Plan for What Might Go Wrong

Americans approach agreements by thinking about what might happen in the future and addressing potential problems in advance. Contracts specify what happens if things go wrong. Policies address situations that might arise.

This forward-looking orientation treats agreements as tools for managing uncertainty. Americans prefer to establish terms for contingencies while everyone is being reasonable rather than negotiate under the pressure of an actual dispute.

This produces the detailed documentation characteristic of American agreements—longer and more comprehensive than you might expect. The goal is to make the agreement a complete guide to the relationship that can handle whatever arises.