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Hi all, Terri Hamilton here... I haven't been very active for a while, but I joined these forums back in 2007.

I live in Rockford IL and I've been unemployed for 3 months. However, I will be starting a new position as soon as I pass the company's background check. (I don't anticipate a problem!)

I will NOT be a manager any more. And I'm ok with that. I wasn't very good at managing even though I knew what to do from Mark & Mike. I just struggled to implement it.

However, the word "Coordinator" is in my new job title... I'll be the go-between for several departments to make sure stuff gets done. It'll be RELATIONSHIPS, RELATIONSHIPS, RELATIONSHIPS! I think Mark & Mike & Wendii have a few things to say about that!

One of those departments is in India, to boot! So, bridging cultures as well. Is there a cast for that? I bet there is.

scm2423's picture

A good manager/leader does not need the "Manager" word in their title.  As you said it is the relationships you build  that will let you get things done.

Steven

 

delete_account_per_reacher_145083_dtiller's picture
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Congrats Terri on your new job!

There is a series of podcasts on Matrix and I think those would be very useful.  Search on the site and you will find them.

Good luck!

naraa's picture
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 Hi Terri,

Congratulations on your new job.  How exciting!

MT rule on multi-cultures is the Wendii Curve: There are far more differences among people within the same country than there are among people from different cultures.  Or in other words, two people from the same country can actually be more different than two people from different countries.  Being from different countries is not what makes people different.  So treat people as individuals as you would anywhere.   

Some things I have learned on multicultural issues having lived and worked in different countries (not India yet!: Brazil, Chile, Australia, US and England) and trying to build bridges between them:

1 - When in a foreign country, never talk bad about their country.  They can, as much as they want, you cannot, even if it is repeating what they said, just listen.

2 - When a foreign person is in your country, don´t ask what they think about your country (this is the same as the extreme high I: "Enough about me.  Now tell me, what do you think about ME"), ask them something about theirs.

3 - Never make something that is from their country be about yours.  For example, say they were able to finish a project on time and on budget, never even mention it was because of the online project control software that helped control it and which was developed by the head office overseas, or because of the prompt support they received from the head office. 

4 - Never judge people´s intentions or motivations from their behaviour.  This is true even in one´s own country, but I found small cultural differences makes this aspect even more important.

5 - Always talk as us never as they and encourage, correct the people you work with to do the same.  For example: "Let´s ask them, from the Indian department, to help us with that."  No, say "Let´s ask our people at the Indian department to help us with that."

6 - Know their culture so that you can better relate with it, so that you can say We instead of They, really feeling it, from your heart.

7 - Know the stereotypes for the other country and your own (what is the stereotype people from other countries make of your own) because what you see is filtered by that stereotype and the way people see you and what you do is also filtered by the one they have of your citizenship.  So you have to work harder to see beyond the stereotype and also so people see you beyond their stereotype.  For example, Americans are perceived by most people from other countries as being overconfident of themselves and overvaluing their own accomplishments and culture as opposed to other countries and cultures.  You may not be that person at all, but people will see you with that filter on, so you need to make double the effort to pass the message that you do value other countries accomplishments and concerns.

8 - Build the bridges with one person at each end.  The people are the pillars for the bridge, in fact, I think they are the bridge.  Say you are in the US, who is your person at the other end in India?  You need to be having regular-weekly communication with someone or more people there.  And try to extend that bridge among more people from the end sides you are trying to build the bridge too.

9 - If possible, learn their language, or at least very basic Hello!, how are you? sentences and basic words.  I highly recommend Pimsleur Method (http://www.pimsleur.com/).   I am on lesson 16th in Hindi (8 listening hours), and I can at least understand the short basic sentences and words from Bollywood movies!  Even if you cannot learn it fully, it also helps to understand them better when they speak in English (because you learn sentence wording position in their language, which is something some still use when speaking in English).  And it helps you pronounce their names correctly!

All the best!

Nara

terrih's picture

Mara, thanks for your very detailed response! I did indeed run across the Wendii Curve after I posted. :)

My biggest worry is understanding someone with a thick Indian accent. I have had several phone calls from Indian recruiters, and had an awful time trying to understand what they were saying. And I really was trying. Of course, face-to-face should go better than over the phone. Do you think learning a little Hindi would help any with that? I am fond of studying languages, so I don't need much excuse.

I don't think I'll be traveling to India at all. However, I'll be participating in conference calls (by video I hope!) with some of the staff in Hyderabad.

terrih's picture

Mara, thanks for your very detailed response! I did indeed run across the Wendii Curve after I posted. :)

My biggest worry is understanding someone with a thick Indian accent. I have had several phone calls from Indian recruiters, and had an awful time trying to understand what they were saying. And I really was trying. Of course, face-to-face should go better than over the phone. Do you think learning a little Hindi would help any with that? I am fond of studying languages, so I don't need much excuse.

I don't think I'll be traveling to India at all. However, I'll be participating in conference calls (by video I hope!) with some of the staff in Hyderabad.

naraa's picture
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 Hi Terri,

I think studying Hindi would definetely help you understand Indians speaking English.  I have an Indian friend and most of the time I can understand her, but it takes a lot of concentration on my side.  Now, after studying some Hindi I can understand her emails (in English) without having to read them twice.  The difficulty I was having was in the word ordering of the sentence.  In Hindi one would say: Do you with me my house at eat want?  

Something else that may help you is watching Indian movies (there are a lot on Netflix, if you want to watch them write me and I can recommend you some).  A lot of them are in English or mix English dialogs in between the Hindi.  That may help pick up some of their English pronunciation, although the actors probably have a better pronunciation that the people you will talk with.  But you might be able to pick up which English sound they are pronouncing different.  I haven't pay enough attention yet, but if I do find out I will let you know.  Something sort of like the Germans that tend to pronounce the w as a v sound, because that is how it sounds in German.  Or the Brazilians who will pronounce a th as an f or t sound, because we haven't learn how to put the thong between the teeth when we speak! Once you learn that, you can quickly figure out that fink means think.

I am sure that you will get used to it!  Just speak slower and ask them to speak slower and you will eventually pick it up.

Maybe some of the Australians in the forum can help.  I was always impressed by the capacity most Australians I met had to understand foreign accents.  I think it is because of their exposure to different accents as there are people from everywhere in Australia (at least in the main cities).

Nara

naraa's picture
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 Terri, I found out they speak mostly Telugu and Urdu in Hyderabad.  Urdu I believe is similar to Hindi, but I have no idea about Telugu.  There may not be much similarities as Telugu bellows to the Dravidian language family and Hindi is a Indo-European language.  Hindi is probably their third language, after English which is second.  So I don´t know how useful it is for you to learn Hindi!

Nara

vishalshetti's picture

Hi Terri & Naraa

My 2 cents being from India. I lived in US for the last 5 years and have now moved back to India. So my recommendations are as below based on living in US & India.

Terii that you mentioned that you will not visit India in near future so my recommendation that you should focus on Indian English Accent and a little bit of Hindi . Telugu will be useful only if you plan to stay in India that too in Hyderabad. Moreover if you are working with IT Organization from Hyderabad there will be a population mix from all across India. (I am assuming it is an IT Org as it is from India & Hyderabad). Telugu is the language spoken only in Hyderabad so Hindi will be more advantageous as compared to Telugu as the sizable population will be Hindi speaking.

In addition in an IT organization the resources are always told to keep the mode of communication as english especially when the client communication is involved. This is strictly enforced. (I know it as i am from IT too :-)).

So to conclude English (Indian Accent) and Hindi should suffice.

PS: The english spoken by the Indian guys in India is called Hinglish because they sometime mix hindi words unknowingly.. :-)

Best Wishes

Vishal Shetti

naraa's picture
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Thanks Vishal, nothing like inside information!  Good to know Hindi is very useful even in places where it is not the first language!  

Vishal, having worked in the US and in India, can you tell us a bit more about it?  

I am interested in India culture because I learned to manage my stress through meditation and I cannot live without it now.  The biggest difference I have come across between my Western Culture and those of the people from India I have encountered and (which may be a sample that does not reflect the country as a whole!) is a greater influence of faith into the practical realms of life, which translates into more acceptance.  I have also learned, through meditation, to develop further and use better my intuition rather than having just an intelectual/rational approach to problem solving. 

I am just wandering how strongly the things we receive in the West from India related to spirituality penetrate into business issues in India, if it actually does at all?

Thanks,

Nara 

terrih's picture

Vishal and Nara, thank you for the info and suggestions!

I start next Monday. :)

wendii's picture
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We've missed you :-)

Wendii

naraa's picture
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Terri, just wanted to wish you good luck on your first day on Monday and always on your new job!  I am sure you will do great!

Nara