Moving to the USAWhat is it like to have your first US Job

Moved cities.. some of this will apply to you

Culture comments are generalized

Why am I talking about this?

I am an alien resident

Argentine/British/Canadian

Mother Father Choice

Brits are evil..

But Canadians are good

I have worked in 12 nations

Common language but not common culture

How did I get a job at Enova?

Met

Jeff Miller

@

RailConf

2014

Lizzie Clark

reached out

Sep 2015

Phone

Interview

With

Jef Jonevic

5 Oct 2015 Jan 2016

Start

Full Day Interview

10 Oct 2015

27 Oct 2015

Offer

Why did I come to work @ Enova

Open Source & Apprenticeship

More peers to learn from

Chicago

Leap of faith

Cultural Adjustment/Shock

Culture Shock

The Honeymoon The Rejection The Recovery

The Honeymoon Culture Shock

Gradual

Adjustment,

Humour

PerspectiveInitial Euphoria/Excitement Irritation/Hostility

Feeling

At Home

Adaptation & Biculturalism

Long ramp up

Eric Arriving in the US

Getting a Visa

Your Credit Rating

Is

0

Pay $200

and get a

Credit Card with a limit of $200

Finding a place to live

Bank Account

Healthcare

Tax in multiple countries

American/Chicago Culture

Bacon

Overwhelming Choice for Consumer

Sex/Gender/Sexual Identity

Finances are private in the US

Humour vs Humor

UK - Wit under fire

The macabre, the absurd, the ironies of

life and the misfortunes own and others

are usually the center of the target of

British comic spirit

● Banter

● Dark

● Irony

● No good ending

● Sometimes Childish

● Understatement

● Sarcasm

US - A sucker born every minute

Often American comedy is about classism,

sexism, elitism, racism and immigration

issues, all diseases of our society.

● Hope

● A good ending

● SlapStick

● Bragging

For the British, American comedies are too superficial.

For Americans, British comedies are so sophisticated and cold that it is hard to understand them.

Personal Space

Celebration Styles

Small Talk

Making friends with Americans

Let's hang out

Cultural References

Cliques

French/Spain/Italy - you will have a lot of dinners together and know each other's families

British - Work Hard and Play Hard Together

American - Families, Friends and Work Colleagues are different

Segregation of relationships

A friend who you see in only one context—the office, for example—is likely to be a less close friend than someone who you see in many contexts, and connect with over many different things, rather than a single shared interest.

Ryan Hubbard

Growing friendship

Studies show that employees with a best friend at work tend to be:

● more focused, ● more passionate● more loyal to their organizations.

They get :

● sick less often, ● suffer fewer accidents● change jobs less frequently● even have more satisfied customers

Gallup

People stay where they have friends

Working With Americans

Vacations and Holidays

2-3 US vs 4-6 UK weeks

Listening Habits

Negotiation

US Negotiation

Canada Negotiation

The Mid West US -> Conflict Adverse?

Organisation Culture

Shared Assumptions

1. Observe what is going on around you

2. Listen to the stories shared in and out of the organization

3. See how others respond when acting as a role model or coaching others

4. Notice what people pay attention to

5. Check out the language and symbols commonly used

6. Is purpose seen as bigger than positions or practices?

7. Notice the issues employees shy away from talking about

8. How accessible are resources and support?

9. Are groups working in harmony across the organization?

10. Observe the reaction to critical incidents; to remedial and repair strategies

11. Notice the behaviors that are rewarded or ignored

Leading

Working with first job immigrants

What can you do?

Real Empathy

Understand Their Culture

Tight Feedback loop

Sports Coach

In the moment

Forgiveness

Disappears if the

pile gets too big

This cycle

means the

behaviours

Have

repeated

before

feedback is

received

Actual Diversity of Thought

Tension-Tolerant Collaboration

Sometimes,

leaders confuse collaboration with consensus and harmony,

which can slow teams’ progress and make them less effective..

Being able to lead collaborative teams with the

appropriate level of tension and constructive debate that will lead to innovative ideas

and timely results that can get to market at the time when consumers are looking for solutions

Healthy conflict is important

Ever been in a meeting when no one speaks up but should..

A lack of Psychological Safety

..show and employ one's self without fear of negative

consequences :

1. Of self-image

2. Status

3. career

When team members are motivated at work and want to share an

idea for improving performance, they frequently do not speak up

because they fear that they will be harshly judged

Shared Understanding

Counter Loneliness

My fears

Visa Process at Enova is Good

Why employ someone diverse?

Eric

Canada

Intense

Empathic

Open

UK

Passionate

Really F***ing Hilarious

Hard Grafter

Enthusiasm

Gorgeous/Darling

Uncertainty on Visas

Lonelinesses -> Work

Eric

Where is Eric in the cycle

Emotional recovery

Making Eric stronger

Physical training

Games

Writing

The ice swirled around in the glass, lifting it to his lips he let the vodka soak into his inner lip, whilst the

iced burned his outer. It came with a memory of little girl laughing. Hah, this was good vodka, slipping the

bottle into his рюкзак.

He had waited a long time for this journey. He laughed deeply, it echoed throughout the ship.. fuck he

actually felt happy.

Stepping over the bodies he headed through the airlock. It was time to bring death.

Finding my tribe

Improv classes

1871 Mentor

End of Talk

How tohelp immigrants of a different city or country

1. Check you have shared understanding

2. Give feedback directly in the moment where possible

3. Take time to understand their culture and share yours

4. Help counter loneliness and isolation

5. Help them feel safe to speak up

a. Approach conflict as a collaborator, not an adversary

b. Replace blame with curiosity

Appendix

Extra Resources

Adapt to a New Culture – but Don’t Go Too Far

https://hbr.org/2014/07/adapt-to-a-new-culture-but-dont-go-too-far

Four Common Stages of Cultural Adjustments

https://www.princeton.edu/oip/practical-matters/Cultural-Adjustment.pdf

How to Successfully Work Across Countries, Languages, and Cultures

https://hbr.org/2017/08/how-to-successfully-work-across-countries-languages-and-cultures

Where Worlds Collide:Leading across cultures

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/482071.When_Cultures_Collide

Differences between US and UK

●There are no guns

●There are too many narrow stairs

●The pubs close too early

●Brits drive on the left

●Look right, walk left. Again; look right,

walk left. You're welcome.

●Pubs are not bars, they are community

living rooms

●You'd better like peas, potatoes and

sausage

●Refrigerators and washing machines are

very small

●Everything is generally older, smaller and

shorter

●People don't seem to be afraid of their

neighbors or the government

●Their paper money makes sense, the

coins don't

●Everyone has a washing machine but

driers are rare

●Hot and cold water faucets. Remember

them?

●Pants are called "trousers", underwear are

"pants" and sweaters are "jumpers"

●The bathroom light is a string hanging

from the ceiling

●"Fanny", "shag" are sexual references

●All the signs are well designed with

beautiful typography and written in full

sentences with proper grammar.

●Doors close by themselves, but they don't

always open

●Brits eat with their forks upside down

●It's not that hard to eat with the fork in

your left hand with a little practice. If you

don't, everyone knows you're an American

●The English are as crazy about their

gardens as Americans are about cars

●They don't seem to use facecloths or

napkins or maybe they're just less messy

than we are

●The wall outlets all have switches,

●There are hardly any police cars

●When you do see police they seem to be

in male & female pairs and often smiling

●Everything comes with chips, which are

French Fries. You put vinegar on them

●Cookies are "biscuits" and potato chips

are "crisps"

●HP sauce is better then catsup

●Obama is considered a hero, Bush is

considered an idiot.

●After fish and chips, curry is the most

popular food

●The water controls in showers need

detailed instructions

●It's not unusual to see people dressed

different and speaking different languages

●US electronic devices will work fine with

just a plug adapter

●If someone buys you a drink you must do

the same

●Avoid British wine and French beer

●Many of the roads are the size of

American sidewalks

●There's no AC

●Instead of turning the heat up, you put on

a jumper

●Gas is "petrol", it costs about $6 a gallon

and is sold by the liter

●If you speed on a motorway, you get a

ticket. Period. Always

●You don't have to tip, really!

●Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Cornwall

really are different nations

●most everyone in the UK has a passport

●You pay the price marked on products

because the taxes (VAT) are built in

●Walking is the national pastime

●They took the street signs down during

WWII, but haven't put them all back up yet

●Everyone enjoys a good joke

●There are no window screens

●You can get on a bus and end up in Paris

●Brits know their history then we do

●Radio is still a big deal. The BBC is quite

good

●The newspapers can be awful especially

Tabloids

●Everything costs the same but US money

is worth less so you have to add 50% to the

price to figure what you're paying

●Beer comes in large, completely filled,

actual pint glasses and the closer the

brewery the better the beer

●Butter and eggs aren't refrigerated

●The beer isn't warm, each style is served

at the proper temperature

●Cider (alcoholic) is quite good. Excess

cider consumption can be very painful.

●The universal greeting is "Cheers"

(pronounced "cheeahz" unless you are

from Cornwall, in which case it's "chairz")

●The money is easy to understand: 1-2-5-

10-20-50 pence, £1-£2 coins and £5-£10,

etc bills. There are no quarters.

●Their cash makes ours look like Monopoly

money

●Cars don't have bumper stickers

●Many doorknobs, buildings and tools are

older than America

●By law, there are no crappy, old cars

●When the sign says something was built

in 456, they didn't lose the "1"

●Cake is is pudding, ice cream is pudding,

anything served for desert is pudding, even

pudding

●BBC 4 is NPR

●Everything closes by 1800 (6pm)

●Very few people smoke, those who do

often roll their own

●You're defined by your accent

●No one in Cornwall knows what the hell a

Cornish Game Hen is

●Football is a religion, religion is a sport

●Europeans dress better than the British

●The trains work: a three minute delay is

regrettable

●Drinks don't come with ice

●There are a lot of healthy old folks around

participating in life instead of hiding at

home watching tv

●If you're over 60, you get free tv and bus

and rail passes.

●Displaying your political or religious

affiliation is considered very bad taste

●UK healthcare works, but they still bitch

about it

●Cake is one of the major food groups

●UK coffee is mediocre but the tea is

wonderful

A2 - Culture Shock phases

Phase I - The Honeymoon

1. During this initial period participants often feel excited to embark on their new journey. You are open to trying new

things and exploring your host country.

Phase 2 - The Rejection

1. You may miss your usual ways of dealing with school, work, relationships, and everyday life.

2. You may find yourself studying for hours, longer than your classmates and colleagues because of language

differences. If you are trying to speak and listen to a new language every day and trying to understand how things

are done, it may feel like an overwhelming effort.

3. You may feel homesick and idealize your life back home, while being highly critical of life in your new community.

Feeling frustrated, angry, anxious, or even depressed is not uncommon.

4. You may experience minor health problems and/or disruptions in sleeping and eating patterns.

5. Your motivation may diminish, and you may feel like withdrawing from your new friends. This is a natural reaction to

living in a new culture.

Phase 3 - The Recovery

1. It is important to understand that as time passes you will be better able to enjoy your new surroundings.

2. Your feelings and attitudes about living in a new country may improve, but you may never get to the high level

experienced during the first phase.

3. You may become more relaxed, regain your self-confidence, and enjoy life in your new country. Major obstacles that

occurred in the earlier phases, such as misunderstandings and mistakes, will be easily understood and resolved.

Ways to Diminish Feelings of Culture Shock

1. "Plunge" into your host culture and wrestle with the differences.

2. Keep an open mind; it is natural to have preconceived ideas and beliefs that come into question while abroad.

3. Athletic activities like team sports or taking walks may be helpful.

4. Get to know others at your host school or organization.

5. Do not isolate yourself.

6. Find a local person with whom you can discuss your frustrations and encounters.

7. Learn as much as you can about your host culture.

8. Maintain a support structure with others, particularly those going through the same experience. However, do not

retreat into a clique" to avoid the discomfort of culture shock.

Moving to the US -> Blog Post

A2 - UK/US Difference

Love of State vs Federal

Tipping

..unless your an immigrant

No taxation without representation

Words

Fanny, Pants, Biscuits vs cookies, chips are BIG fat fries, It’s petrol, not gas,

Truck vs boot, sweaters are "jumpers" , Shag, vest

Sugar

Race a lot of segregation

Religion not really separate

American Confidence

Workaholics

High cost of breaking social norms

A3 - UK/US Negotiation Diff

UK Negotiation

A4 – What did I give up

Keeping long distance friends