Reach
Americans make less of a distinction between their core team and teams in ever wider organizational concentric circles. They believe that information fundamentally belongs to the entire company. If knowledge is relevant to colleagues elsewhere in the organization, they should have access to it.
This reflects a belief that the organization is one team. Boundaries between departments or divisions are administrative conveniences, not walls. Information that helps the company should flow to wherever it can do the most good. Examples
Value
Americans believe that information is of value only to the extent that it can be converted into action. Knowledge that sits unused is knowledge wasted. In the United States, knowing and doing always beats just knowing.
This reflects an action-oriented culture where results matter more than potential. Information is a means to an end, not an end in itself. The person who acts on information—who turns knowledge into outcomes—is valued more than the person who merely possesses knowledge. Examples
Obligation
The American logic is give, not get. If an American colleague has information that is relevant to the work of other colleagues or teams, that person is obligated to provide that information proactively. The responsibility lies with the person who has the information to push it outward.
This system assumes that you cannot always know what you do not know. By pushing information outward, the organization ensures that people receive knowledge they might not have thought to request but that could be valuable to their work. Examples
Function
In American teams, information is the lifeblood of communication. Teams function through constant information exchange—updates, alerts, feedback, coordination. Any breakdown in information flow means a breakdown in communication, and that quickly becomes a threat to the team’s overall success.
For Americans, restricting information flow is like restricting blood flow. It weakens the organism. Healthy teams are characterized by open, continuous information exchange. Examples