How to communicate effectively in the Anglo-Saxon world? Simplicity, precision and efficiency
February 3, 2025
Simplicity, precision, efficiency:
Global working language
First of all, an important distinction. Communication in Anglo-Saxon countries is not the same as communication in English. The former refers to countries that are characterized by linguistic proximity but also shared legal, institutional and cultural traditions resulting from the historical influence of the United Kingdom. In addition to the aforementioned United Kingdom, the Anglo-Saxon countries include the United States of America, Canada and Australia, as well as New Zealand, Ireland, and to a lesser extent, the Republic of South Africa and some Caribbean countries (e.g. Jamaica).
On the other hand, communication in English is a consequence of political and economic transformations, as a result of which English has become the global code of business communication. Currently, this language is spoken by about 1.5 billion people worldwide, of which more than a billion have learned it, i.e. they have acquired it for business or educational purposes. The influence of English is demonstrated by the fact that nearly 80% of all information published on the Internet is available in this language, and more than 70% of global corporations such as Apple, Toyota, Shell, Samsung and Siemens use English as their everyday working language.
The inhabitants of Anglo-Saxon countries are characterized by a cultural specificity in communication, which can be surprising, confusing and sometimes even outrageous for people outside this cultural circle.
Straight to the point
In English-speaking countries, short sentences are standard, allowing thoughts to be communicated quickly and effectively. For example, in business emails, people avoid unnecessary embellishments or formalisms, focusing on the substance. When asking for help with a matter, instead of writing: “I would like to request your assistance with this matter”, our US colleague will most likely shorten the statement to the direct: “Can you help me?” The brevity of the English language does not come from nowhere. It is characterized by grammatical simplicity, or as specialists would say, this language has a reduced inflection and a trace presence of grammatical gender compared to other European languages. To put it simply, it lacks complicated forms of nouns and verbs, which in turn translates into a way of communication in which we generally strive for clarity, precision and brevity.
Category 1 language
The simplicity of English is, after all, its greatest asset. The language is categorized as a Category 1 language. After spending 400 to 600 hours learning it, we are able to use it to a communicative degree. In contrast, in category 4, languages that require the longest learning time, such as Arabic, Mandarin or Korean, require at least 2,200 hours of learning to achieve basic proficiency.
Effectiveness above all
The Anglo-Saxon focus on communicative effectiveness has several consequences that are worth bearing in mind in a business context. Business conversations usually have a clearly defined structure. Before the meeting, a specific agenda is set, as well as its duration, which is only exceeded in exceptional circumstances (according to the principle that time is money). During meetings, topics outside the previously agreed agenda are rarely discussed. The English believe that the agenda is sent out so that everyone can prepare for the meeting. Bringing up topics that are not on the agenda is considered rude because it can put someone in a bad light. Especially if the person does not know the answer to a question that is asked out of the blue.
We, myself and I
People in Anglo-Saxon countries are raised to be individualistic and independent, which is also reflected in their communication style. They freely express their opinions, ideas and observations during discussions, even if this means interrupting other speakers. Common phrases used to indicate the subjectivity of a statement and to leave room for a variety of points of view are “In my opinion...”, “I think...”, or “From my perspective...”. . It is therefore worth remembering to check during negotiations whether certain decisions or opinions are someone's personal point of view or the official position of a company or institution.
“You” instead of “Sir”
Communication in Anglo-Saxon countries is considered to be informal. What does this mean? There are no formal titles or elaborate greetings (with the possible exception of a visit to His Majesty King Charles III). In many situations, especially in a professional environment, the proposal to call each other by their first name arises relatively quickly, even in relationships with a superior.
Unlike in most cultures around the world, where interpersonal relationships play an important and sometimes crucial role, in Anglo-Saxon countries, it is the result that counts above all else. For this reason, small talk is kept to a minimum, which can give the impression that the person is not being given enough attention and is therefore being treated with disrespect.
Informality also means a tendency to use colloquial expressions or abbreviations that are difficult for non-native speakers to decipher (such as EOD in the sentence “Can you send me the report by EOD?”, which stands for End Of Day).
Although this informal style of communication can be difficult to understand for people from more formal, hierarchical and ceremonial cultures, this type of communication has at least three important advantages: it allows for a quick exchange of information, it reduces the distance between interlocutors and it facilitates the establishment of relationships in an international environment.
The business card of e-mail
One of the basic rules of cross-cultural business etiquette is that the best business card is a minimalist one, i.e. simple, clear and containing only the necessary information. This rule has been transferred to e-mail signatures in Anglo-Saxon countries. The common standard for all these countries is transparency and readability. Uncomplicated, simple formats are preferred here. Too many colors, graphics or complicated fonts that can make it difficult to read the content are avoided. The aim is to ensure that, regardless of where in the world the e-mail is received, no one has any difficulty understanding the information in the e-mail signature.
Standard Anglo-Saxon e-mail signatures contain two to four elements:
- Contact details: name, position, company, telephone number, e-mail address, sometimes office address and company logo,
- Confidentiality clauses and disclaimers regarding privacy and liability for the information sent,
- Optional: icons that link to the company's LinkedIn, Xing or Facebook profiles
- Optional: links to the company blog, newsletter subscription or product news (or standard marketing call-to-action measures).
There are subtle differences between the various Anglo-Saxon countries.
In the United States of America, more emphasis is placed on aesthetics and branding. E-mail signatures are a bit more elaborate and may include the company's marketing slogans and links to websites.
The United Kingdom, on the other hand, is the most conservative when it comes to the information included in e-mail signatures. Signatures and information are kept simple, and there is a much greater emphasis on compliance with regulations.
In Australia and Canada, e-mail signatures are less formal than in the UK, but more functional than in the USA. It is also worth remembering that bilingual English-French e-mail signatures are popular in Canada, due to historical traditions.
In addition, the USA and the UK have strict regulations regarding electronic business communication, which are reflected in e-mail signatures. For example, according to the UK Companies Act 2006, company e-mail signatures must include the company's full name, registration address and identification number. The US CAN-SPAM Act, on the other hand, requires full company contact information, including telephone number and postal address. For each violation of the law, the law provides for a penalty of up to $50,000.
Minimalist variants
As a rule, Anglo-Saxon e-mail signatures of institutions and companies most often use four technical formats.
- Simple and concise – only the most important information about the person sending the message.
- Formal with legal information – in addition to the basic data, a legal formula is added, such as: Confidentiality Notice: This email and its contents are confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender and delete this email immediately (Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail and its contents are confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender and delete this e-mail immediately).
- With branding and links – a minimalist e-mail signature with the company logo and links to the institution's social media.
- With CTA (Call-to-Action) – the most elaborate e-mail signature, which includes a link to the company blog or newsletter in addition to social media links.
Summary
Communication in Anglo-Saxon countries is characterized by simplicity, precision and effectiveness. Communication based on brevity and individuality facilitates functioning in an international environment, although it can be a challenge for people from more formalized cultures. Ultimately, when interacting with partners from Anglo-Saxon countries, it is worth remembering the golden rule: “First, say what you intend to say. Then say it. And finally, repeat what you just said.” In a word, precision, efficiency and minimalism.
When preparing the article, I used:
- G. Dorren, Babel. In twenty languages around the world, Karakter, Krakow 2019,
- G. Dorren, Gadka. In sixty languages around Europe, Karakter, Krakow 2021,
- Foreign Language Training, Foreign Service Institute, https://www.state.gov/foreign-language-training/ 907.01.2025 ),
- R. D. Lewis, When cultures collide. Leading across cultures, wd. Nicholas Brealey International, Boston-London 2007.