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 01/05/2008
"India 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 2008
"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...he is businesslike in his approach, focused, practical and realistic about what is achievable."
— getAbstract.com
Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction: "The Worm Has Turned"
1 Indians, Westerners, and the Cultural Lens
2 Communication East and Communication West
3 Yes, No, and Other Problems
4 Management East and Management West
5 The Deference Syndrome
6 Talking Points: The Language Problem
7 Meetings and Conference Calls
8 Women and Men
9 Working With Indians on Virtual Teams
10 Business and Social Etiquette
Epilogue
Bibliography
About the Author
Index
About the Author
Craig Storti is founder and co-director of Communicating Across Cultures, a Washington, D.C.-based intercultural communication training and consulting firm specializing in seminars on cross-cultural adjustment and repatriation. With work appearing in the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune, he is the author of six books, including Speaking of India: Bridging the Communication Gap When Working with Indians and the bestselling Cross-Cultural Dialogues, The Art of Crossing Cultures, and The Art of Coming Home. Having lived nearly a quarter of his life abroad, he lives now in Maryland. For more information, please visit his website: www.craigstorti.com.
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