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Making sense of the subcontinent

Filed Under: #ChaosBeatsLogic, #PowerPlays, #ThinSkinned, Communication

The Golden Rule for Choosing the Best Forms of Business Communication in India

Woman on the phone

You know that feeling you get when your inbox gets to zero?

You feel like you really accomplished something. Like you are on top of your game. Like you really earned your money today.

 

In India, that feeling can be deceptive.

You can have an empty inbox, but never do any actual business. You can reply to all your messages and SMSs, but never reach any of your targets. You can send a hundred emails a day, but never be any closer to your goal.

Why?

The problem might lie in choosing the wrong forms of business communication in India.

 

When it comes to communicating with India, there is one Golden Rule you must always remember: [Read more…]

Filed Under: #ChaosBeatsLogic, #PowerPlays, #TimeIsEternal, Parent Leadership

The Most Important Quality When Working for a Parent Leader

Image of Clock Tower

…is loyalty.

And the most important way your Parent Leader will evaluate your loyalty is…

availability.

You get no awards in India for having great time management. You get no praise for submitting weekly reports on all your tasks. No one will mention you at a celebration if you manage to save an hour a day by not checking email until noon. Time is not something that can be spreadsheeted.

The only truly important question about time in India is:

Were you there in the Moment of Need?

What is the Moment of Need? It’s the moment when your boss or your team members are freaking out because something has gone terribly wrong and the world might end.

The assessment of your loyalty is most dependent on how completely you are available in the Moment of Need.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: #PowerPlays, Politics

10 Questions You Might Have Asked About the Indian Elections

Narendra_Modi_in_BJP_National_Executive_Meet_in_Goa

Here’s a recap of the largest democratic exercise in the history of humanity, also known as India’s national election.

 

What was this election?

This election was for Members of Parliament (MPs). Each voter had a list of candidates to choose from to represent his/her district.

 

I thought they were voting for a Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister is not an elected position. He/She is selected by the party or alliance that has a majority of seats in Parliament.

 

What is an alliance?

[Read more…]

Filed Under: #ChaosBeatsLogic, #PowerPlays, #See1See100, #ThinSkinned, #TimeIsEternal, On the Job

Don’t waste your short-term trip to India!

short term trip to india

 

About the time you start packing your bags for your trip to India, the question dawns on you.

What am I doing?

Maybe it’s clear for you. You are training some colleagues. You are finding some suppliers. You are volunteering. You are choosing a vendor. You are attending a conference. (Do make sure you have the right visa for each of these!)

However, when you return and start unpacking your bags, you might suddenly realize the trip wasn’t as obviously successful as you thought it was. No one seems to be doing the things you trained them on. No one is replying to your repeated emails. All the processes you put in place seem to be falling apart.

You are left with a few pictures and a sinking feeling in your stomach that the trip was wasted. [Read more…]

Filed Under: #GreyIsWhite, #PowerPlays, Politics

Why India Supports Russia’s Move Into Ukraine

india-russia-ties

India recently announced that it does not support the West’s sanctions against Russia for its actions in Ukraine. While not completely aligning with Russia, India has been the first major nation to offer any public support. 

It might sound surprising given that India usually comes out with a very neutral stance on these kinds of issues, and often in favor of the US/European position.

It might also sound surprising given that India’s most sensitive border issue is with Kashmir.

Traditional ethics might cause India to come to this logical conclusion:

  1. We have a small area of our country that is ethnically and linguistically similar to a neighbor who can be hostile (Pakistan).
  2. We do not want Pakistan to come and steal Kashmir from us.
  3. Therefore we will not support Russia’s advances into Ukraine in case the same happens to us.

 

However, in India, relational ethics (not situational or logical ethics) prevail in all circumstances. It’s not what is involved, but who.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: #PowerPlays, Into India, Politics

Whoever I Hit Will Become a King!

Vijayakanth_0

 

With election time coming near in India, I wanted to share one of my all-time favorite stories about power and politics.

In 2011, one of the local party leaders in Tamil Nadu was on the campaign trail, meaning that he was driving around a large van and speaking to crowds using a public address system. All of a sudden, the microphone stops working. The leader then yells at one of his own party candidates, and proceeds to beat him over the head with the microphone.

In certain countries, that is the end of your political career. Not in India.

 

The #PowerPlays guide to overcoming an embarrassing PR event:

[Read more…]

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© Neil A. Miller, LearningIndia.in, and Madras Media Marketing LLC 2013-2015. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given.