What Brits can Learn from Americans

Just Do It: When faced with an opportunity, just grasp it - instead of working out infinite possible scenarios to talk yourself out of it. Brits Think. Americans Do.

Judge Not: The President wears cowboy boots and jeans. The head of Microsoft shops at The Gap. The average American realises that you can't sum a person up based on a five second meeting - whereas Brits will still make judgements about your place on the totem pole as soon as you've opened your mouth and let them hear your accent.

Don't Pass the Buck: In the office, people screw up from time to time. In Britain, the 'team' will scurry around to try and find the responsible party. Americans are far less interested in assigning blame than they are solving the problem - so the problem gets solved far more quickly.

Drink Real Coffee: Many a Brit has declared 'if a job's worth doing...' while spooning Nescafe into a mug. They should take their own advice - and take a leaf out of the American book - by spending a little more time making real coffee. It improves Monday morning 200%.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive: It's not 'couth' and it's not 'polite' but it gets you one hell of a response. If you want something, ask for it. Politely. Respectfully. Be willing to accept no for an answer. But if you don't ask, you don't get. Most British people will be too worried about 'being polite' to open their mouths in the first place. Americans are far more willing to ask for what they want - and that way, they sometimes get it.