Speaking of India: Bridging the Communication Gap When Working With Indians [Paperback]

Craig Storti (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 19, 2007

Westerners and Indians are working more closely together and in greater numbers than ever before. The opportunities are vast, and so is the cultural divide. Misunderstandings, misinterpretations, missed deadlines, and frustrations can all spring from cultural differences. Any Westerner conducting business with an Indian and any Indian trying to figure out the West will recognize this challenge.Craig Storti has helped more than twenty global companies with just these kinds of issues. With more than a dozen years of experience working between cultures, Storti has trained thousands of employees, interviewed hundreds of managers, and identified key cultural touchstones. The result is a powerful series of Best Practices, which are the basis for Speaking of India: Bridging the Communication Gap When Working with Indians. From the different ways that Indians and Westerners use yes and no to the secrets of a successful, cross-cultural conference call, from the changing status of women in the Indian workplace to the do's and don'ts of daily interaction, this essential guide helps us to realize the potential of working together and understanding each other, whether in the East or in the West!I know of no other cross-cultural communication expert who can de-mystify the hidden bulk of a culture's 'iceberg' as cogently as Craig Storti does. As he takes you below, a bright light shines on the hidden values and assumptions that govern not only the way a person from that culture communicates, but often the actual content of his message. Your own culture's unique values and communication style are revealed in the contrast. The more aware both parties become of these pitfalls in communicating across cultures, Storti shows clearly, the lower the risk of miscommunication and strained relationships. -Jim Blake, World Learning Inc.Craig Storti is most famous for his use of cross cultural dialogues to illustrate culture bumps. Having read a lot of his work, I appreciate his great economy of language and overall clarity while still maintaining the ability to do complex topics justice. I think this characteristic is taken even further forward here and the book is an amazingly easy read without ever being simplistic... -Tim Hill, dialogin.com 01/05/2008India looms as the next big opportunity for Western business, and Storti, a cross-culture communication trainer and consultant, offers advice on how to negotiate the cultural paths to the fattest profits. - Research Book News, February 2008Craig Storti provides a straightforward, fact-based and eminently useful guide to culture and communication issues that complicate business between Westerners and Indians. Much of the literature on culture and business is vague and theoretical-so this book stands apart. The author targets the problems that are most likely to arise in commerce, offers detailed real-life examples and shows what practical solutions businesspeople can implement. He is evenhanded in his advice, offering tips to both Westerners and Indians. Most importantly...he is businesslike in his approach, focused, practical and realistic about what is achievable.- getAbstract.comContentsForewordAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: The Worm Has Turned1 Indians, Westerners, and the Cultural Lens2 Communication East and Communication West3 Yes, No, and Other Problems4 Management East and Management West5 The Deference Syndrome6 Talking Points: The Language Problem7 Meetings and Conference Calls8 Women and Men9 Working With Indians on Virtual Teams10 Business and Social EtiquetteEpilogueBibliographyAbout the AuthorIndex

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"I know of no other cross-cultural communication expert who can de-mystify the hidden bulk of a culture's 'iceberg' as cogently as Craig Storti does. As he takes you below, a bright light shines on the hidden values and assumptions that govern not only the way a person from that culture communicates, but often the actual content of his message. Your own culture's unique values and communication style are revealed in the contrast. The more aware both parties become of these pitfalls in communicating across cultures, Storti shows clearly, the lower the risk of miscommunication and strained relationships." -- Jim Blake, World Learning Inc.

From the Back Cover

Westerners and Indians are working more closely together and in greater numbers than ever before. The opportunities are vast, and so is the cultural divide. Misunderstanding, misinterpretation, missed deadlines and frustration due to cultural difference raise havoc on success. Any Westerner conducting business with Indians and any Indian trying to figure out the West, will recognize the challenge. Craig Storti has helped more than 20 global companies in just this situation. With more than a dozen years of experience working between the two cultures, he has trained thousands of employees, interviewed hundreds of managers and has identified key cultural flashpoints. The result is a powerful series of Best Practices, the basis of Speaking of India. From the difference between the way Indians and Westerners use "yes" and "no" to the secrets of a successful conference call, to the changing status of women in the Indian workplace to the do's and don'ts of daily interaction, this essential guide helps us realize the ambitious dreams of working together...once we understand each other!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Nicholas Brealey Publishing (September 19, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931930341
• ISBN-13: 978-1931930345
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #121,156 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #62 in Books > Travel > Asia > India

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good mostly, outrageous at times, September 15, 2008

By 

PG "PG" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Speaking of India: Bridging the Communication Gap When Working With Indians (Paperback)

I am an Indian and I read this book with great interest. I was amazed how he captured some of the things which we Indians do (especially the way we conduct meetings) but never realize.

What I don't like is when he starts discussing the reasoning behind the behaviour. At one point, he says that the reasons why Indians don't speak up has something to do with the fact that they have been ruled for years so they developed that awe for westerners. That is so funny.

The true reason behind the behaviour is not what he describes. The fact is that most of the western people face Indians when they outsource their IT work. In India, customer is god. Thats what Gandhi told us and thats what we are told from childhood. And in most interactions western people are customers, so Indians tend to respect them. Also, in India, respect for older people is a given thing. And most westerns are old as comparison to young IT people working on their projects. These are two prime reasons that Indian people don't openly oppose western people. It is so unfortunate to see author's reasons behind this behavior.

I have lived and travelled to different countries and studied culture out of my passion and am amazed by the differences in the culture. I always check with local people about the reasons behind their behavior. I wish the author had done more research with the local people before he gave his reasons for different cultural traits. At times it appears he is writing reasons that he thinks his typical readers would like to hear. Can I ever tell you better than you can tell me why you behave like you do?

So readers, do read his book to understand different cultural and behavior traits. However, take his reasoning with a pinch of salt. My belief is that reasoning behind cultural traits can by hypothesized only after thorough research of history and culture of a place. It is difficult to get a credible hypothesis after a superficial interaction with a small sample size of people of that place.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally Hearing India!, May 2, 2008

By 

Salihah "Book Addict" (Minneapolis/St. Paul) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Speaking of India: Bridging the Communication Gap When Working With Indians (Paperback)

As a project manager for a US-based software and web development company, I had some apprehension about working with a new off-shore programming team in India. As a second-generation American, paired with my experience teaching English and citizenship classes to refugees from around the world, I've come to know first-hand how challenging, and disastrous, culture misunderstandings can be. Now, with regular cross-cultural global communication also becoming a part of my career, I felt the pressure to make sure my misunderstanding did not interfere with business and project success.

Craig Storti comes to the rescue in a quick, yet comprehensive, read. I kept this book with in my laptop case to read a chapter whenever I had a free moment. I was able to absorb the content, even in short reading sessions. I found the introduction of the book helpful in expressing the crucial importance of cross-cultural communication in today's business world.

There are many features that set this book apart from others in its category. I really appreciated the scripted examples of conversations between an Indian and a Westerner that are included with the chapters. These examples really helped to make a connection in my mind between the lesson of the text and real world application. Storti points out the missteps in each of the example conversations, and how it could have been prevented. The extensive section of the book devoted singly to the "Indian Yes" and other agreements is especially invaluable and a must to any Western individual seeking to prevent the biggest road-block for Westerners in Indian communication. Non-verbal communication is also included, seasoned with rich content regarding cultural and familial backgrounds which create the foundation of differences in our communication styles, both of which give a comprehensive understanding.
The end of chapter summaries give you the necessary points for your own comprehension check and review.

I recommend this book specifically for Canadians, Americans, British, and Western Europeans working with East Indians in the business world. Although the book is written in a business context, teachers, volunteers, and vacation travelers would also benefit from the communication elements of this book, for a richer experience in India.

I shared this book with some Indian colleagues here in the US, who are quite Western. They found the book quite humorous, but said the accuracy and truth of it all is right on. Speaking of India has expanded my cultural understanding, and the effectiveness of my communicational understanding, with both East Indians here as "Westernized" long-time Americans, and Indians completely outside of my Western-centric experience.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A short bridge across a long communication gap, May 1, 2008

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Speaking of India: Bridging the Communication Gap When Working With Indians (Paperback)

Craig Storti provides a straightforward, fact-based and eminently useful guide to culture and communication issues that complicate business between Westerners and Indians. Much of the literature on culture and business is vague and theoretical - so this book stands apart. The author targets the problems that are most likely to arise in commerce, offers detailed real-life examples and shows what practical solutions businesspeople can implement. He is evenhanded in his advice, offering tips to both Westerners and Indians. Most importantly, getAbstract finds that he is businesslike in his approach, focused, practical and realistic about what is achievable.