Last Updated on 2020-12-31 by ppcguybklyn
We all know that the American workplace is very different from the Taiwanese workplace, but before I officially started working in the United States, most of my understanding of the American workplace and the habits of communicating with people came from movies or TV shows. When I was studying, the internship was a remote job so there were actually no occasions to communicate with colleagues. Only after getting a full-time job, I have more time and opportunities to interact with all kinds of colleagues. Based on my experience in dealing with colleagues in the past few years and my understanding of communicating with Americans, I will organize this article into 5 tips that I think will be very helpful to build a good relationship with colleagues in the United States.
Tip 1: Don't be afraid to use the wrong grammar
I think this is a common problem that many Taiwanese tend to make when communicating with native English speakers. They want to conceive the perfect sentence in their heads to reflect the current topic, and then speak. However, if you are chatting or discussing with a group of people, the topic may change very quickly. If you want to take your time to think the most perfect sentence, it is likely to change to the next topic after you think about it. When communicating and discussing with Americans who value active interaction, it is very important to show a positive and active attitude. Sometimes even if the words spoken are not using the most correct grammar, as long as the other person feels at the right time If we provide positive feedback on the current topic, we can leave a good impression on the other person.
Most Americans are patient when communicating with non-native speakers, especially in areas with many international students and immigrants. So, when using English to chat with Americans, don’t be afraid that you will be laughed at when you make a grammatical mistake. Express your opinions on the current topic at the right time, and let your colleagues know more about who we are is more important than using correct grammar. The more our colleagues know about us, the fewer problems and obstacles in future communication with them there will be. This is absolutely indispensable for marketing jobs that require frequent discussions with colleagues.
Tip 2: Express your thoughts straightforwardly
Compared with Taiwanese, Americans are more outgoing and more willing to express their ideas actively. Even if they are more introverted Americans, I think they are still much more direct in communication than Taiwanese. Taiwanese people like to convey their meanings in a more subtle way when speaking, but this difference in speaking habits is likely to make Americans less aware of what we want to express. I myself have spoken to a colleague in the United States several times. Because the messages were too tactful, my coworker did not realize that I actually wanted to ask him to do something for me. After I directly told him that I wanted him to do it for me, he finally realized what I meant.
So I think that when getting along with American colleagues, we can express our ideas about the current discussion or topic as straightforwardly as possible. Otherwise the idea we came out with might be neglected or cannot be understood by others because it’s too tactful. Of course, this does not mean that we can say what we can think of, and we can just say what we want to say without looking at the occasion or the expressions of other people. It is not feasible in the American workplace. We can express our opinions and opinions straightforwardly at the right time, and bring a positive impact on the relationship with colleagues.
Tip 3: Actively strive for opportunities
American culture strongly encourages proactive people to strive for performance opportunities or rewards. I think this is the most different from the Taiwanese workplace, which traditionally likes to emphasize "As long as you work hard, you will be seen." Americans who are extroverted and strongly trust the free market mechanism believe that opportunities must be obtained by themselves, or even created by themselves. I have heard several examples of relying on his or her expertise and active negotiations to allow a company to create vacancies for him or her. But for people who just want to be an ordinary office worker, they don’t need to be so extreme. Most of the time, they still do their own business according to the work assigned by their boss. When encountering a really suitable task and no other people take it, we can take the initiative to take the next opportunity.
When working in the United States, if it happens to allow us to have more opportunities to perform, we should actively strive for these opportunities so that we can prove our abilities in front of colleagues and bosses, in addition to improving the relationship with American colleagues, it is also a good opportunity for self-challenge and growth.
Tip 4: Learn more about the American subcultures that are popular in the department or company
The first three tips are more for formal work, and the next two tips are more for personal communication and general small talk. Although Taiwan has introduced a large amount of American culture, such as movies, music, sports, and food, we can more or less know what is popular in the United States. However, there are many subcultures that can only be known when living in the United States, which we cannot experience in Taiwan. For example, my colleagues like to discuss documentaries watched on Netflix, and Fantasy Football, which selects players to simulate American football matches. These things are relatively rare in Taiwan. As a foreigner, you have to deal with colleagues in such an environment. If you don't have a basic understanding of these things, you will really be completely out of touch.
If you want to experience American life while working in the United States, you should take some time to understand what is popular in the U.S.A. and this city. If you like, you can also consider trying it out, so that you can discuss it with colleagues, have more interactions and more common topics. I do not encourage people to stay in the social comfort zone of Taiwanese or Asian after coming to the United States. Experiencing things that were not familiar in Taiwan before can not only expand our social life circle but find your own new hobby.
Tip 5: Small Talk
In mySmall Talk articlea while ago, it was mentioned that some Americans find it embarrassing and rude if we do not chat with each other, so many people have the habit of actively chatting with colleagues when they are at work. In the office in Taiwan before, the environment in which no one can speak except the phone caller was completely different. As long as the work at hand was not too busy, Americans would usually chat with each other. So I think it’s very important to have a way to chat with colleagues more when working in the American workplace. Let them know that we’re good and suitable for small talk, and cooperation will be smoother.
As for how to smoothly chat with American colleagues and what topics to open, there are detailed introductions in the Small Talk teaching series. In short, it is necessary to have a certain amount of topics that Americans like, such as sports, albums, etc. Understand, and take it out as the content of small talk at the right time. The most important thing is to do what we like and let the other person think that we are interesting and easy to get along with.
Conclusion
As a foreigner working in the United States, there must be more or less unaccustomed things due to cultural differences, especially when it comes to communicating with colleagues. Although each office has its own different atmosphere and culture, the same way of dealing may not be suitable for every working environment, but the basic principles are still the same. If we can prepare mentally in advance, we will be able to adapt faster, and get along well with colleagues and be accustomed to the entire work environment.
(Original Post inShelly's Adventure)
