Table of Contents Introduction Immigration Hurdles Doing Business in the US Dealing with US Companies

Dealing with US Companies

You will find that the art of dealing with companies in the US requires:

  1. The Ability to Say No
  2. Most immigrants (especially from Asia) dread to say no, and avoid argumentative engagements—culturally considered ill-mannered and a sign of “bad” upbringing. Americans prefer transparency, and saying no is not considered a derogatory judgment of any kind. Accepting to do a task and then looping back with reasons to not do it is disliked a lot more than when you can walk away from the table.
  3. Process Control
  4. While many of us believe in achieving the end result—and in any way possible, the US is a culture built on processes and establishing process controls. The end result is almost a given. This can be a slightly discomforting work culture, especially when immigrants do not have experience with such processes. The easiest way out is to simply be diligent.
  5. Punctuality
  6. Since this is a country that believes that time is going out of fashion, being punctual in every interaction is almost sacrosanct. Working in silent silos and simply passing on work for review is not acceptable, and people believe in discussions at almost every step. To meet deadlines is good, but to inform a possible delay upfront is the most important element in maintaining a good relationship with clients. Turn up on time for meetings, turn in reports on time, and turn down change requests that you think you cannot meet within a reasonable timeframe.