Cultural Differences 2. Colleagues from India
I work in the Israeli branch of a large American company. We have to work a lot with Indians and Americans, even there are groups in which some people are in another country.
Therefore, once a year we conduct seminars on cultural differences. How to communicate with colleagues from other countries.
My first story was about the Americans .
Today is about the Indians.
I work a lot with Indians. There is even an “Indian” Indian architect in the company, just like me, who, together with me, was responsible for the Business Logic of our new application. At that time, we talked with him on a messenger or by phone every day, I patronized him during my visits to Israel, brought him to Jerusalem on my own initiative, and even invited him home.
I have an excellent relationship with him (although not without friction), but, as it turned out, I didn’t do everything right :)
Firstly, everything that I wrote about Americans in terms of “soft” expressions is true for Indians and generally for everyone. When communicating with anyone, it’s better to say “Great idea, I only have a few corrections” in a situation where you think “What nonsense !?”.
But there is a specificity. The issues of racial political correctness of the Indians concern less, but the questions of “loss of face” - more.
In general, they explained to us that the most important thing in eastern cultures (Japan is more, India is less, but the idea is the same) is not to lose face. Those. if you tell a subordinate that the boss made a mistake, he loses his face. On the contrary, too. In a letter with the words “You forgot this and that”, adding a boss to the CC is unimaginable. The subordinate is unthinkable. In general, something even a little negative can only be in a personal letter.
There are also questions of responsibility. To the question "will you have time to do this?" most likely they will answer “yes”, especially if the letter is in the CC letter. And then they won’t do it. Of course, many people already think in the Western way and can answer directly, but it’s better not to take risks, ask “By what time do you have time to do this?”
In India, high-tech workers belong to one (or two) castes, but caste issues are not discussed with them.
They all have excellent English, but often have a difficult to understand accent.
“My” Hindu told me that the British left them two wonderful things - an excellent railway system and an excellent education. The status of a teacher is high in any region of the country, even despite the non-salary. (Hmm. What a contrast with Israel. Although there were British, the situation with the railways and school education is sad).
Do not forget that Indians do not eat beef, and some even vegetarians. Keep this in mind when you take your colleagues from India for lunch (I, of course, took my “Indian” to an Arab meat restaurant).
Like Americans (or maybe more), Indians tend to follow the rules and not improvise.
In fact, there was not much about India and Indians on the course - 30 percent, the rest - about the general rules. It was remembered that socks during a business trip should be dark (light - for sports) and long (so that hairy legs do not show).
They showed different scales.
1. For example, a context scale. How important is the context and subtext in the conversation.
At one end of the scale is Japan, there is a lot in the conversation implied, at the other - Israel. In our country, as they say, they cut the truth of the uterus.
2. The scale of the ratio of the strength of the boss and subordinates. At one end are those cultures where the boss decides everything and everything is responsible (Asian cultures), at the other end are those where the difference between the subordinate and the boss is minimal (Israel). Their jaws fall when at the meetings the Israelis say to the boss - "What are you, Yosi, foolish, what nonsense are you talking about?"
3. A scale where, at one end of the culture, in which the relationship between people in business is more important than the result, and at the other, those where the result is important and that’s it. Israeli high-tech (not all of Israel!) To the extremes of the result. They gave an example. They asked us who such a professional is. Well, we threw in there about knowledge, efficiency, etc. Long list. And when asked in Thailand, they said that, professional, this is the one who always walks in a suit. At the end where relations are the most important thing - Arabs and African countries (they say, if you don’t start relations, there is no chance of business success)
4. The scale on which cultures are oriented to the past (on the edge, again, Arabs and Africa), at the other end are oriented to the future (States), and Israel is focused on the present, so the Israelis are considered specialists in solving problems.
PS About the scales - for what I bought, for what I sold, not I came up with them! And I didn’t specifically write where our lecturer positioned Russia on these scales, so that they would not accuse me here later that I shot poisoned bullets at Lenin at the Michelson factory :)
UPD. Okay - convinced. On the scale “past future” - Russia is one of those who look into the past. On the scale “relationship-result” - in the middle, closer to “relationship”. On others - I do not remember.
UPD2. I add on the advice of dulepov: the gestures for “yes” and “no” are opposite for them. You tell an Indian something, but he shakes his head in the negative! It turns out he just confirms "yes, I understand!"
Tomorrow - about the Japanese
Therefore, once a year we conduct seminars on cultural differences. How to communicate with colleagues from other countries.
My first story was about the Americans .
Today is about the Indians.
I work a lot with Indians. There is even an “Indian” Indian architect in the company, just like me, who, together with me, was responsible for the Business Logic of our new application. At that time, we talked with him on a messenger or by phone every day, I patronized him during my visits to Israel, brought him to Jerusalem on my own initiative, and even invited him home.
I have an excellent relationship with him (although not without friction), but, as it turned out, I didn’t do everything right :)
Firstly, everything that I wrote about Americans in terms of “soft” expressions is true for Indians and generally for everyone. When communicating with anyone, it’s better to say “Great idea, I only have a few corrections” in a situation where you think “What nonsense !?”.
But there is a specificity. The issues of racial political correctness of the Indians concern less, but the questions of “loss of face” - more.
In general, they explained to us that the most important thing in eastern cultures (Japan is more, India is less, but the idea is the same) is not to lose face. Those. if you tell a subordinate that the boss made a mistake, he loses his face. On the contrary, too. In a letter with the words “You forgot this and that”, adding a boss to the CC is unimaginable. The subordinate is unthinkable. In general, something even a little negative can only be in a personal letter.
There are also questions of responsibility. To the question "will you have time to do this?" most likely they will answer “yes”, especially if the letter is in the CC letter. And then they won’t do it. Of course, many people already think in the Western way and can answer directly, but it’s better not to take risks, ask “By what time do you have time to do this?”
In India, high-tech workers belong to one (or two) castes, but caste issues are not discussed with them.
They all have excellent English, but often have a difficult to understand accent.
“My” Hindu told me that the British left them two wonderful things - an excellent railway system and an excellent education. The status of a teacher is high in any region of the country, even despite the non-salary. (Hmm. What a contrast with Israel. Although there were British, the situation with the railways and school education is sad).
Do not forget that Indians do not eat beef, and some even vegetarians. Keep this in mind when you take your colleagues from India for lunch (I, of course, took my “Indian” to an Arab meat restaurant).
Like Americans (or maybe more), Indians tend to follow the rules and not improvise.
In fact, there was not much about India and Indians on the course - 30 percent, the rest - about the general rules. It was remembered that socks during a business trip should be dark (light - for sports) and long (so that hairy legs do not show).
They showed different scales.
1. For example, a context scale. How important is the context and subtext in the conversation.
At one end of the scale is Japan, there is a lot in the conversation implied, at the other - Israel. In our country, as they say, they cut the truth of the uterus.
2. The scale of the ratio of the strength of the boss and subordinates. At one end are those cultures where the boss decides everything and everything is responsible (Asian cultures), at the other end are those where the difference between the subordinate and the boss is minimal (Israel). Their jaws fall when at the meetings the Israelis say to the boss - "What are you, Yosi, foolish, what nonsense are you talking about?"
3. A scale where, at one end of the culture, in which the relationship between people in business is more important than the result, and at the other, those where the result is important and that’s it. Israeli high-tech (not all of Israel!) To the extremes of the result. They gave an example. They asked us who such a professional is. Well, we threw in there about knowledge, efficiency, etc. Long list. And when asked in Thailand, they said that, professional, this is the one who always walks in a suit. At the end where relations are the most important thing - Arabs and African countries (they say, if you don’t start relations, there is no chance of business success)
4. The scale on which cultures are oriented to the past (on the edge, again, Arabs and Africa), at the other end are oriented to the future (States), and Israel is focused on the present, so the Israelis are considered specialists in solving problems.
PS About the scales - for what I bought, for what I sold, not I came up with them! And I didn’t specifically write where our lecturer positioned Russia on these scales, so that they would not accuse me here later that I shot poisoned bullets at Lenin at the Michelson factory :)
UPD. Okay - convinced. On the scale “past future” - Russia is one of those who look into the past. On the scale “relationship-result” - in the middle, closer to “relationship”. On others - I do not remember.
UPD2. I add on the advice of dulepov: the gestures for “yes” and “no” are opposite for them. You tell an Indian something, but he shakes his head in the negative! It turns out he just confirms "yes, I understand!"
Tomorrow - about the Japanese