Americans

[sunnysan]

To start off I am not going to be Yank bashing. I am merely looking for some insight and will endure the prerequisite amount of abuse in return.

I need some ideas about how others here perceive the differences in corporate culture between Americans and Brits.

I am kind of at a loss as to how decisions are made across the pond, why people do what they do.

I am sure most here have had experience working in America or with Americans so it would be intertesting to hear your thoughts.

If there are any Americans here who could give insight from the oppisite end of the spectrum that would be interesting too.

I am starting to think that a common language is pretty much all the US/UK share. Would all here agree with that?

[BoredBloke]

From what I have seen about the yanks, they have more of a 'can do' attitude and talk a very good game while not always being able to deliver it. Brits tend to be more negative (or realistic) but often seem better technically.

[BrilloPad]

not sure if this helps - but I far prefer working in American banks. I generally despised my time in non-American banks.

Goldmine Sachs was the best by far.

[Pondlife]

UK/US are pretty similar from my experiences. If anything the US seemed slightly more relaxed but less receptive to bad news.

Only thing that really springs to mind is that the US was obsessed with office etiquette to the point of having a weekly news letter about it. Thou shalt not use bold uppercase in emails, though shalt not hold doors open for women etc.

Middle managers liked the sound of their own voice a bit more and everyday there was seemingly some reason to gather round a table of coffee and doughnuts and pat ourselves on the back.

[snaw]

I lived there for four years, so got some sort of insight. Good and bad.

They're definitely more can do and generally positive, and technically they're as good as us brits - or anyone else for that matter (I never noticed a difference), though on some levels they're pretty superficial - time spent in the office is as important as actually doing stuff when you're there.

So the guy who stays till 8 every night but does half the work of the guy who stays till 5 gets more respect.

Corporate culture is much more in favour of the company and not the individual, it's pretty easy to sack people and you've got virtually no rights - resulting I think in a culture where people really do subsume themselves much more in the corporate culture than we do (Tow company line, work harder - don't take all there holidays etc).

[oracleslave]

I would agree with Tony that they have a more 'can do' attitude. I also think they try harder and care more. It might have been peculiar to my situation but everyone from the secretary to the MD was really passionate about their role in the process regardless of what level it was.

I noticed they weren't very big on mixing socially with folk from work. Most seemed to have no social interaction with their colleagues after work or on weekends etc.

I also found them fat more organised in their approach, more methodical, more structured etc. They just seemed to have a more first world approach to work/project issues and not the back of a fag packet you see so often here. It does make it lacking in soul though.

[realityhack]

Limited experience, but one of clientco's team heads is American and led this team for 6 months.

She was brassy, diplomatic, always the first in and last out (I wondered if she had a life), replied to emails past midnight and first thing in the morning, expected everyone working with her to be ultra-professional, political and a "zapper not a sapper" (her phrase).

For all her dynamism and energy I often wondered exactly what she did with all that time - AFAIK it was mostly managing the team's profile up the line, making presentations and having 121s with permies.

Did the team no end of good in terms of profile, discipline and morale, until it became clear to the old guard that all this flapping about does not a budget make. Plenty of grand plans and no money to realise them.

[EternalOptimist]

I left my last gig because I had to work with some cringe-makingly loud, hugging, mwha mwha ing, Americans. Apart from the noise I found they were ok but terrified of admitting that they didn't know things.
If you show them stuff on the quiet, you have a friend for life

[TimberWolf]

thou shalt not hold doors open for women etc.

I still do that, is it sexist? Other offences include offering to carry bags for women up stairs at airports etc.

[sasguru]

It does make it lacking in sole though.

Yes American footwear is pretty piss poor