Innovative Express
"Improving effectiveness by making the complex simple and making the simple work!"
April 2008
In this issue:
Globalization, defined as money transfer across borders, has been around for nearly a century. But in this brave new world of global interdependence, we are joined at the hip with the rest of the world.
In this issue, I explore the challenge of bridging the cultural divide. FYI: This month I have integrated the Personally Speaking anecdotes directly in the main body of the newsletter itself.
Inspired to agree, disagree, or otherwise comment? Have an interesting or humorous story to share? I hope that you will let me know your thoughts.
Abhay Padgaonkar
President, Innovative Solutions Consulting, LLC
Quick Update: Googlies to save your meeting?
In the age of globalization, understanding of local custom is invaluable for business executives representing their companies around the world. Faux Pas, a column written in the Wall Street Journal online written by Emily Flitter, looks at how to avoid the false steps.
Her column earlier this month called How Googlies Could Save Your Meeting talked about the importance of knowing more about a sport like Cricket that is played in much of the former British Empire. I was quoted in the article on how sport terminology enters our day-to-day English language
I was also invited on Annie Armen Live, one of the most popular and enduring live radio shows on Voice America network to talk about cultural networking and cultivation. Take a listen. (I was sweating profusely, but I had a blast and developed a great friendship in the process with Hurricane Annie Armen.)
Recognizing Different Shades of Gray
Outward appearances can be quite deceptive. People all over the world are starting to dress similarly, speak a common language, shop in the same places, watch the same movies, follow the same news, listen to the same music, eat similar foods, and even play the same videogames live with kids from all over the world. This seeming kinship we have developed, however, can be quite misleading. It is easy to mistake this outward similarity for cultural similarity around the world.
A lot of attention is paid to differences in observable customs and etiquettes related to how we eat, greet, and meet. But there are much deeper differences among us. These differences in our worldview are responsible for differences in how we communicate, relate, interact, and work with people from different cultural backgrounds.
Why bother? If these differences are not understood and reconciled, they can very easily lead to miscommunication, misunderstanding, irritation, name-calling, finger-pointing, strained and even failed relationships. Now, that would be a shame because we have so much to learn from each other. And all that can be negated by our unwillingness to recognize and accept that different people look at the world through a different lens.
One size doesn't fit all
Now, it's not easy to pigeonhole an entire country of 300 million like the U.S., let alone a country of over a billion people like India. There is always a danger when we generalize anything across such a large populace. It is important to remember that when we generalize, the things we say are "generally" true—not in every situation in case of every individual every time.
By generalizing aren't we stereotyping, and isn't that unfair? Not quite. There are subtle differences between generalizing and stereotyping. Danielle Walker et al in their book, "Doing Business Internationally" (McGraw Hill) draw an excellent distinction between generalizing versus stereotyping. Inherent in stereotyping is a closed, judgmental, and biased (positive or negative) attitude. Whereas generalizations are rules of thumb based on open attitude subject to review, change, and learning. Generalization leaves the possibility open that the initial hypothesis may or may not apply to every individual. Generalization also recognizes that cultural boundaries are not the same as geographic, racial, or national boundaries.
How we interact with our environment
The U.S. environment is goal and achievement oriented. It is focused on task at hand and rewards getting things done. Americans tend to define themselves in terms of what they do for a living and their individual accomplishments. There is a sense of meritocracy and "it's what you know and what you can do" that counts the most.
By contrast, the culture in India (as in many other countries) is relationship oriented. The focus is on building trust. People are rewarded for compatibility and being team players. Indians tend to define themselves in terms of the lineage, caste, family, and philosophical views. Their mantra is "it's who you know" that matters the most. In this environment, more time is spent socializing, building relationships, and developing consensus.
You can probably see how a typical American can become frustrated with the looser structure, lack of sense of urgency, and waste of precious time. By contrast, he or she would be perceived as aggressive, controlling, insensitive, and impatient!
Personally Speaking: Americans are often surprised by how much influence families in India have on their children's education, profession, career, lifestyle, choice of a mate, and when and how many children to have. I have been recruiting Internal Medical doctors in the U.S., many of whom are originally from India. So far, I have had a father-in-law call to find out about a job on his son-in-law's behalf, a fiancée call for her boyfriend, and a candidate wonder whether he was expected to bring his wife to the job interview.
How we view time
Consistent with the control orientation prevalent in the U.S., Americans tend to view time as money. Punctuality is highly valued and delays cause anxiety and frustration. There is a feeling that time is a precious commodity not to be wasted. You are expected to speak to the point and not waste time by rambling on. Americans are armed with their planning guides and "to do" lists ready to conquer father time. Indians by contrast recognize that time is important, but are not as uptight about it. Time is much more loosely defined and is seen as a means to an end—not an end unto itself. It's clearly something to be managed, but there is no point in being so particular about it. Deadlines and appointment times are seen as general guidelines and not as rigid rules. There are other equally important things to worry about such as relationships and family commitments.
You can guess how a typical American can become frustrated with the seemingly cavalier attitude, unprofessional behavior, delays, and missed deadlines. By contrast, he or she would be seen as rigid, irritable, impatient, and obsessed with time alone rather than overall quality. For more on this topic, see Time Runs Differently in the Emirates column here.
Personally Speaking: There is an inside joke about "Indian Standard Time" to indicate that it can be plus or minus (usually plus) 60-90 minutes from the appointed time. Recently, I waited for someone of Indian origin to call me at 5:30 PM as agreed never to get a call, only to get an apology later by email saying that she was tied up with her daughter's important test preparation.
How we express ourselves
Americans rely on the more direct, low-context way of communicating. They believe in "telling it like it is." And that's why communication in the U.S. is typically direct, explicit, and written. Americans believe in making direct eye contact and not beating around the bush. It is concise and to the point yet informal and on a first- name basis.
In other parts of the world including in India, communication is indirect, implicit, and expressive. You have to pay attention to the many non-verbal clues to figure out what someone really means. In this high- context environment, what you see is not what you always get. There are many different ways of nonverbal communication including, facial expressions, tone of voice, gestures, body language, touch, and personal space. Communication avoids direct eye contact, public conflict, and embarrassment. Saying "no" directly or putting the other person on the spot is considered disrespectful.
Once again, you can only imagine the confused state of mind a typical American is likely to experience moving from an explicit to implicit communication. The potential for misunderstanding is enormous. "No" is rarely given as an answer and "Yes" can mean yes, no, or maybe? Americans are likely to see the Indians as distrustful, evasive, and wishy-washy. The Indians are likely to view the Americans as taking things too literally, cold, crass, and patronizing.
Personally Speaking: An audit team from a European country also characterized by fluid time orientation was supposed to visit the clinical facility in India at 2 PM. They didn't come around till well after 3 PM and then there was the introductions over snacks and tea. The problem was that the Principal Investigator representing the facility, a pretty prominent team member as far as the audit was concerned, had a flight to catch and needed to leave no later than 7 PM. I suggested that we make this constraint very clear to the audit team at the outset. My Indian colleagues immediately vetoed the idea and decided to play it by the ear and see what happens as time goes on. Fortunately, all the audit formalities were completed in time and the need for him to slip out the back door never arose!
How we view ourselves
Americans are brought up to believe that they are their own person. They need to be independent and self-reliant. All men are created equal and that there is a similar application of rules for all. Nobody is above the law or deserving of special treatment. There is an equal opportunity for all. Each individual does what's best and takes responsibility for himself or herself. Individual contributions and accomplishments are prized and rewarded. Drive, motivation, and determination are taught, encouraged, and expected at a very young age.
By now, I am sure you know that this is not necessarily how the rest of the world including India operates. They believe that there is no 'I' in the word TEAM. Group interests supersede individual interests. There is strength in numbers and interdependence. You are expected to make personal sacrifices for others. Camaraderie and teamwork are paramount. At the same time, there is recognition that because of one's lineage, education, family ties, or position, some people are more equal than others, as long as it's not totally blatant. Rules are mere guidelines meant to be broken and bypassed if one can get away with it by using influence, bribes, nepotism, and favoritism.
Americans typically react to this orientation with horror. They get easily flustered by this decision by committee approach. Of course, there are U.S. laws like FCPA against paying bribes. They tend to see Indians as unethical, unreliable, and unwilling to take accountability for themselves. Indians tend to view Americans as unabashedly selfish, disloyal, and inconsiderate.
Personally Speaking: I know of a few people who have given their parents and family elders a veto power over the choice of their mate so as not to disrespect their wisdom achieved through age
How we view relationships
Keeping with the view that all men are created equal, Americans believe that everyone has the same rights and responsibilities. This results in less hierarchical and less bureaucratic structures. Titles, status, and rank clearly matter, but not nearly as much. Others' opinions matter in a relationship and deferential or status-conscious behavior is not tolerated very well.
Stratifications and classes, whether based on position, religion, caste, and authority, are seen as necessary for proper functioning of the society in India. Going through formal channels to get things done is considered important. Educational achievements are highly valued and so are titles, degrees, and age. Knowing your place in the scheme of things, behaving accordingly, and respecting the hierarchy are considered essential social etiquettes.
Americans can easily get frustrated with this seemingly submissive approach and inability to speak their mind. They can have trouble grasping their status and role in a relationship and showing appropriate deference. They can see Indians as too formal, pretentious, and placing respect for authority higher than the job ay hand. Indians on the other hand tend to view American behavior as loud, disrespectful, and contrarian.
Personally Speaking: A friend went to India for her high school reunion. The main event was over, but people were still hanging around talking to the teachers late into the night. Several people visiting from the U.S., said cordial good-byes and went back to their rooms to go to bed. The next day, they got chewed out by their Indian friends for being disrespectful to the teachers by leaving before they did.
Recognizing Different Shades of Gray
Culture is nothing but how we go about doing things and what (mostly unwritten) rules of engagement we follow. It is a complex, dynamic, and often contradictory set of values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. In this increased age of globalization, being able to communicate and work effectively across cultures will become increasingly important. Whether you are establishing new markets overseas, importing or exporting products or services, outsourcing processes, or participating on multi- cultural project teams, being able to bridge the cultural divide and being culturally competent is becoming a necessity
Keep an open mind: Recognize that it's not good, or bad, it's just different. Try to observe with an open mind without evaluating or judging. Different is okay! This would be too boring a world if everyone was exactly the same like us.
Know yourself: As Lao Tse said, "He who knows others is learned. He who knows himself is wise." Everything we do is based on our own culture. Learn more about yourself by taking a cultural orientation assessments, but keep in mind that simply taking an assessment or cultural training cannot change your long-held beliefs and attitudes.
Broaden your horizons: You can choose not to fall into a rut. Don't become too comfortable with the same old, same old. Welcome an opportunity to see, eat, dress, or experience something different. In fact, go out of your way to seek an opportunity to learn about cultural, social, political, economic trends that may be different from yours. Educate yourself. Here are some resources to help increase your knowledge and deepen your insights
CIA Fact Book. It lists history, population, government, military, geographic, and economic information for every nation.
Doing Business Internationally: The Guide To Cross- Cultural Success. This book addresses the impact of cultural diversity on international business by breaking the complexities of cultural differences into value orientations, put in the context of ten variables: environment, time, action, communication, space, power, individualism, competitiveness, structure, and thinking.
Cultural Guides. Organizations such as Training Management Corp and Kuperard publish essential information on attitudes, beliefs and behavior in different countries. They provide a comprehensive overview of dominant business cultures around the globe to manage cross- cultural interactions more effectively.
Go there. There is no substitute to actually being there and experiencing the sights, sounds, foods, people, languages, religions, festivals, places of worship, arts, music, architecture, political system, family structures, and business environments. But don't be fooled by observable appearances alone. Be attuned to deeper value orientations that lie below the surface that make us different. Recognize and appreciate these differences without being judgmental.
Don't be afraid to break out of your cocoon and experience the wonderful world that is out there. What's the worst that could happen? You will enjoy it even more if you are open, flexible, and adaptable.
Bon Voyage!
Disclaimer: "This written advice is absolutely intended to be used, and if used under expert supervision is known to improve organizational and individual effectiveness substantially."
© Abhay Padgaonkar 2007. All Rights Reserved.