The frustration of Europeans in India is well known: why doesn't my Indian business partner just clearly tell me how things stand? On the other hand, Indians struggle with Europeans' matter-of-factness and directness, which they usually perceive as blunt. Culture and communication trainer Nandini Bedi of IndiaConnected, explains where the mutual discomfort comes from today.
Communication in Europe vs. India
A few years ago, I asked an Indian woman who worked at Tata Corus what for her is the biggest difference between Europe and India. "It took me a long time to get used to the professionalism and directness of the people there," she replied. I think that directness is an expression of transparency. Simple, efficient, clear. What you see is what you get. A transparent, clear and honest message in which nothing is hidden.
This reasoning that focuses on transparency and efficiency contrasts sharply with what Indians care about: the underlying explanation. This is why Indians take their listeners through their sometimes wordy story, so their final answer does not come as a surprise, let alone a slap in the face. Their answer is usually nuanced - and their story takes you past their considerations. This is how Indians usually communicate: indirectly.
As a European boss, partner or client, it is therefore smart to scrutinize your own way of communicating and teach yourself ways to deliver your message in a softer manner with the necessary underpinning. This will prevent you from putting off a potential business partner or colleague because they perceive your way of communicating as rude.
In India, 'no' will not be easily said
In Europe, in almost all cases you will get an honest understanding of how feasible your plans or ideas are, how long it will take to realize a project and how much it will cost. Things are different in India, where they will tend to give you the answer they expect you want to hear. Therefore, a "no" is not found in the vocabulary of an Indian.
Because of this, it is important that you learn to read between the lines and ask the right questions in order to get the fairest possible understanding of the situation. In addition, India requires a more flexible attitude from Europeans in terms of deadlines and budgets, which is simply one aspect of doing business in India that you need to consider.
Of course, there are ways to learn how to set up a working environment where, by European standards, there is open communication by all parties. In our workshop "Working Efficiently with India," we train your teams in Europe and India, separately or better yet, together. The result of the workshop is more mutual understanding, more efficient communication, more job satisfaction, increase in efficiency and better results.
We answer questions such as:
Which communication strategy works?
How do I get good feedback from my employees in India?
How do I manage my team efficiently in India?
How do I develop proactivity in my Indian team?