Who Taught You That?

I have always intended that my blog have two main focuses (focusi?). First, it is an opportunity for me to try to make sense of the differences between our two cultures which helps me to keep smiling my way through my day even when adversity comes as it so often does. Second, I hope to create a base for NA travelers or workers to be able to align themselves more quickly to what is a culturally polar to their previous experiences. I said at the beginning that I am on a `skills transfer`, bringing Western Ideas and Strategies to the East. Without bragging too loud, this has been successful, there has been a measurable increase in performance but as my time winds down, my Managers in NA are asking how are we going to make sure that these lessons `stick`. How will we be sure these strategies can be maintained or possibly even flourish after I depart.

In NA, we push logic, in fact we teach "Critical Thinking" in our schools. If A = B and B = C then A = C. It allows or evens demands that students think about what they are learning, to be able to place facts into larger contexts. In India they teach by rote and require blind acceptance of their students. They cram information into students and the students are expected to spew it out without question. I have had the fortune of having long discussions with parents with school age children and although the children are filled with information, without the ability to question  the information, facts become jumbled and often misapplied. Without the ability to integrate information, to put it in logical order, you cannot be sure if the information is even correct. Students are never asked questions directly, teachers ask group questions and students answer in GroupSpeak, multiple people answering in unison. As part of a group your knowledge is limited to that of the group, you will not exceed your group.

Knowledge and intelligence are not the same thing. Indians are very intelligent and for the most part, well schooled but individuals will not stand out for fear of being found wrong which in turn colours everything they do. Fear of saying anything lest you be found to be wrong, even if you are not wrong. Fear of offering an opinion or suggesting a change no matter how beneficial on the off chance that you someone will disagree. Senior management encourages this silence because it makes people easier to manage. If no one offers an opinion then there is nothing to discuss. As a management style, it is the most comfortable way to manage. If no one offers a counter suggestion or a new idea then the status quo reigns supreme.

Think about all the successful Indians in Multinational Corporations, look at their resumes and you will discovered that they are Western Trained. The most recent example to come to mind is that of Satya Nadella, the new CEO of Microsoft. He first studied at the University of Bangalore, then the University of Wisconsin, then the University of Chicago. Indians bring their intelligence to the NA but then must learn Critical Thinking to be successful in NA. India is a battleship and as such it needs to be nudged slowly onto a new (Global?) course. Management must believe that it is possible and right now, management does not. Senior management does not even need to use intimidation to rule, they are followed because that is how it has always been. Even if change is necessary, they do not have to convince anyone because no one will argue. As a result, change is rarely made since change comes as a result of a recognition that not everything is working well. Furthermore, change is not always top down and this is something that is clearly missing. Since the people at the pointy end do not offer suggestions, management may or may not be aware that change is necessary.

While we in NA may disagree and while it may seem antithetical to us, to an Indian Business Manager, this all makes sense. Most Indian Business Managers were trained in the Indian System, rose up through the Indian Ranks and never went afield unless it was on vacation. Indians who train in NA stay in NA. So an Indian only sees a different style when someone from NA comes over to impose their will and with their History of Colonialism going 600 years back (or further), most Indians have learned to nod (waggle) their heads like they agree and just wait for the Westerner to leave (because the Westerner always will) so they can go back to Business-As-(Indian)-Usual.

It is unfair to suggest they are "doing it wrong" even if it doesn't make sense to a NA and no matter how many times a NA will tell or even show them how to do it differently, the lessons cannot 'stick'. Maybe the skills transfer should be done in reverse. Since a NA is highly unlikely to move permanently to India, maybe the Indian Manager (or manager-to-be) should be brought to NA for enough time to be immersed in the new behaviours before introducing these behaviours into the Indian office environment.