Working it, working it

Two weeks ago I participated in a national seminar, where we had a very interesting session about the Czech culture, both in general as well as business life. This session was very enlightening and gave answers to some things that I have been wondering about. First when I started here, it seemed that there is really a lot of Indian influence in the corporate culture. Now I have noticed more and more of the little Czech bits that stand out. Sure the company is Indian and it does show, but in the daily routines it is the Czech way of thinking that prevails. I will give some examples. Many typicalities in the Czech living are still reasoned by the communist heritage. In the past the work ethic was all about obeying rules that were communicated from higher authorities. People had to stay at the work place for certain hours. In case there was no work, people had to act like they were busy. Also, questioning the working methods was not a sign of healthy critical thinking and initiative of necessary change process but basically a violation against the might authority, often with consequences. Hence, people did not get used to voicing their opinions and giving feedback. Some of this influence can still be sensed. In this company we are expected to sit tight even if the systems sometimes are not working or there is nothing to do. Luckily though here the individual opinions are not suppressed but people can actually have their say about things.

Generally if something will suck in a company, one of the most likely issues is internal communication. Here in the CZ this seems to be even more a burden, which is something that I have come a cross in various occasions. In some cases people just do not seem to care about if the receiver actually gets and understands the message, as long as it is posted somewhere. Another notion is the lack of honesty concerning some cases. For example if something agreed is forgotten (e.g. a meeting) a white lie (such as technical problems) is told rather than the truth. In my opinion honesty is an essential corner stone of any business and it should be reflected in all levels of work.

However, I am happy to see the young generation embrace the modern leadership paradigm. This country is opening up to global influence; people travel, learn and bring in the best methods. But change needs time and depending on the deepness of the issue, often several cycles of education.