‘They Speak English … Don’t They?’
- paul08129
- Aug 21
- 6 min read
The latest episode of the podcast is another show from the archive:
‘They Speak English … Don’t They?’
In 2013, via Skype (apologies for any audio quality issues!), American businesswoman, Colleen Jolly and I looked - and laughed! - at the assumption we'd both made on our first trip to each other's countries. I used a couple of clips from this programme in the first full series of ‘Investing in Conversation’:
· Cultural faux pas 101 (in Ep2) and
· Why you really shouldn't go by the book (in Ep10).
Back in ’13, we also talked about:
· Making a killing down-under - if down-under didn't kill you first!;
· falling into the UK's North/South divide; and
· Why there was value in going the distance - even with all the technological options at our disposal (something I still believe in).
That belief took me on my first business trip to The States, in 2007, as part of a trade mission, to Northern Virginia (taking in Washington DC). At an event to welcome us, one of our hosts said:
‘One thing you need to understand is that here, on the East coast, we have more in common with you guys across the pond than we do with those weirdos on the West coast – they’re the foreigners as far as we’re concerned!’
Ok, he was out to break the ice – and wake up a bunch of jet-lagged Brits (He managed both!); but he was also making a serious point, about not over-simplifying the idea of the ‘UK/US divide’. Whichever side of ‘the pond’ we come from, regional and industrial differences muddy the water (no pun intended!) We need to keep that in mind when we look at how attitudes have changed over the last twelve years, to things like:
· Dress code,
· Data/privacy and
· Remote working.
When Colleen and I recorded together, an office in, say, a law firm would have looked similar in London and New York – most of the team wearing suits. In other sectors in the US, though (such as tech and advertising – especially on the West coast), the dress code leant more towards ‘business casual’. Since then, that look has spread across industries, states – and the ocean. (In 2019, Goldman Sachs made headlines when they decided to make suits and ties optional!)
In the case of personal data, in 2013, there were strict general rules in the UK and Europe; but In the US, protection differed from sector to sector and was generally less stringent. Today, Although there’s still no US federal law, individual American States have moved much closer to the European approach.
In 2013, The USA was ahead of the UK when it came to embracing remote working. Post-pandemic, of course, home and hybrid working are mainstream in both countries. Although business leaders in both are pushing back (with some American bosses far less open to compromise than their British peers).
Finally – linking directly back to the pod - in 2025, ‘101’ is more likely to make both Brits and Americans think of a new course than Room 101 (from George Orwell’s ‘Nineteen-Eighty-Four!’!)
So why re-release a podcast about our differences, when we’re now so much more similar? For two reasons:
First, because this show still makes me laugh – more than any other show I’ve ever produced – and I hope it will give you a giggle!
Second – and more sensibly, because the more similar we become, the harder it is to spot the trip-wires laid by our differences.
That was the experience of Brian Mullins, the American CEO of UK-based business, Mind Foundry. In an interview with The (London) Times last year:
‘What I learnt … speaking English as an American’
(with Richard Tyler, Editor of the Times Enterprise Network),
he admitted misunderstandings had started when he first came over – and were ‘ongoing’. He said he’d been caught out by innocent, everyday words – including the one which inspired the subtitle of this post:
When he told someone they were ‘quite’ good at their job, he meant it in the American way – ‘you’re very good at your job’ – he had no idea he was damning his British team-member with faint praise (because we use ’quite’ to mean ‘fairly’, as in ‘averagely’)
He was confused when British colleagues talked about their ‘diaries’ – until he realized they meant their ‘calendars’. (To an American, he explained, a ‘diary’ is a little book where a young girl keeps her secrets!)
Finally, ‘goodbye’ – no, I’ve not quite finished! That was another word which caught Brian out – not its meaning, but how we say it – or rather, how many times we say it at the end of a phone or video call! I’d never thought of that as a peculiarly British habit, but as a peculiar Brit, I’m too close to notice ...
I recommend you read Brian’s interview in full, if you can; but there’s one quote I’ve got to share. It highlights the different ideas Brits and Americans still have about ‘confidence’:
‘When someone here says their technology works, it works. In the US, in the start-up ecosystem, it might mean there are a couple of guys in a dorm room who are pretty sure they can make it work’!
Some even more fundamental issues still distinguish UK and US culture in general – and business culture in particular. For instance, we still have different approaches to time.
As the country with the longer history, we’re more likely to draw inspiration from our past – while our American colleagues focus on the future. Similarly, we’re more likely to plan for long-term business development, while in the US, the objective is fast growth. Even in the here and now, there’s a stronger emphasis on work/life balance in the UK. The US still works longer hours, with less leave – and (at least according to my research – which has included people on the ground), leaders are more likely to expect a person’s work to be their life. Yes, that exists here – but we (particularly our younger generations) are kicking against it! There are powerful social influences behind that – which I can’t get into here – but maybe in a future post …
I’ll finish this one with five tips to help you prevent cross-cultural conflict:
1 Wherever you’re from, know your own starting point:
As I said particularly on Episode 10 of the current podcast, cultural beliefs can feel like facts – which makes it much more difficult to deal with when they’re challenged.
The more aware you are of your own cultural biases, where they come from and how they might affect you, the more effectively you’ll be able to research a new culture before you work in it. Just remember Colleen’s experience – and don’t believe everything you read!
2 If you’re American, listen to what isn’t being said:
In the UK or Canada, communication tends to be less direct. For instance, ‘interesting’, or ‘not bad’, might mean “we’re not convinced.” Pay attention to tone, pauses, and indirect phrasing.
3 Laughter can create rapport – but humour isn’t universal:
In the right context, irony and sarcasm can work in the UK. They can also be useful in Australia and New Zealand; but they don’t tend to survive the Atlantic crossing. If in doubt, keep it light and inclusive. Following on from that:
4 Brits need to take Americans at face value:
Several years ago, my brother worked in R&D in the UK car industry. One project involved a lot of long-distance collaboration with an office in Detroit.
When he had to flag a problem at the American end, the response was an email full of profuse apologies. He was about to write back, saying he thought his American colleague was ‘taking the Micky!’; but luckily, someone in his office (with more US experience) put him wise – before he put his foot in it!
5 We all need to cut each other some slack!:
In 2013, Colleen told me Australians had been more relaxed than Brits about her cultural mistakes. Although I was encouraged to read in Brian Mullins’s 2024 interview that his UK colleagues forgave his slip-ups.
It’s easy for any culture to treat differences as ‘weaknesses’ in another; but as Brian Mullins points out, each ‘weakness’ can be a strength:
· Some Americans may read certain British behaviour as ‘timid’ when they’re actually just being thorough; and, on the other hand,
· It’s common for Brits to call Americans ‘arrogant’, when they’re just proud of their achievements.
There are times when each would benefit from the other’s approach – and in my experience, there’s one way to facilitate that: Conversation – speaking of which:
If you need help with any aspect of conflict management at work, come and talk to me! All my details are on the website:
For now – Bye! Bye! Byebye!
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