The “Micromanagement” Debate

Almost daily we work with global businessmen and businesswomen who are challenged by their cross-cultural work with teams based in Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and New Delhi. They are frequently frustrated by the difficulty of maintaining schedules and meeting deadlines, and they can’t understand why their management style, which promotes autonomy and individual initiative, isn’t working. Only when we elaborate on the many cultural differences in daily expectations do their troubles make more sense to them.

However, when we use the phrase “micromanage” to describe an alternative approach, we often experience resistance by very successful managers who find the notion, and the term, inefficient and excessive. Call it what you will, managing teams in India requires intensive management and frequent follow-up to confirm understanding and project timeliness. What’s more, micromanagement conforms with the expectations of your Indian colleagues. They expect close supervision and oversight. Without it, projects will be off-track; with it, you can bridge inevitable distance-related miscommunication. Based on our years of experience teaching new skills to multicultural business teams, we’re offering a series of tips for business success called Pocket Guides. The first one is on India. If you’d like to receive the India Pocket Guide, please email us at info@rw-3.com.

Charlene

RW-3.com