My top 35 points:
- Whether in personal or business contexts, establishing relationships with people goes a long way in India.
- India exhibits a prevalent mindset rooted in hierarchy. This hierarchical structure extends beyond distinctions in job titles; it permeates across various domains, including caste, age, and gender.
- People don’t react to you as a person. First they react to your designation, to the car you drive, to the watch you have on, so it’s a lot more materialistic.
- Many people don’t want to take decisions because they were never allowed to take decisions and never taught to take decisions. They will look up to the boss for solutions.
- Given the caliber of junior people, seniors are expected to know the smallest detail.
- One sees examples of leaders who talk of empowering their subordinates but when the latter take decisions that don’t pan out well they don’t always support them.
- The boss may not “get” the message from his colleagues since it may be cloaked by politeness & restraint. People may be hesitant to share what they really think.
- Indians won’t give you negative feedback unless you ask.
- One has grown up learning to accept what parents and teachers say and not challenge or debate with them. This mindset gets carried over to the workplace.
- One’s personal goals are often sacrificed or put on hold for the family. But while Indians can be termed “group oriented” the “group” is a small one, usually the immediate family.
- Saving face is important in many cultures and India is no exception. The phrase “log Kya kahenge” (what will people think) underlines behaviors.
- It’s not often that one sees deeply embedded or robust processes in place, rather it’s the individual who makes things work. So work is more individual dependent and hence more relationship dependent.
- There’s a lot more visual recognition at work, something people can take away and show their families.
- People often take liberties and have no qualms about asking you all kinds of questions. Indians don’t dwell on whether something may be appropriate or not for the other person.
- There’s a lack of respect for personal space. It’s all very casual and acceptable.
- The division between one’s professional and personal lives is not a clear one. Bosses may not think twice about phoning their subordinates late in the evening or even at night.
- People are friendlier compared to the West. In general the atmosphere in an Indian workplace is warm.
- Indians don’t share the same enthusiasm for listening as they do for talking. Indians talk without listening to what the other person is saying, often cutting him off.
- Indians seldom express that they don’t understand something. Culturally this has not been encouraged.
- Indians may write lengthy and rambling emails which may be unclear and confusing. They tend to use 100 words when 10 will do.
- Meetings may not be strictly agenda based and may deviate to other related topics. Meetings can be longish.
- In meetings people contribute a lot but anecdotally & not very research or data led.
- Performance evaluations with Indians can be difficult. Because they believe that they’re all underpaid & deserve higher ratings.
- Indians don’t value the objectivity of a year end appraisal. They will talk about their values. Many will say “I’m honest, frank, committed, showed integrity” etc. “Meets expectations” is seen as a failure.
- Accountability cannot be assumed- it has to be articulated & driven. Expectations have to be clarified. There is a need to follow up.
- Indians will agree to a meeting one month later and as you get closer to the date it will get cancelled. Also, people will confirm and then not turn up.
- People don’t necessarily plan ahead or work with the plan. Also, there’s less of anticipating what might happen or thinking through consequences. It’s more of “take it as it comes”
- There’s a high tendency to procrastinate but then people may work all night. People do things in bursts.
- Indians can deal with last minute changes, things not going to plan or breaking down.
- The key thing you need in any successful industrial manufacturing facility is attention to detail. The Japanese, Swiss, Swedes and Germans have it. The Indians certainly don’t have it.
- Negotiations go on forever. If you want a lower price, you get a less valuable product or service . They don’t see it that way. The value for money that Indians get is in direct proportion to how hard they bargained.
- Indians don’t see the value- they only see the cost. So while they may bargain very hard, they end up with less than they think they’re getting.
- Indians like to peruse, analyse and over analyse. They are very good at finding flaws in an argument.
- The non verbal piece is important. Indians are not very good at keeping a poker face.
- If you’re able to connect to your team emotionally, the commitment they will bring will be very high. If not they’ll just come and do a job.
