As we all know, India is generating computer scientists and engineers in huge numbers. Without question, India is already a technology powerhouse. Just look around the city and you’ll see that any player of consequence has facilities here or nearby. Many of these companies spend time on training and cultural integration because India’s education system, while turning out terrific engineers and computer programmers, stills leaves them with a cultural gap that presents a challenge to Western managers. And, nowhere is this more pronounced than in the way hierarchy manifests itself in the workplace.

This isn’t surprising because Indians are raised to have profound respect for parents, teachers and authority in general. When we teach culture, we often talk about the impact of religion and cultural heroes on cultural values of a country. There’s an illuminating Hindu tale about two brothers—Lord Ganesha and Lord Subramanya (Kartikya) who went to Lord Shiva to settle a dispute. The elder, wise lord gave them each a vessel filled with oil and asked them to travel around the universe without spilling a drop and that would settle the argument. Kartikya set about on his journey around the world and proudly returned showing how he had, indeed, not spilled a drop of oil. His brother, Ganesha, took the vessel and carefully walked around his parents and said, “My parents are the entire universe.”

Lord Ganesha

This devout honoring of parents transfers to teachers, leaders and the overall hierarchical structure of business. Of course, the Indian business leaders we work with realize that egalitarianism and being able to question business leaders is an important part of the business scene, and in general, they master the ability to function in an egalitarian environment. However, the deeply seated cultural values imbued in childhood are still present.

We saw this in an interesting way. While in Bangalore, we met with several clients. One of them described different brainstorming sessions, telling us an Indian leader will come to a brainstorming meeting with PowerPoint slides and charts because the leader is expected to have an underlying wisdom and expertise, so it would be inappropriate for him to walk in and “shoot from the hip.” While he will ask his subordinates for their ideas, he comes prepared with well thought-out concepts himself.

Charlene

Bangalore Skyline

“This is India,” our guide said to us, and indeed it is as different from New Delhi as I could imagine. The streets are wide; there are actually traffic signals and signs that say “Obey Traffic Rules” (which, of course, is relative). It is evident from the cars and billboards advertising international shops that this is a wealthy city.

Bangalore, The Silicon Valley of India

The Silicon Valley of India is laced with trees—Jacarandas, Acacias, Ficus—colonial-vintage buildings, and broad parkways feeding into congested roads where traffic snakes by. Entire clusters of glass high rise buildings form mini software cities, representing every major developer I’ve heard of and dozens that I’ve not. Driving through those areas, you feel you’re in familiar surroundings with coffee shops, global brands and men in crisply ironed shirts on motor bikes heading to work.

This is the India we hear about.

Charlene

Everyone seems to be working. You get the feeling that no one is lounging around and there is an energy, evidence of the abundant opportunity in this city. It seems to me that the work ethic is grounded in Hinduism, by that I mean the work ethic feels like “this is what we do; this is what we need to do; and we’re grateful to have the opportunity to do it.” I sense that from everyone, no matter how I come in contact with them. Really a different sensibility that’s very strong and committed to doing a good job, no matter what that job is. And a very deep-seated politeness.

I was so struck today by a remark a delegate voiced in one of our training sessions. We were talking about time zones and how complicated it is to arrange conference calls between the US and India because of the time difference. Some people said it was hard to work until 7pm and then get home (after braving the traffic) and have a call with colleagues in the US at 8pm. One fellow raised his hand and said, “It’s very difficult when you stay awake til midnight and then most of the team on the other end doesn’t even dial in.”

I know that time zone differences are among the most challenging aspects of virtual teams, and the idea has always been to “be fair” and rotate the pain. But it became so strongly personal as I listened to this manager, thinking of him staying awake until midnight only to have many of his colleagues on the other end not show up. Can you imagine how enormously frustrating and demoralizing that would be? What would that do to his morale?

Charlene

Perfection is this Wonder of the World. It is take-your-breath-away awe-inspiring. This monument to eternal love (actually a mausoleum built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan who was inconsolable when his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal died) took over 20 years to build and employed over 20,000 builders and craftsmen.

Begun in 1631, the architecture is the most magnificent symmetry I’ve seen. It’s lyrical and mesmerizing, and as you get closer to the monument you realize why 20,000 workers took decades to carve the 28 types of precious and semi-precious stones into tiny flowers and mosaics. The marble is translucent and sensuous, changing color depending upon the lighting. Passages from the Koran decorate the outside. It’s pure perfection.

Charlene

From Delhi to Agra

Almost 6 hours to drive 120 miles! It defies words to describe the scene because so much of the experience comes from being immersed in it for hours.

People, people, people. A continuing, seemingly never-ending stream of humanity and the only comparison I have is the movies of refugees trudging across a border. But these are not refugees. They’re workers in their vibrant colored shirts, women in their saris of brilliant magenta, turquoise, iridescent yellow. The colors jump out at you against the ground, which is a persistent canvas of brown. These are people going to work, constantly on the move.

Animals begin to appear. First, an occasional dog and cow and then small groups of cows begin to intermingle with the people on the sides of the road. Lean-tos and blue plastic tents pepper the sides of the road, three-sided shelters that serve as stores and sleeping facilities appear. It’s interesting at first—even though I tried to mentally prepare myself with reading and movies—but the interest soon becomes the overwhelming understanding that I could pass millions of people if I stayed on this road long enough. The endlessness of the parade of hardships becomes oppressive.

GLNA Institute of Technology, Mathura

And, yet, as evidence of the growth of India, of its burgeoning importance in the world, of its enormous educated numbers, there are also rows and rows of heavy equipment—tractors and lorries for construction. Even more promising and imposing are huge white buildings representing educational institutions, scientific research facilities and medical centers.

It’s as if two eras are co-existing in this geographic space.

Charlene

It’s 8:30am on Saturday, rush hour on the road from New Delhi to Agra. I’m in Faridabad right now, in traffic that can’t quite be called chaos because people have an intention and they are trying to get to work, but frenzied, and you sense there are no rules.

People have warned me about the traffic and the roads in India, especially this one, but I’m from Los Angeles, so how surprised could I be, right?

We just passed an open bed truck with at least a dozen day laborers—men and women—sitting in the sun. Hundreds, thousands of bicycles and mopeds weave through the lanes with overflowing buses, tuktuks (three wheeled miniature taxis), oxen with carts, Toyota’s and huge lorries (trucks). The road is paved, but lanes are non-existent. It is a bizarre notion that this clogged artery really delivers people and goods to their destinations.

It becomes wild, like the most fantastic gridlock nightmare an American urbanite can imagine. We were on a divided two-lane highway when suddenly we came to complete standstill. There was an army convoy on the opposite side of the road that had stopped the traffic flow. Why did it make our side cease to move? Bus and truck drivers decided our side—heading in the opposite direction—would actually move faster. So, they crossed over to our side of the road and took one lane—head-on. They created a lane going in the opposite direction! Motor scooters, bikes, tuktuks (we counted 12 people inside and one person on top) joined the trucks and buses in the parade. Going fast, too.

What did traffic on our side of the road do? No problem. We created an additional lane where people were walking, animals were moving, cars were parked! No one seemed the least surprised this was happening. The amazing thing is that the road wasn’t strewn with bodies. And in spite of it all, and all the horn-honking, I didn’t sense any road rage.

Charlene

There is a legend (that I will check out) that there are seven cities of Delhi—having changed throughout history by different rulers and different groups. New Delhi is also a city under construction (or reconstruction). It is teeming with activity; construction everywhere, in an effort to get ready for the Commonwealth games in October. There are laborers here from all over India to help with the building. Unfortunately, you can see them living in tents alongside the construction sites. They move from job to job as one site finishes and the next commences.

Amid the dust of construction and heat, beautiful parks, large historical buildings and tree-lined streets abound.

Charlene

I’m off to India—the largest democracy in the world, the birthplace of Buddhism and Hinduism, and home to almost 1.2 billion people. Enigmatic to Westerners and yet a culture that we feel we know a bit. We also take for granted that high tech programmers are very likely to be from India and many of the call-center operators we interact with everyday will have an Indian accent.

It has offered the world the heights of spirituality and the brilliance of Gandhi alongside unimaginable poverty.

I’m off…and it’s sure to be life changing.

Charlene

RW3 CultureWizard