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	Business as Usual or Divided by the Same Cultural Misconception? I have recently returned from the UK after a couple of weeks in our Cambridge office. Having lived and worked in both countries for over 15 years, I am always aware of quite a few noticeable differences between British and U.S. business communication styles. Speaking English as a native tongue has created a widespread assumption that "Britain's corporate culture is much like America's". But is it really true? There is a cultural divide between British and U.S. corporate communication styles, reinforced by the misconception on both sides that you can simply turn up and do business as usual because we speak the same language. Ironically, we are much more likely to be better prepared when we go to France or Japan, when we quite rightly expect the corporate culture to be different from our own. Why then do so many of us assume that we can just turn up and do "business as usual" when shuttling between the U.S. and UK! The U.S. and British corporate ways of doing business are marked by a wide range of differences in decision-making, management processes, leadership models, sales techniques, negotiating styles and implementation of HR laws to name a few. British understated, and sometimes endearingly referred to as "rambly", communication style does not always translate well into the robust U.S. corporate environment, with its straight-to-the-point assertive outlook often expressed in "elevator pitches" and "bullet-point-presentations". The very concept of an "elevator pitch", let alone "bumper sticker" as I was recently educated by one of my American colleagues, does not exist in the traditional British work context. Consider the following situation. Your sales department receives an enquiry from a British company, which is potentially a big order. Your sales manager decides to visit Britain to deliver a "killer" presentation. The engineering people do their homework and are assured that the product will meet all Euro regulations. The meeting is set for Monday at 10 a.m. and having arrived the night before, the sales manager is rested and ready to go. At 9:45 a.m. arrangements are made to set up the presentation in the boardroom. At 10 a.m. the British managers arrive and start conversation: "How was the hotel?" "Have you visited England before?" "Are you married?" Somebody pours coffee in china cups with saucers and passes it around. Your sales manager starts to wonder: "Why travel all this way to meet the guys who obviously are not interested…" By the time the pleasantries have been exchanged the Brits are ready to start. The presenter is demoralized and edgy. In the British culture it is customary to get to know you on a personal level before you start doing business. This initial meeting is as much a relationship builder as a sales presentation. Getting impatient when things don't go according to our plan does not work at home, nor would it work anywhere else. You have already come all this way, set aside precious time, spent a couple of thousands on airfare and accommodation. So, you may as well give it your full commitment! Rather than race out of the door to your next meeting or catch your plane back home, you may want to consider building in extra time into your schedule and expand your elevator pitch to accommodate initial small talk and follow-up discussion. Using every opportunity to socialize with your co-workers and potential clients is one of the most effective ways of building communication bridges. Trips to English pubs are another excellent way to learn more about your counterparts and British culture in general. To break another die-hard stereotype, it does not have to incur heavy alcohol consumption. British co-workers tend to spend more time together after work than their U.S. counterparts, socializing on a personal level. Going to pubs after work is one of the expressions of a more blended relationship between business and personal, which is an inherent characteristic of the British business environment. In comparison, the U.S. corporate world is probably the most task-oriented business culture, with a fairly distinct borderline between business and personal life. Structured power networking during or after work is an eloquent expression of this assumption. No doubt, there are multiple exceptions; however this assumption tends to be accurate for the mainstream environment of big corporations, which adopted a much more segmented approach to time and relationship. In the U.S.-UK business relations we should not get lulled into a false sense of security of speaking the same language (albeit with a few variations!). We cannot underestimate the importance of understanding and correct interpretation of the nuances and subtleties of cultural expectations. Knowing what to expect and being prepared to adjust our communication style on the go will always help us minimize frustration and create positive business climate. Natasha Crundwell People Going Global, LLC www.PeopleGoingGlobal.com natasha@PeopleGoingGlobal.com Tel: (571) 278- 6572