Does ‘Yes’ really mean Yes?

Laxmi Chaudhry is co-tutor of ALPSP's new Outsourcing training course. She took part in our London Book Fair panel yesterday and spoke at last year's Outsourcing seminar. Here, she reflects on some of the key cultural issues that influence vendor relationships in a guest post.

Why is yes such a powerful word  when working with International Suppliers?

'In our globalised and outsourced/off shored world we are now working across different cultures and communication styles. This has given rise to a number of cultural challenges, further exacerbated by working remotely across distance and time zones. So what we may take for granted in terms of working style and communication in the UK, for example, can be very different in other cultures, giving rise to misunderstandings, time delays and poor business relationships. This of course impacts the bottom line!
  
The short but very powerful word “yes” encapsulates and reflects cultural differences and is one of the biggest sources of frustration and loss of trust. How is this so?

In the UK, “yes” generally means that we agree or accept and are committed to performing the necessary actions in achieving a desired result. If we are not able to do so or have difficulty in understanding the instruction, we usually ask further questions to gain clearer understanding or else we may speak up later if we come across difficulty.

However, in many cultures, such as in India and China, the word “yes” encompasses multitude of meanings besides the one we generally understand. Hence the room for giving rise to a host of difficulties when dealing with international suppliers, not least getting projects completed in time, instructions not being followed, not checking for clarification until the deadline date, and at times poorly executed work. Other examples of potential problem are ongoing business relationships suffering, opaque communication, and a culture of blame developing.  

What does ‘Yes’ mean in some cultures?

For example when a supplier in India says “yes” to a request or instruction from you, what it could really mean is any of the following:

• I am hearing you
• I hear you but I don’t understand you and won’t admit it
• I acknowledge I have received your request
• I recognise your status
• I am being polite
• I will do it if nothing else happens that’s more important
• I will deliver something but...

This list is by no means exhaustive. These differences in connotations and the understanding of the word “yes” arise due to differing underlying cultural values such as the importance of hierarchy, relationships, harmony etc.

However, it is very possible as a company to bridge the cultural and communication gaps and there are many examples of companies doing so thorough proactive cultural awareness training. This applies for both parties being involved and buying into this. One can get to a real understanding of what “yes” means in an outsourcing scenario and achieve effective working and relationships.'

Laxmi Chaudhry is a cross cultural consultant and trainer, specialising in business effectiveness across international cultures, working with global organisations in many sectors including publishing. She has spoken at ALPSP events on Outsourcing and is co-tutor of the Managing Quality from Outsourced Services training course in July 2014. You can contact Laxmi at laxmi@1stophr.com or www.1stophr.com.

Outsourcing: the good, the bad and the ugly. Staying in touch with your suppliers and understanding cultural differences.

Chris McKeown from Aptara

Chris McKeown, European Director Account Management for Aptara outlined the ingredients for a good customer/supplier relationship at ALPSP's Outsourcing seminar today.

The customer must be clear on what the supplier can deliver and any limitations on what the supplier can deliver. They need to avoid the 'yes' pitfall by being clear a supplier won't lose work or damage your perception of them by saying no to something. You have to feel comfortable that the supplier has a clear understanding of the partnership and they know the services the vendor can offer.

The supplier must be clear on the specification for the work and service level agreements (including times and quality measurements). They should understand what feedback and reporting is required as well as what the customer publishes and how the customer likes to work - communication is at the heart of this part of the relationship. Key performance indicators will be based upon communication, service and quality.

McKeown provided a range of tips. Think about public holidays in the country where your supplier is based. Ask the vendor to write up notes/actions to ensure they understand what has been agreed. Also have an escalation list of who to speak to if something does go wrong. Be aware of how an increased  inflow of work can have an impact on quality. Regular vendor reporting and regular calls are a great way to avoid problems.

Laxmi Chaudhry

Laxmi Chaudhry is a Director of 1 Stop HR and a cross-cultural trainer and consultant. She closed the seminar with an engaging overview of communication as the glue for outsourcing. There are several misconceptions people hold about cross-cultural communication.

Do you believe English is a common language? Think again. Jargon, phrases, irony, inference can all be lost in translation. Ask for clarification and confirmation, repeat, put in an email to reconfirm, and don't worry about patronising. That only comes from a tone of voice, not checking what has been understood.

Why does cultural awareness matter? It is about effective communication, language, successful teams and relationships between partners. Motivation and recognition drives higher performance and better collaboration. It also helps you to reflect your market place. It is an effective way of remote working and can impact on your bottom line.

Laxmi suggest that cultures are like icebergs: with explicit/overt observable behaviours above and implicit or covert beliefs, values and assumptions below, which are not easily observable. The key is to understand that what lies beneath is hugely influential on what goes on above. She urged delegates to consider cultural values and how they impact everyday business. Consider the differences in culture on the importance of hierarchy, relationships, context, direct or indirect approaches, how important the group is compared to the individual and the value of losing or keeping face. When you take these areas into consideration, it makes a lot of sense of how people respond.

Other advice included: don't underestimate the importance of non-verbal communication. Check for understanding - don't assume anything. If you are managing important overseas relationships, take steps to work more effectively with partners and have cultural awareness training.