Etiquette: Cross connections

Nov 9, 2012, 05.22AM IST

Working with global teams across borders has become increasingly common for the Indian manager, and will only increase with time. Therefore, a deep understanding and appreciation for culture and its nuances will be of immense value as we surge ahead as a nation. A few tips when working with intercultural teams:

Knowledge is power: Gather information about your teams' diverse culture before you start the interaction. Culture is extremely complex as it includes everything from food, art, history, valuesystem to behavior and it helps to develop intercultural competence in advance, for smoother working relationships.

Communication-style: In cultures with direct communication style, develop tolerance for their blunt way of communicating. While interacting with cultures that have an expansive indirect style of communication, show patience when probing for further information. It's best to strive towards developing an open-style of communication which encourages your teammates to share their hesitations and keeps the communication channel open.

Attitude towards time: In monochronic cultures like USA and Germany, the work-day is systematically divided into 30 minute slots while in polychronic cultures like Mexico and India, time is a continuum, viewed holistically, where multitasking is the norm. This explains why your West European colleague may find you to be chaotic and you as an Indian are foxed by his/her inability to answer your 'urgent' query beyond office hours.

Understand hierarchy: As shown by social scientist Geert Hofstede, an understanding of how individuals accept unequal distribution of power is critical in global business. Leaders is some cultures are expected to provide direction and make decisions those in others are expected to participate in decision-making, which is by consensus and questioning your leader's views is acceptable, even encouraged.

Power of active listening: During face-to-face interactions, invest time focusing on what's being said and how it's been said in terms of subtle nonverbal gestures. Then, summarize what you've understood in writing, and request your teammates to confirm it. While this hampers the initial speed of interaction, it ensures that misunderstandings don't crop up later, jeopardizing relationships and business deals.

Attitude towards relationships: Certain cultures focus on building relationships before trusting you with their business. In the Middle East, for example, it's important to build rapport by talking about family or dining together. In other cultures, business interactions are driven by rules/contracts and small talk is brief and socializing after office hours is not always expected.

Tip: When in doubt, always remember that humility and patience are the universal language, regardless of the culture.
