| When I present seminars on Indian business culture | | | | American business culture is a valued (and funded) |
| to American managers and technical professionals | | | | strategy in support of productivity, and assign clear |
| involved in offshoring or offshore outsourcing to | | | | ownership and accountability for the execution of this |
| India, someone inevitably asks, "So what are our | | | | strategy. |
| offshore teams and counterparts in India being | | | | Tip #2. Make the training a team effort. |
| taught about American business culture?" | | | | Get involvement of specialized high-level outside |
| The answer is, "More than they used to, but seldom | | | | expertise, the business units involved in the offshore |
| at a level deep enough to inculcate the attitudes, | | | | relationship, and internal training and HR functions in |
| thought patterns and behavior norms that would | | | | developing the best possible model for delivering the |
| ensure optimal effectiveness in working with | | | | training. |
| Americans." | | | | Tip #3. Bring in outside experts. |
| Training in "soft skills" is no longer as undervalued in | | | | For best results, use training content and delivery by |
| India as it used to be. Growing numbers of Indian | | | | specialists with direct experience and in-depth |
| companies are coming to realize that the ability of | | | | knowledge of both American and Indian culture, as |
| their employees to communicate and interact more | | | | well as expertise in the field of cross-cultural |
| effectively is an important competitive factor. | | | | communication. |
| American companies in India are also showing more | | | | Tip #4. Train on both shores. |
| keenness to develop the business and leadership skills | | | | In the case of American companies, provide |
| of their Indian employees and to move gradually | | | | coordinated training of the offshore Indian teams in |
| from the cheap labor or staff augmentation model to | | | | American business culture and training of the onshore |
| one where the Indian operation is a value-adding | | | | American teams in Indian business culture. |
| center of excellence. | | | | Tip #5. Integrate training into new employee |
| But how are offshore teams in India being trained to | | | | orientation. |
| improve their cross-cultural competency? | | | | For both American companies with operations in India |
| Currently, the approach tends to be in-house | | | | and Indian providers of outsourcing services, |
| programs developed by a local human resources | | | | integrate training in American business culture as part |
| staff that has often spent little if any time in the | | | | of the regular induction processes for new |
| United States work environment or engaging local | | | | employees. This applies not only to those who may |
| training providers who offer generic programs on a | | | | be going to the United States, but all those who will |
| wide range of "soft skills" topics. According to a | | | | be working with American counterparts, whether |
| recent report from Bangalore, local cultural awareness | | | | face-to-face or virtually. |
| program providers are often entrepreneurs with a | | | | Tip #6. Reinforce the training with mentoring. |
| background in the hospitality industry. | | | | Engage onshore and offshore business unit heads and |
| While these may be worthwhile first steps, their | | | | project leaders in reinforcing the content of the |
| impact is often superficial. The content of such | | | | training. This involves ongoing mentoring of the |
| cultural training will tend to be weighted towards | | | | offshore teams in the elements of American business |
| form more than substance-- more concerned with | | | | culture that need to be practiced for success in |
| handshakes, business cards, dining etiquette and | | | | working with Americans. |
| accent neutralization than the deeper core value | | | | According to Goran Strangmark, MphasiS Senior VP |
| differences that affect business culture and work | | | | and Head of Sales for North America, cross-cultural |
| relationships. | | | | competency in American business culture may |
| For American companies that want their offshoring or | | | | become an important quality differentiator for |
| offshore outsourcing strategy in India to have the | | | | offshore global IT and BPO services working with or |
| best chance of success, and Indian service providers | | | | for American companies, justifying the investment in |
| that want to differentiate themselves from the | | | | the development of this skill set. |
| competition through employees who are able to | | | | "Market forces will tend to make Indian professionals |
| work well with American counterparts, I recommend | | | | and companies who adopt the practices of American |
| the following six best-practice strategies for assuring | | | | business culture more successful, and they will |
| that offshore teams will develop the required | | | | outcompete their non-adopting competitors. But while |
| cross-cultural competency in American business | | | | we have seen successful examples of people doing it |
| culture: | | | | with very little guidance, this process can be a long |
| Tip #1. Get executives to value cross-cultural training. | | | | struggle, and good training programs can certainly |
| Build commitment from the highest level possible in | | | | speed up progress and alleviate the pain. |
| the company that training offshore teams in | | | | |