Living in the Silicon Valley means being around many different languages and cultures every day. In my job working with foreign professionals on their accents, presentation skills and understand the differences between their and the US business world gives me great challenges.

Life here is different. Business has its protocols and as such, they have to be understood. Many people think that since the US is such a relaxed and quite egalitarian culture, there are no hierarchies within a corporation. That isn’t true.

There are certain ways of reacting to and giving comments, for example, within meetings. It is not acceptable to say “no” outright. The formula is, “I don’t know if I quite agree” or, “have you thought about it this way?” People here don’t appreciate abruptness or directness (as it would be called in Germany or Israel) but like it when polite forms of communication are preserved.

Many of the clients I see are amazed to hear a) that these linguistic differences exist and b) that it is quite easy to fit in and not sound like such a rebel when that is certainly not the intention.