don't mind" in London, but reverse the response and you'll get a reputation for surliness or indecision. This chasm of misunderstanding reflects the different cultures and history that affects business between the two countries.

For Americans, time is money and the transaction comes first, while building relationships are a long way behind. Go into a meeting and the British want to spend some time settling in, asking about your journey and offering coffee. Americans ignore the pleasantries and throw themselves into the business.

Allyson Stewart-Allen claims this sense of urgency is deep in the American psyche, going back to the early settlers.

In the 1800s publicity for the Manifest Destiny trains urged ordinary Americans to "Claim as much land as you can, as fast as you can".

She explains: "When our ancestors travelled across the country in their covered wagons they knew that they must stake their claims quickly before the people following behind grabbed the land. This means even now there's an antipathy to wasting time."

So it follows that punctuality is essential. If there's any doubt, arrive five minutes early and wait, in contrast to French custom where it's best to arrive five minutes late. This influences response times. You need it when? Yesterday? OK, no problem.

Americans want everything - information, deliveries - instantly says Ms Stewart-Allen. "The general rule for replying to phone messages and e-mail is no more than 24 hours, possibly 48 if you're travelling.

Waiting any longer than two days for a response implies that the person is not interested, slow, unprofessional.

In Europe a week may be a satisfactory time but not in America.

" This obsession with speed has a strong influence on marketing. "In the States we accept that we can go to market with a product or service which isn't 100 per cent ready. We're happy with 80 per cent so we can get in and get ahead.

''Here, being more risk-averse, you want to be absolutely certain it's right before launching a product but it means that by being second you seem a copycat and have to sell the idea that you're late but better."

It's the subtleties of culture and class that can cause most confusion. Ms Stewart-Allen first encountered it at PA where there was a certain member of her team with an illustrious ancestry.

"My colleagues laughed harder at his jokes, were deferential and, although he was just average, he got better assignments. Americans respect someone for achievements, not their DNA."

Understanding the gamut of linguistic and cultural differences can make the course of business run more smoothly but even if we learn each other's language there is still a natural barrier that keeps our two nations apart. As Eddie Izzard wisely observed: "America and Britain are divided by the Atlantic Ocean."

Top tips for working with Americans

The clock is king
Be on time for meetings. Deadlines are serious. Meet completion times or risk losing business.

Business before pleasure
Be willing to do business ?rst, build the relationship second. If Americans don't take time to get to know you no insult is intended, they're just keeping to a schedule.

Family, equal and ethical
Everyone, regardless of rank or age, should be treated as equals. Don't be insulted if addressed by your ?rst name - it's the American way.

Let's do lunch
Don't take offence when your American colleague suggests getting together but doesn't get it together. He's sincere, but too rushed to follow up so simply appreciate the interest.

Do it now!
Americans still make decisions on impulse. In their rush to 'get things done' they decide quickly and worry about the consequences later.

Source: Working with Americans

13 July 2005[News]: Strewth! Americanisms flush Aussie lingo down the dunny


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