Shital Kakkar Mehra - Business Etiquette: A Guide For The Indian Professional

Business

ETIQUETTE

A G UIDE FOR THE I NDIAN P ROFESSIONAL

Shital Kakkar Mehra

For Sunit, Avisha, Aleesa and Kinu

CONTENTS

Its not just what you say but also how you say it

You get only one chance to create a first impression

Politeness gets you ahead

Ways to get ahead and stay ahead

Impress your guests

Success in the international arena

I n the corporate India of the 1960s, there existed two sets of professionals who had mastered the finer nuances of corporate and social etiquette. One set, called the old boys club, comprised young men and a few women who went through the portals of prestigious public or convent schools and city colleges and frequented colonial clubs. The other set of professionals received their social graces through induction into the Indian armed forces and through their interaction with families that frequented service clubs. This exclusiveness was enhanced by virtue of membership to the extended cantonment family.

These clubs are no longer accessible to the growing number of young executives eager to climb the corporate ladder. We have arrived on the world stage as the liberalization reforms introduced in the 1990s started showing results by the turn of the century. But sadly, accepted corporate culture has declined sharply. Our educational system focuses on a final percentage score in the field of specialization, neglecting to deliver a finished product widely informed and well groomed with a presentable personality. This has led to executives lacking in soft skills that are essential in todays world of business.

Business etiquette can be defined as the ability to make someone else think that both of you are charming, an essential career skill that contributes in a big way to helping build relationships and a positive image. While most rules of etiquette are unwritten, knowing how to use them can be a great key to business success.

Globally, the dynamics of etiquette in the workplace are fast changing. While on the one hand people are getting more relaxed about the way they meet and greet colleagues, interact, dress and dine at work, on the other hand, theres an increased level of formality when doing business with important clients or with associates from a different country. As Indians conduct business with diverse people from different parts of the world, it has become important for our global managers to understand multiple communication styles keeping in mind racial, gender and cultural diversities. Its important for the companies and for the executive to understand that todays Indian executive is a brand ambassador for both his company and his country, making it imperative that he/she projects them in the right light. An understanding of corporate etiquette will help enhance the business image of India as well as the companies on our soil.

Etiquette as a subject is an ever-evolving and changing field. The few books that are available on the topic are old-fashioned and conventional, projecting etiquette as a set of rigid rules, which only the wealthy have the time to adopt and practice. Also, the books are mostly written by American and British authors who lack understanding of the needs of Indians. Interestingly, articles published in the Indian media, at times, treat the subject with an air of snobbishness.