‘Etiquette blunders have increased’

Trainer Having trained over 7,000 Indians across diverse local and MNC companies, Shital Kakkar Mehra has unique insights into the training needs of the Indians. She authored a book titled, Business Etiquette: A guide for the Indian Professional, published by Harper Collins India. Her book was released in March and has been ranked one of the top 10 business bestsellers, having sold over 9,000 copies. Mehra tells Rajesh Rao how business etiquettes have become important for Indian executives in today’s global environment.

With globalisation, how aware are Indian corporate executives about business etiquette and the art of creating positive impression?
Indian executives appreciate the importance of business etiquette and international protocol. However, as they have not been formally trained in creating a good first impression, their knowledge on this subject is low, which is essential to conduct business in today’s global environment. However, Indians are receptive and are always willing to learn new skills. They are quick in picking up tips and tricks.

What initiated you to write a comprehensive guide on business etiquette, customised for the new-age global Indian?
The Indian executive of the 60s and 70s learnt his/her social and business etiquette skills in prestigious schools, colleges and colonial clubs. These are no longer available to today’s young Indian executives who are eager to climb the corporate ladder. My book will teach them how to dress, entertain, order a bottle of wine and improve their mingling quotient thus taking them higher in their corporate careers.

Technology has increased the pace of doing business and as a result etiquette blunders have increased manifold. These include upsetting people over an email, rudeness when using the cellphone, dialling late for e-meetings, immature tweets; there are too many to count.

My book covers techno-etiquette extensively, which will help the young Indians to upgrade their skills.

Today, Indians are travelling, negotiating, interacting with bosses and clients all over the world. The global Indian needs to understand the importance of soft skills in order to gain success in the international arena. For example, it is crucial to understand cultures, perception of time, networking and decision-making across the world.

How improving civility in workplace leads to increase in personal productivity of working executives?
It is a proven fact that those offices where business etiquettes are practiced are more productive, which directly impacts the bottom line of the organisation. Civility in the workplace means respecting each other’s space and feelings, keeping the offices noise-free, displaying impeccable cubicle manners and communicating appropriately among others. In my experience, ethics and etiquette go hand-in-hand.

Why B-schools don’t emphasise on soft skill training?
As a guest speaker at various leading business schools in India, I can say that they are increasingly focusing on the importance of soft skills. However, this should be made a compulsory subject so that it is practiced regularly. This will help to produce efficient and productive youngsters who are ready to take India forward.