7 Things I love about the business etiquette
book
by Shital Kakkar Mehra
# 1 – The FAQ section - At the end of each chapter
there is a FAQ (frequently asked questions) section which presents some highly
interesting day-to-day dilemmas with the ideal solution. For example: “My
job involves cross-border business. Should I display my Indian identity or dilute
it by applying the global ways of doing business?” In this book the
reader will get answers to 44 different scenarios that one can easily relate
to.
# 2 – The
in-depth information - Whatever topic the book author presents, you will
notice a lot of in-depth information and advice that other similar etiquette
books cover only in a superficial way. For example:
In many etiquette books you
will learn about dining etiquette (e.g. the ideal wine-food combination) but in
this book (in the “Dining and Entertaining Finesse” section) you will also
learn about 10 different types of cheese and what the specific cheese-wine
combination should be. Never seen before, great!
In many etiquette books you
will come across odour-related issues and how to deal with them. But in the
business etiquette book by Shital Kakkar Mehra you will find the answer to
mouth odour, smoker’s odour, body odour and feet odour!
In many etiquette books you
will learn about the importance of accepting compliments graciously. This book
provides interesting insights on how compliments are being perceived in
different parts of the world and gives you concrete examples of what you should
NOT say (rejecting the compliment, underplaying it, making others look stupid,
being cocky, deflecting the compliment or being completely lost for words).
# 3 – Well researched resources - The fact that also
other interesting book resources have been mentioned showed that the book
author researched her topic well and also didn’t hesitate to give credit where
credit is due. It motivated me to put some of them on my reading wish list.
# 4 – Some personal (international) experiences - Shital Kakkar Mehra
used the power of storytelling by sharing some of her own or other business
professionals’ personal experiences. This approach worked very well since it
helped to emphasise certain points. Adding personal episodes is something that
always adds credibility and makes the whole message more memorable and
meaningful.
# 5 – The
comparison: Indian vs. International Etiquette - I really loved the comparisons
between Indian etiquette and other countries’ etiquette rules in this book.
Usually etiquette books focus only on one specific country’s etiquette rules
(depending on the book author’s nationality) or they talk about the different
etiquette rules by listing them country by country.
The business etiquette book by
Shital Kakkar Mehra had a bit a different approach in giving you the
direct comparison between Indian customs and other Western or Asian countries,
making also a comparison between monochromic and polychromic countries. For
example, how Indians and Americans view contracts, Indian dress attire and
international business attire, the seating protocol in Indian companies vs. the
arrangement in China and Japan, how touching a stranger’s child and calling
them cute is interpreted differently in India compared to Germany, the extent
to which small talk should be discussed in Middle East, Latin America, Europe
or Asia. Where in this world is alcohol consumption considered as an integral
part of business entertaining and where is it an absolute taboo? In what
countries is making personal calls at work considered normal and where would it
be inappropriate? In this book you will find all these answers. For me
personally, the most memorable example of cultural differences was the story of
an Indian Executive and a German Executive when they visited each other’s
countries (p. 276).
# 6 – The visual images - Out of all the etiquette books
that I’ve read so far, the business etiquette book by Shital Kakkar Mehra is
the only etiquette book that included the most useful images. It covers several
topics in a very visual way. For example, do you know: the difference between a
cut-away collar and a wing-tip collar, the difference between a single-breast
suit and a double-breast suit, the meaning of hands clasped behind the back? Do
you know how much the distance between the social/public zone and the personal
zone is, how a Tom Callings glass and a highball glass look like? How do you
exchange business cards at a cocktail party? Do you know where the principal
guest, principal host and their interpreters are sitting at a table? What is
the difference between a glove handshake and a bone-crusher handshake? In this
book you will find all the answers to these questions and much more. Often just
words don’t suffice, and seeing additional pictures makes it surely easier to
remember. Well done for including visuals, it does make a difference!
# 7 – New
interesting topics - There were some other new topics that general
etiquette books don’t focus on in much detail. For example, elevator etiquette,
safety tips for female business professionals when travelling abroad, dealing
with sexual harassment at the workplace, restroom etiquette and international
dining do’s and don’ts. Knowing the right etiquette rules when dealing with
interpreters (before, during and after using their services) was a topic that
was highly interesting. I did not find anything on this topic in other
etiquette books so far. Learning about different types of bosses (the alcoholic
boss, the workaholic boss, the bully, the bragging boss) and certain employees
(gossip monger, the show-off, the human encyclopaedia, Mr/Ms Impolite, the
over-friendly cling wrap) and how to deal with them is surely something
everyone should learn!
How would I rate the business etiquette book
by Shital Kakkar Mehra?
I would give the book
“Business Etiquette: A Guide for the Indian Professional” a 9.5 out of
10. I would have given it a 10/10 if those professionals who were
involved in publishing this book would have paid a bit more attention to
detail. I was surprised to spot some mistakes here and there. However, I must
say that after reading lots of books, it’s still a rarity nowadays to find a
book that is 100 % flawless. I’m not a professional proofreader and English is
my third language.
Being an Italian citizen, I do
not fully agree with the description on how pasta – spaghetti and penne –
should be eaten the authentic Italian way (see p. 229).
Would I
recommend the business etiquette book by Shital Kakkar Mehra? - Yes, definitely! It
gives business professionals very useful tips that are highly relevant in
today’s competitive world. I consider it as not just useful for Indian
professionals, but also for Westerners who want to do business with Indians in
order to get a better understanding of their cultural differences. Even though
I’ve lived and worked in India for 2 ½ years, there were still lessons that I
could learn from this book which I didn’t know before.
Comments
Post a Comment