"In the United States, management is much more horizontal, remarked Florian Marciniak on an internship at OTCfin, a financial modeling company. With my direct managers, we drink beers, we go to the restaurant, we talk about sports … "
This observation, many French have done while working in American companies. "France is a country where, as a whole, the hierarchical relations are very important and based on a notion of centralization", analysis Manuelle Charbonneau, Franco-American coach in leadership. She spent as much time in France as in the United States. His experience working in both countries allows him to help French or Americans integrate into their new professional environment on both sides of the Atlantic.
According to the expert, personal initiatives in American companies are much more encouraged: "It's called in the United States" empowerment ", a notion that would be closer to the French term of "responsabilisation". As for the proximity between managers and their employees, this creates an emulation within the company. "It makes people want to go upstairs and it allows people from the top to have influence, describes Manuel Charbonneau. Tvery often, in France, the vertical distance between people is reinforced ".
The American model is very suitable for Florian Marciniak. "There is a friendly team atmosphere. It allows more exchanges. This makes us more productive because we have less apprehension to talk to a manager, it's much more natural. " Same observation for Clémence Morillot, internship in a search engine company. "It's very user-friendly, you can really talk to anyone."
Some, like Alexandre LiMandri, real estate agent based in Los Angeles since 2005, is not always comfortable with this proximity. "It is often said that Americans are wrong, it is true in the work. People will be cooler, more comfortable, smile and talk to everyone. But as soon as the door is closed, it's "you fired me that one". This more relaxed side is only appearance. "
Valentin Jenny shares this observation. In a New York bank for a year-and-a-half, he was struck by the way his superiors return him. "MThe managers always tell me the right things first, with a lot of superlatives – "it's great what you do, it's great" – and they spend improvement points last. " This work initially suited him, reinforcing his motivation, but he soon felt uncomfortable with so much enthusiasm. "VSIt gives me the impression that people will more easily give a truth a little sweetened. It does not make me want to get closer to the colleague in question. "
This reflection does not surprise Manuelle Charbonneau, who considers this lack of critical feedback as an American weakness. "We are here in a culture of coaching, development and encouragement, including with children, to which we will tend to give feedback more closely, she says. It requires adaptation but it is also an ability to read between the lines.
