In this post I would like to share some thoughts on differences between work ethic in India and the United States. These are just some lessons I have learnt the hard way, lessons I wish someone had told me when I was new to States after 10+ years of working in India. These are only generalizations and by no means 100 percent true but perhaps would serve as a guideline for people heading to the States to work from India. And to my mind some guideline is better than nothing J

The Indian work ethic is largely based upon

1. Team Spirit and working together towards a common goal
2. Loyalty to the boss/employer
3. Working as hard as it takes to get the job done, in other words proving one can do what one is entrusted to do.

The American work ethic is based upon

1. Individual responsibility and taking care of what I am entrusted with
2. Being accountable/trustworthy as an individual to boss/employer
3. Doing as much as agreed to (generally) and more depending on how motivated the individual is.

Let us look at some common situations one faces in our industry –

1. Working long hours -There was a recent Forbes magazine survey on list of countries where people take vacations. India ranked near bottom, the States was a wee bit better, about two countries ahead, but still ahead. I can write a few blog posts on this alone, but to keep it relevant to the subject – vacations and time off from work are taken a lot more seriously in the States than in India. So if you are taking up a job in the States that requires a lot of overtime, it is a very good idea to discuss with your boss/employer the situations that require overtime work. Being candid and open particularly before you take up a job is appreciated in most situations and your boss/employer is more than likely to give you an answer, even if that is not what you expected. And if possible cautiously ask if there are ways they will compensate or give you time off.  Always to remember not to put in too many hours without any discussion or agreement on how it may be perceived.
2. Helping a team mate in trouble - In India it is very common to speak up for the underdog, or someone you see is in need of help and for some reason cannot do it himself. In the States help goes strictly by request and acceptance – someone asks you for it and you agree, people rarely speak up for others in public (unless it is your team member and you are talking to another manager on his/her behalf). If you speak up for someone else more than likely they are going to be offended or take it as a reflection of their own inability to do so.
3. Speaking up when you have an idea and qualifying your ideas with ‘I’. Most Indian team members will have an idea on something but will only speak up when they feel supported or specifically singled out and asked – in American work situations you have to take initiative and speak up for yourself. To ensure that your ideas do not sound too opinionated or encroaching on someone else’s make sure to say ‘that is my experience/my opinion’.

There are lessons one learns from either cultures – in almost every job I have been in the States I have tried to encourage team spirit. I regard that as the most valuable lesson I learnt from my jobs in India and have tried to carry over some of that. The single most important lesson I have learnt from the American work ethic is that work is done primarily in return for money and while having due regard for loyalty and commitment, it is also important to evaluate periodically if you are not giving too much. In times when job security and other cultural norms are slowly becoming a thing of the past that might be a good lesson in India too.