International Communications

An advertisement by HSBC indicating different perspectives

Trendy in my country could be traditional in yours, or vice-versa.


We all know that the shrinking distances, the changing cultures, and the evolving economies, that is happening at such a fast pace around the world that the ability to communicate with people from diverse cultures is not just a desire but a necessity. Self-sufficient city economies are passe and the multicultural work places are the new reality.

Taking an example of Jaipur, the changing trends in trade and business and booming tourism has led to the emergence of almost 45 malls; global brands have become routine wear, exotic cuisines are no more exotic, MNCs are routine jobs and foreign faces can be spotted in every nook and corner in the city.

It is not just the walled city which has served as the popular tourist spot in the district for almost a century, but also Jawahar Kala Kendra and colonies like Mansarovar where you could run into a European, North American or a Chinese shopping around or just chatting away! Foreign interns, importers, journalists, writers, hoteliers, non-profit workers, you name it and they are a part of this vibrant city. On the one hand, we have inbound tourism on the rise and on the other hand, Jaipurites have witnessed a sharp increase in outbound tourism too. This has created a need for people to develop their international communication skills.

Having lived abroad for more than a decade and that too in different continents like Europe, Asia and North America, I have has the opportunity to develop CQ (Cultural intelligence) the hard way- by learning it on the job. I had no access to any guide to international cultural etiquette or a teacher who could prepare me to face culture shock on my first professional assignment abroad. Last November, on my return to Jaipur, I realized that an average Indian is at a sheer loss when it comes to deciphering simple non-verbal communication clues or global etiquette in the corporate world. Hence, I pulled together my resources and two decades of learning to develop the content and teaching methodology for International Communications Studies program at Gita Mittal Career Development Centre/

The Course content topics range from Building Perceptions, International Business Documentation and Global Etiquette to Cultural Intelligence.  I am definitely enjoying to teach this course because of the interactive and challenging sessions every morning at 8 am but also because the participants are quite a curious and intelligent bunch of individuals!

Stay tuned to my corner of the blogosphere for fresh O2 every now and then.

Ciao