Some glib cliches immediately; Russians don't like being told what to do and the English are too artificially polite and say sorry far too much. There is certainly something going on, even in these initial and lightweight email exchanges and meetings, sorting out what the job involves. I think I am showing that I am knowledgeable and capable by outlining what I intend to do; but increasing feel that it sounds as if I am ordering everyone about - I assume a give-take (customer service?) relationship, when maybe it is a different kind of ritual. And I am well aware that I sound mealy-mouthed, with all my please and thank you and sorry....to the extent that I even want to say sorry for being so ingratiating. But of course, Russians often sound insulting to me, they say things so directly. The potential for taking mistaken umbrage on both sides seems huge.
And this is not trivial. I now learn that a previous (non-Russian) employee was thrown out of the office, not even given time to retrieve her coat and still months later trying to get money owed under her contract. Contracts just don't mean much here, so forging the right kinds of personal relationships (and having some solid leverage if things get sticky) seems the only way to go. But how? Or is this already a misunderstanding?
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