Agreements – understand-culture

Yes

A yes in the American context is more the rule than the exception. Americans almost instinctively say yes to assisting a colleague. The American yes, however, has different degrees of firmness. Examples

No

A no in the American context is more the exception than the rule. Americans pride themselves on being can-do people. They feel uncomfortable saying no. They couch their no in affirmative words. Examples

Context

Once Americans enter into an agreement they are in constant contact. They see no reason to go into great depth about the context. But also because they reserve the right to exit the agreement. Examples

Follow-up

In the U.S. follow-up is frequent. Americans enter into many agreements and on a constant basis. Follow-up is how they maintain a common understanding of the status of those agreements. Examples

Deliverables

Americans expect the initial parts of a deliverable as quickly as possible. A partial deliverable early often meets the needs better than the complete product later. Speed beats completeness. Examples