This pattern is puzzling because Americans often do tend to be more explicit and direct than the French (or, more precisely, more “low-context,” a term we’ll explore further in a later chapter). The one big exception arises when managers are providing feedback to their subordinates. In a French setting, positive feedback is often given implicitly, while negative feedback is given more directly. In the United States, it’s just the opposite. American managers usually give positive feedback directly while trying to couch negative messages in positive,
This quote was very enlightening: so often as a manager for the past ten years I’ve been trained to take negative feedback and mask it around 2 extra points of positive feedback since Americans can really struggle with directness, especially West Coast colleagues who are ultra delicate. The story of the French person also reminds me so much of us Americans who try to keep everything cheery and can tend to miss out on the importance of being very clear and intentional and communicating areas for improvement.
