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Welcome to the United States

An Acculturation ConversationPrepared for: COMPANYDate: LOGO

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Program Overview1. Your Expat Experience

Your Motivation and ExpectationsCulture and Adaptation

2. Understanding the USThe Land and the HistoryThe Values and the People

3. Communicating in the USStyles and StrategiesAmerican English Today

4. Doing Business in the US Eight Scales of Culture Working on Intercultural Teams

5. Living in the USYour New HomeYour Personal Action Plan

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Program Objectives

• Encourage self-awareness and general understanding of culture• Develop knowledge of a new culture and the skills of adaptation• Learn strategies to bridge the gaps so as to create relationships and build trust

• Learn to align expectations while striving to suspend judgment• Enjoy enhanced interpersonal skills leading to increased confidence and satisfaction• Develop enthusiasm for the task at hand and the opportunities it brings for personal

growth

Program Benefits

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• Your motivations for moving

• Your family’s expectations

• Your goals longterm

• Your objectives today

1. Your Expat Experience

aetAMERICANENGLISHTODAY.COM

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A set of shared

assumptions and values

learned over a lifetime with

communal symbols, heroes and

rituals

Let’s compare cultural notes!

What is Culture?

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WHAT IS CULTURAL COMPETENCE?

WHAT ARE CULTURAL LENSES?

“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”~ Anais Nin

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In peach cultures, such as the US, people tend to be friendly—soft on the outside—with new acquaintances. They smile frequently at strangers, move quickly to first-name usage, share information about themselves, and ask personal questions of those they hardly know.

But after a little friendly interaction with a peach, a hard-shelled, soft-centered coconut— like a French person—may suddenly get to the hard shell of the peach pit, where the peach retracts attention and ends the “relationship”. This is unconsciously deceptive: Americans are generally friendly, but they value their personal space and their families, and they move homes and jobs frequently. Friendliness doesn’t mean friendship.

Peach Meets Coconut

Can you identify with either of these?

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How to Manage Culture Shock

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7 Common Sense Ways to Ease Adjustment

• Be self-aware—manage expectations

• Question ethnocentric attitudes• Be organized to meet challenges• Seek support with like-minded

groups• Extend your cooperative network• Cultivate interests—explore your

options• Make an effort to remain positive

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5 Factors of Success Predictability

1.Job knowledge and motivation

2.Relational skills

3.Flexibility and adaptability

4.Extra-cultural openness

5.Family adjustment

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The Land

The History

The Values

The People

2. Understanding the US

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QUIZ Name That State and/or Region

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One version…

aet From Sea to Shining Sea

The Land

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Regional Differences

• New England—Traditional

• Mid-Atlantic—Business

• The South—Bible Belt

• The Midwest—Bread Basket

• Mountain—Pioneers

• The Southwest—Artistic

• The West—InventiveBIG 5 PERSONALITY DIMENSIONS

Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness

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Sri Lankans on Staten Island Arabs in Brooklyn

Ghanaians in the Bronx A mosaic of cultures

QUEENS, NYCThe New Immigrant Enclave of NYC

The Most Diverse Place on Earth

aet God Bless America

The History

aet Conflicting values of freedom and equality with practices of bigotry and racism: We Shall Overcome One Day

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Daniel Boone Breaches the Cumberland Gap ~ 1767

aet An insatiable lust for land created the paradox of the frontier character…once land was secured with toil, the pioneer was restless and went looking for something more, something farther…

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Manifest Destiny and the Homestead Act ~ 1862

“It is our manifest destiny to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us for

the development of the great experiment of liberty and federated self-government entrusted to us.” ~John

O’Sullivan, 1845

“Go West, young man, and grow up the

land.” ~Horace Greeley’s

clarion call

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The Indian Wars 1866–1890

Indians were eitherslaughtered or systematically

rounded up to be “housed” on “reservations” where

they often starved to death due

tocorruption and indifference.

aetA nation of immigrants passes through Ellis Island, welcomed by Lady Liberty,

seeking the American Dream in the “Land of Opportunity”.

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An Austrian immigrant becomes a movie star and Governor of California

The Values

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• Challenge tradition• Think outside the box• Embrace change• Treat everyone as equals• Respect the privacy of others• Abide by the law of the land

aet Entrepreneurs start young, learning the value of work and ingenuity.

•• Control over ones destiny • The Puritan Work Ethic• Self-reliance• Do-it-yourself

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“The Miracle Worker” Annie Sullivan teaches deaf and blind Helen to connect with the world. Helen later graduates from Radcliffe and travels to 35 countries to speak up for the disabled. Many schools for the deaf and blind were started around the world because of her.

aetDon’t give up! Follow your dreams…

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Family and Community• Family Values • Houses of Worship• Service Organizations• Sports and Team Spirit• Education and School Spirit

The People

“Dad coaches” are a thing!

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The truth is many suburban parents raise “normal kids” from their “homes away from homes” (their cars) while juggling jobs.

…with super kids!

Moms

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Hillary—2008“Although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it's got about 18 million cracks in it.”

Changing Gender Roles

aet EDUCATION in the US:How to manage student life from pre-school to adult school

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Government and Politics• Balance of Power

• Branches of Government

• Political Parties

• Voting Rights / Voting Cycle

• Civic Engagement

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Black Lives Matter vs. Police, Gun Control, Immigration, A Living Wage, LGBT rights,

Reproductive Rights, Climate Change

Current Issues

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3. Communicating with Americans

“Stop calling me J.B.! My name is Jumping

Bear.”

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“Americans boast

smiles

of star-spangle

happiness

and banner waves of

pride.”

Terri Guillemets

“America is a vast conspiracy to make you happy.” John Updike

Some cultures don’t trust smiles, and some find smilers less intelligent.

A nation’s ideal affect is how people want to feel. US: High-arousal states are energizing.

EAST ASIA: Low-arousal states are soothing.

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Tips for Interacting with Americans

• Smile, shake hands, make eye contact• Be informal—use first names • Show appreciation—we like to be liked• Don’t criticize or complain• Treat everyone equally• Be brief and direct

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American English Today• How are you is a greeting, not a question

• Practice asking questions—watch doors open

• Scheduling formulas—in, on, down?

• Social vocabulary: Wanna’ hang out later?

• Phone and texting: voice mail formula; spelling names

• You guys can be just girls/women

• How to use get in every other sentence

• Meaning is in the music—rhythm and pitch

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How to understand American English

Didja?They wouldnof.

Dyawanna?

You tell ‘em.

I godda bedder idea!

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4. Working in the US

Styles Practices Strategies

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Edward Hall, a forerunner of cultural anthropology in the 70s, developed this model.

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Other influencers of cross-cultural studies in the workplace

Geert Hofstede1980Fons Trompenaars1993

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Eight scales of management culture1. Communicating – low-context or high-context2. Evaluating – indirect negative feedback or direct negative feedback3. Persuading – applications-first or principles-first4. Leading – egalitarian or hierarchy5. Deciding – consensual or top-down6. Trusting – task-based or relationship-based7. Disagreeing – avoids confrontation or confrontational8. Scheduling – linear-time or flexible-time

erinmeyer.com

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1. Communicating

• Be explicit—it’s yes or no

• Win respect—be direct and brief

• Add value—speak up

• Meet challenges—be positive

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Working in American English• The 7 Cs: clear, concise, concrete,

correct, coherent, complete, courteous

• Clarify and follow up

• Email to get results

• Present for an American audience

• Establish credibility with a low, loud voice

• Maintain comfort with body language

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2. Evaluating

• Give positive feedback directly on the spot

• Use Management by Objectives (MBO) model

• Practice meritocracy over favoritism

• Praise individual achievement vs. team performance

• Motivate with perks

• Give negative feedback indirectly positive—negative—positive

• May send conflicting signals to those expecting American straight talk!

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3. Persuading• Informal, pragmatic, rational, single-

minded, tenacious, creative, straightforward, explicit

• Short-term, big picture view

• Quickly reach a favorable deal

• Applications-first versus principles first

• Self-promotion: American second-nature

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4. Leading• Flat superior-subordinate relationship—

egalitarian

• Align needs, balance strengths

• Welcome expertise at all levels

• Delegate—do not micro-manage

• Clear away impediments

• Mentor down

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Strategies for Leaders of Multicultural Teams• Familiarize your team with cultural differences specific to your national

mix

• Discuss these differences—invisible psychological boundaries—in light of the impact on collaboration and productivity

• Brainstorm strategies to bridge differences and increase effectiveness

• Coach team members to suspend judgment and to actively gap cultural divides

• Match people’s styles to projects so as to meet your clients’ needs

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5. Deciding• SURPRISE: Egalitarian Americans decide “top

down”

• Making unilateral decisions quickly = efficiency = success; decisions are flexible and subject to revision

• May lead to lack of trust from counterparts and slow implementation (consensual style = rapid implementation)

• Historical conditioning in a young culture mandates experimentation and innovation

• High tolerance for risk stems from an opportunity ethos and a notion of abundance

• Spontaneity and improvising encourages creativity, intuition, and confidence

• Failure can be instructive and lead to breakthroughs

• “Analysis paralysis” is a source of frustration

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6. Trusting

• US: Task-based cognitive trust > achievement

• Relationship affective trust > closeness

• US teams based on situational trust > established by objective

• Marked mobility creates turnover, minimizing time spent on building relationships

• Emphasis on efficiency and contracts

• May be seen as a lack of sincerity and loyalty

• Longterm projects may be jeopardized by frequent change of management/missions

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7. Disagreeing• Approach issues openly and directly

but by using polite language and qualifiers/downgrade terms > high courtesy

• “Agree to disagree”

• Avoid getting upset or personal: Americans are less expressive than many cultures

• Saving face is of less concern to the American, who will easily disagree with superiors when input is welcome

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8. Scheduling• US > a controlled-timed, mono-

chronic, short-term society—always do what’s next!

• Scheduling can be in terms of minutes

• Being on time for appointments is expected

• Consistently meeting deadlines is rewarded

• Be decisive: any decision is better than no decision

• Get to the point quickly with minimal backstory in meetings and presentations

• Time is money

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Meetings and Conf Calls• Could this meeting be an email?

• Has everyone done their needed prep?

• Distribute a precise agenda—with suggested timing of items—to potential attendees so they can decide whether their presence is needed

• Disagree openly—honesty is essential

• Start and end on time; stay on topic and be concise; give options for follow up and further discussion; reach a conclusion

• Americans often follow up with an email summary—this is not a sign of mistrust

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Strategies for Americans on Intercultural Teams

• Communicating: allow for silence; listen carefully; direct may be rude

• Evaluating: check that your message was completely understood• Persuading: appeal to broader, more nuanced concepts• Leading: be culturally attuned to each individual’s style • Deciding: factor in lag time for more careful consideration from

colleagues • Trusting: connect on a deeper level with colleagues, even by email• Disagreeing: adapt your style based on culture—less or more

direct• Scheduling: respect other approaches to time management

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5. Living in the US

• UPS leaves packages on door steps• Americans give their ATM cards to

bartenders• Alternate merge keeps road rage to a

minimum• With 3000 miles of land, Las Vegas, Disney,

beaches, and family members widespread, we don’t all need passports

• And yes, everything is BIG

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Shopping• There’s a sale for every possible

occasion

• Grocery stores advertise their specials in their circulars

• A Costco membership is worth it for a family with kids

• Outlet shopping is available in every direction

• Coupons and reward points make a difference

• Beware state sales tax —7% in NJ—on everything but clothes and groceries

Never buy anything at full price!

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The Whys and Hows of Tipping: a quirky custom

aet A year of Holidays!

aetThe Jersey Shore, cherry blossoms in Newark, the island of Manhattan:this is your new “backyard”!

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The Accompanying Spouse—Your Agenda for Success• Communicating

• Third Culture children

• School involvement

• Networking

• Resources and groups

• Resume vs. CV

• LinkedIn profile

• Portable career

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Your Personal Action Plan

• Social Security, drivers license, transportation, local services• Medical, security, safety • Cell phone/cable/internet provider• Back to school• Networking, expat organizations, support, community groups• Identify major challenges and list action steps learned from today’s

program

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Have your goals been achieved today?

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Hugh Evans started a movement that mobilizes "global citizens”, people who self-identify first and foremost not as members of a state, nation, or tribe but as members of the human race.

What does it mean to be a citizen of the world?

TED

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