Americans at Work: A Guide to the Can-Do People

Restless and driven, casual and direct - Americans are a challenge! Learn how Americans behave at work and how to deal with them.

Whether you work with Americans face-to-face, communicate with them by telephone or e-mail or interact together in a virtual team, Americans at Work reveals the subtle and the not-so-subtle aspects of American culture in the workplace.

Best-selling author Craig Storti provides historical perspectives and explanations of the six most important American cultural themes and their relevance to the workplace:

- "Land of Opportunity" (a driven people)
- "Go-for-It Mentality" (ready, fire, aim; new is better)
- "Equality for All" (but don't forget who's boss)
- "The Drive to Achieve" (nice guys finish last)
- "Live and Let Live" (do your own thing)
- "Time Matters" (obsession with efficiency).

Learn about straight talk, American style, and how Americans aren't always as direct as they say they are. Find out why Americans are deeply conflicted about power: they crave it but are loath to be caught craving it. See how Americans view outsiders. Gain tips for succeeding in the American work environment. Finally, get the basics of work-related etiquette: conducting meetings, giving feedback, nonverbal communication, e-mail rules, gifts, taboo topics and so on.

Knowing how Americans work with each other will help you predict their reactions and, more important, their expectations of you. And if you are American, you will be better understand your own behavior and be able to work more effectively with collegues from other cultures.

Craig Storti is founder and co-director of Communicating Across Cultures, a Washington, D.C.-based intercultural communication training and consulting firm. With work appearing in the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune, he is the author of six books. Having lived nearly a quarter of his life abroad, he lives now in Maryland. www.craigstorti.com