I assume …

Assumptions are an interesting thing. On one hand, they are an important part of living efficiently – I assume that my car will start in the morning and most times it does, so I don’t waste a whole lot of time thinking about how I’m getting to work. Indeed, our entire existance as humans is based on certain assumptions that we use to get through our day. When those assumptions are proven incorrect, we react within fairly clearly defined parameters and then move on.

That’s a huge part of the challenge of international business – even in a familiar culture, you’ll find that the assumptions underlying your actions are often incorrect, and need to be modified. For example, a German coming to the US opens a bank account, and then wonders where the funds transfer forms are. Why? Well, based on the German banking culture, where wire transfers are the primary form of transaction, he or she assumes that it’s the same with the US banking culture. Of course, in the US, the antiquated but ubiquitous check is still a primary means of payment for most companies, and wire transfers remain a somewhat exotic rarity. Indeed, even those online payment systems usually result in a bank-generated check, not an electronic transfer.

Indeed, much of my initial work with my overseas clients is not drafting documents or setting up corporations, it’s communicating with them about the assumptions underlying business in the US and how they differ from those at home. So, learn to challenge your assumptions in any new country, whether it’s the meaning of “dinner time” or the best way to acquire a new customer. You’ll be glad you did.