The
vocabulary and phrase review
- I try not to
make many mistakes so I am usually
accurate.
- Paula likes to
talk to her customers and co-workers, she is very
outgoing.
- When I am at
the grocery store, I am not very patient. I
hate to wait in line.
- Vilma doesn't
like to wast time, she is
efficient.
- Rafael
participates well in group, he is a team
player.
- Erica is very
punctual, she is never
late.
- Angelica is
very organized, she keeps her papers
neat.
- WenJe is always
reliable/dependable/trustworthy, he does
things on time and is committed to his job.
- Annie
volunteers to clean the board, she is very
cooperative.
- My students are
very pleasant/helpful/have good people skills
when I ask them to work with each other.
"How to Succeed in the U.S.
Workplace"
Diversity in the American workplace is producing some interesting
challenges for everyone from the entry-level positions to the top
management. All must face the misunderstanding and communication
conflict that can result when people from different cultures must
work together. The problems can be minimized if employees will take
time and learn about American culture and their own
culture.
Giving
Explicit Directions
In
American culture, things are fully spelled out and made very
explicit. Therefore, it is expected that your boss gives you step
by step directions and questions you for understanding. It is also
expected that employees follow directions. However, in some
cultures (Japanese, Arab, French) things are communicated in
indirect ways. In these cultures, a supervisor can give a task to
an employee, and it is up to an employee how to do it. He must
figure it out on its own. Therefore, people from these cultures can
feel that the American supervisors explain the
obvious.
Planning
for the Future
The
United States is a future-oriented society, so they view management
as a matter of planning, doing and controlling. Americans thing
that they can shape their future through their actions, so it is
expected to plan ahead and follow the plan. People from past and
present-oriented cultures (China, Japan, Latin American countries)
do not plan for the future and prefer short-term benefits.
Therefore, in American workplace, they do not understand the
importance of planning.
Time
Management
Americans see time as a limited resource. Time is money, and
punctuality is very important. They tend to work with clear
deadlines; therefore, such qualities of employees ans being on
time, managing time efficiently, and completing work on time become
crucial in the U.S. workplace. However, for people from cultures
where time is plentiful (India, Latin America), it is hard to be on
time and finish their tasks by the appointed
time.
Individual
Responsibility
American
culture tends to be individualist. Each person is viewed as unique,
so ti is highly valued if an employee shows initiative, makes
suggestions, and takes responsibility. However, for people from the
collectivist cultures (Asian cultures), it is inappropriate to show
initiative and put themselves first. They are used to work in
groups, and the whole group shares responsibility for the
task.
Directenss
and Formality in Language
Americans are considered very direct and less formal than people
from other cultures are, but there are some situations in which
their styles of communication can be misinterpreted. For example,
Americans tend to use certain phrases in order to be polite.
Americans can say, "It might be a good idea to add more details to
your report", but it is just a polite way to give a direct order.
However, people from other cultures can interpret it as a
suggestion not an order, so the might ignore it. This
misinterpretation can cause serious problems at
work.
In order
to avoid misunderstanding and problems in the U.S. workplace, it is
important to be aware of U.S. work
expectations.
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