Working with Indians online: Some Virtual Etiquettes

chillibreeze writer — Surabhi Mittal

People are just a few keystrokes away! While technological advancements have made communication very easy and have given people the flexibility to work with their counterparts on the other side of the globe, the subtleties of fostering teamwork may be getting ignored. Inter departmental conflicts or the “Us and Them” mentality surrounds team members in organizations and these could be more severe when they are geographically dispersed and relying only on technology to communicate with one another. A gamut of software, finance, medical, education jobs are being outsourced to India because of Indians’ English speaking abilities and their sound technical and scientific know-how. Despite these advantages, physical boundaries could pose serious challenges for foreign companies to effectively and efficiently accomplish certain tasks and enforce team spirit.

While working with foreign companies, people get accustomed to different time zones and accents; however, cultural values and customs of each country are unique and getting used to working with individuals hailing from a different culture is a very slow and gradual process. An individual’s culture is so ingrained in him that it influences his actions and behavior- in personal as well as professional settings. Indians, for example, are known for not saying an outright “no” to any project given to them. Indians, in general, are courteous people inclined toward making sure that they don’t disappoint others even if it means agreeing to take up a task they may not be able to accomplish due to lack of time or resources. Indians by nature are very laid back, and take their own sweet time in getting the work done. If an Indian company misses its project completion deadline, on several occasions, there is no or very poor communication with the client. Such improper communication causes anxiety and frustration among the clients/end users and reflects negatively on the company’s work ethic.

India is a melting pot of several different religions and people from one part of the country are different than people from the other. So delving into the cultural aspects could unveil a lot of differences, and foreigners cannot be expected to understand all these cultural nuances. What is important, however, is for team members to respect each other’s values and work together to achieve the ultimate goal. The following tips can come in handy for foreign clients to work with their Indian counterparts:

Using Effective Communication Tools

This depends on the nature of one’s business; however, proper tools to document information help people to be on the same page and allow timely, accurate and smooth flow of information. Whether it’s a call center associate updating a customer’s status or an online tutor giving tests to his students, availability of proper tools enable automation and save people a lot of time.

Training

Formal training should be given to both parties involved to enable them to understand the cultural differences. This, in turn, will promote better interaction among team members.

Avoid Using Slangs

Use of slangs or non-standard English expressions should be avoided. For example, Americans use a popular idiom “Soup to nuts” meaning “from beginning to end”, which is not standard in Indian English and may not be interpreted in the same manner as intended.

Clear Guidelines/Deadlines

Each individual must be assigned very specific, deadline-oriented tasks and must be made accountable for those tasks. Confront individuals, if need be, and make them realize how their tardiness is impacting the task at hand.

Regular Updates

Weekly or biweekly conference calls or email updates help team members stay tuned and focused. It helps keep them aware of progress and issues with a particular project. This is especially important when face-to-face communication is lacking.

Open and Consistent Communication

Send regular e-mails to team members detailing announcements, organizational changes, or any other relevant information in a virtual office to foster team feeling. Encourage open communication so people don’t hesitate in picking up the phone and calling each other to clarify their doubts.

Feedback

Encourage receiving and providing constructive feedback to give people an opportunity to express their views and concerns. This will help keep motivation and work ethic levels high.

Pictures/Videos

Exchange pictures or have video conferences to help team members put names to faces. This small detail will go a long way in establishing connection when they are thousands of miles apart from each other.

Holidays

India is a country that observes holidays for several festivals. Occasionally, offices are closed due to curfews, religious riots etc. Power cuts are also common in certain parts of the country. Keep margin for these unforeseen situations while setting critical deadlines.

Positive Outlook

Be open-minded and embrace the unique traits of your virtual team members. Avoid stereotypes and keep a positive and uplifting attitude to help form a connected, positive workforce.

Conclusion

Interacting in cyberspace could be challenging due to physical boundaries and lack of nonverbal cues. It’s even more challenging when the individuals involved belong to completely different cultures and subcultures. Understanding these intricacies is important for foreigners when dealing with a diverse country like India. Despite Indians’ rich and strong heritage, they are adaptive workers and welcome change in their workforce.

Clear, concise and standard communication; specific guidelines; understanding and respecting Indian culture; and an open-minded approach will enable foreign companies to work effectively with Indians, cultivate team spirit, and bring positive energy in the workforce.

Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article.

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—About our writer: Surabhi says, "'Work hard, play hard' is my motto in life. My morning cup of coffee, a satisfactory workout and an upbeat outlook toward life keep me going. I thoroughly enjoy reading, writing, traveling and photography. Yes, it's challenging to find time for everything but I try to strike a balance and keep my spirits high!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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