DO YOU SPEAK HINGLISH?! Bringing cultural awareness to the workplace: US & India 5th NOVEMBER 2008 Chetana Deorah, Yahoo! Mail UED \ Simmi Kokal, Yahoo! Premium Services Infrastructure

We hope this brown bag can inspire you to… understand the significance of cultural difference and raise awareness adapt some of the insights and increase productivity and efficiency in your workplace explore cultural literacy, workshops, reading and cultivate your interest. Disclaimer: We will be addressing many of the issues with generalizations, most of which should be taken with a grain of salt especially with the ever-evolving India, and with the younger generations in the workplace (also true for Westerners).

Facts India & Yahoo! in Bangalore Bridging The Gap Tips and Resources West meets East Communication & Management Global Spirit Global company We will talk about…

Sri Aurobindo Message to America 1949, (SABCL 26, p.413) …East and West could be reconciled in the pursuit of the highest and largest ideal, Spirit embrace Matter and Matter find its own true Reality and the hidden reality in things in the Spirit.

working in a global company seize the opportunity! • a cross-cultural, cross-disciplinary exchange of knowledge • an incredibly diverse workforce and a committment to maintaining an inclusive work environment • designing global products for the larger human good • tap into a pool of world-class talent, mindsets and spirit • a round-the-clock work continuum • growth at personal and professional levels

“…we are native english speakers”| Outsourced, the movie | 2006 Asha the facts

India today… • Cultural & religious diversity • 16 annual national holidays • Estimated 33 languages with over 327 dialects • Cricket and Bollywood are key sources of entertainment • Strong family values • Focus on relationships both in personal and professional environments • Fast paced emergence from an agrarian economy to a technology savvy, service-oriented and entrepreneurial mindset

unity in diversity India Population Watch (as on Oct 31, 2008). Source: www.indiastats.com Photos: Flickr and Image search

Bangalore a.k.a Bengaluru • South India. State of Karnataka • Silicon Valley of India • Garden City/ Pub City Yahoo! India • Yahoo India presence is across Yahoo R&D (Y! SDC) and Web services (Y! India) • Yahoo! R&D was set up in 2002 • Current employees approx. 1756 Administration Business Content Production Corporate Communications Cust & Content Solutions Finance Product Management Project/Program Mgmt Technology UED BAY O F BEN G AL Flickr photo: eirikfer

Life at Y! Bangalore

{communication east} [communication west]

…is individual-oriented (individualist) …is for the good of the group (collectivist) {communication east} [communication west]

…is individual-oriented (individualist) …is for basic exchange of information …is for the good of the group (collectivist) …is to preserve & strengthen personal relationships {communication east} [communication west]

…is individual-oriented (individualist) …is for basic exchange of information …is the spoken word (WYHIWIM)! …is for the good of the group (collectivist) …is to preserve & strengthen personal relationships …is often what is not said, but is implied {communication east} [communication west]

{management style east} [management style west]

…is result-oriented …is process-driven {management style east} [management style west]

…is result-oriented …is less authoritarian …is process-driven …is hierarchical, driven by clearly defined roles, titles {management style east} [management style west]

…is result-oriented …is less authoritarian …is about individual proactiveness and success …is process-driven …is hierarchical, driven by clearly defined roles, titles …is about respect, conformity and saving face (group) {management style east} [management style west]

“…I can do it you know, your accent!” | Outsourced, the movie | 2006 Todd west meets east

a common language Be particularly careful about using idioms and expressions like: barking up the wrong tree killing two birds with one stone they threw us a curveball we are out on a limb Be familiar with use of words in: Indian English American English Crib Complain Prepone Opposite of postpone A real time pass Waste of time Hi-tech Modern, up to date Rubber Eraser Scale Ruler In written communication note: DD/MM/YY MM/DD/YY Dear Todd, Todd,

• Strong family values with respect for elders • Accomodating and tolerant by nature • Personal integrity and saving face is important • Collectivist approach with focus on maintaining harmony • Tend not to disagree openly or challenge something • Have difficulty providing negative feedback or saying NO • Rarely ask for help or more time • Process-driven and dedicated team members • Enthusiastic, keen to learn and once comfortable at a personal level can be more collaborative know your desi* colleague *pron. [they-see]

a global spirit. a global company. engage cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary

Source: Chris Moeller, Yahoo! International Design Director Establish a “liaison” role in US and Bangalore US Point of contact - Provide xisting knowledge, research, design assets B’lore liaison - Process and decision-making, conduct review session meetings and demos Establish contact early Meet face-to-face as early as possible Prioritize talking live at least weekly Identify the roles and titles. Define accountability Who are the decision-makers or influencers in the local office? Make your own role, responsibilities and title clear Effectively communicate before, after and during meetings Email meeting agenda a day before, solicit active participation on conference calls email meeting minutes, action items after meeting call 1:1 meetings with team members Provide clear cut directions, comments and feedback Working cross-culture; team in Bangalore UED / UER / PM / ENG

Establish a “liaison” role in US and Bangalore US Point of contact - Provide xisting knowledge, research, design assets B’lore liaison - Process and decision-making, conduct review session meetings and demos Establish contact early Meet face-to-face as early as possible Prioritize talking live at least weekly Identify the roles and titles. Define accountability Who are the decision-makers or influencers in the local office? Make your own role, responsibilities and title clear Effectively communicate before, after and during meetings Email meeting agenda a day before, solicit active participation on conference calls email meeting minutes, action items after meeting call 1:1 meetings with team members Provide clear cut directions, comments and feedback

• Be willing to shift hours to accommodate late night/early morning conference calls • Make sure to prioritize talking live at least weekly • Over-communicate what is happening in Sunnyvale or US offices. Your local team wants to be included as part of the larger team. It builds morale and cohesion. Pallavi Homan, Director Product Management, Yahoo! Mail. 7 years • Be aware of the national and regional holidays and the timezone when planning project schedules • Ask them how best to pronounce their name (as them to email it) • Listen and when possible, read between the lines • Encourage them to be more direct. • Solicit their feedback, their insight for the design or development prob- lem on hand. Don’t begin by telling them what you think • Confirm timelines and delivery dates in writing

dhanyavaad / thank you [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Sunnyvale Paula Brown, Y! UED Chris Moeller, Y! UED Cynthia Owyoung, Y! HR Venkat Panchapakesan, Y! APD Amy Anderson, Y! APD Brooke Thompson, Y! Mail UED Pallavi Homan, Y! Mail PM Anna Bae, Y! Mail PM Sheba Najmi, Y! Mail UED Mission College/ Burbank/ NY Stacy All, Y! Search UER, MC Polly Ng, Y! Search UED, NY Jill Strawbridge, Y! UER, Burbank Raj Prasad Kantamneni, Y! UED, MC Andrea Moed, Y! UER, Burbank Bangalore Manik Grover, Y! Tech Biju Damodharan, Y! Mail UED Lester D’souza, Y!Mail QA Phil Quigley, Y! HR Mani Abrol, Y! Research Eng. Shailendra Aswal, Program Mgr Arathi Vedantham, Y! HR (Int’l PR) Shweta Gagan, Y! HR (PR) Mahadevaswamy G Kakoor, Y! Eng. Sudheer G., Y! Eng. Nora Archambeau, not a Y!

namaste http://twiki.corp.yahoo.com/view/Main/Brownbag [email protected] | [email protected]

appendix Speaking of Hinglish?! From Yahoos. For Yahoos: Insights on working with teams in India (Yahoo! Bangalore) Resource http://twiki.corp.yahoo.com/view/Main/Brownbag

SPEAKING OF HINGLISH!

SPEAKING OF HINGLISH!