HELP A RUSSIAN?

Russians, like everyone else, need help once in a while. But, helping a Russian, they say, is like trying to save a drowning man who won’t give you his hand. I have surely had that experience at times. It is a pathetic experience, and so often one that I have a hard time getting past.

We all live in the same world and are here to help each other. But, the Russian often questions the motive of the one offering his hand. Once I had visiting me a man of notable achievements in the Russian film world. I had a contact in Hollywood who I offered to introduce to him. His response was, “Why would he want to help me?” The presumption was, of course, that the other man has his only his interest solely in mind. As Russia moves into the larger global stage, the individual will realize that, in addition to self-interest, there is a great value is simply helping others when its needed. That way, one finds his place in the global world of mutually beneficial relationships where things get done on trust.

How to work successfully with Russians, in these changing times, is covered from different angles in my book “Walking on Ice, An American Businessman in Russia.”

Buy here  “Walking on Ice, An American Businessman in Russia”

AUTHORITY!

No one said it better than Dostoyevsky. In his masterpiece, The Brothers Karamazov, the master clearly defines the underlying rationale for the mental despotism that has for centuries burdened the Russian people.

In the famous chapter, The Grand Inquisitor, the middle brother, Ivan, relates to his younger brother, Alyosha, an allegory he has written, set during the Spanish Inquisition, in which Jesus has returned to earth and is immediately imprisoned for bringing a dead girl back to life. The wizened  Grand Inquisitor lectures the silent Jesus on the folly of freedom and individual choice and says to him, “There are three forces, the only forces that are able to conquer and hold captive forever the conscience of these weak rebels (the people) for their own happiness—these forces are: miracle, mystery, and  authority.”

These three things are generic to the traditional Russian character: the idea that good, if any, will come from some unexpected outside source (miracle); that man is not ordained to be responsible for his own welfare and progress (mystery); and that guidance and protection come only from constant dependence on and obedience to someone else (authority). Today that situation is changing with the young, but it still pops up at times. It could fall into that category of unpredictibility which I call, “The third side of the Russian coin.”

Do you agree? For more on this, see my book.

Buy here  “Walking on Ice, An American Businessman in Russia”

My First Lesson ~ Getting around "No"

The Cold-War stereotype of the Russian was a man in a gray suit and brown shoes who simply said “no.” One of my first lessons in doing business in Russia was learning that image is both true and false. In the stark and crowded 21st floor room in what was to be our office for a few years I, an American nice guy with no telecom credentials, discussed some business plans with a few potential employees. It was an atmosphere of awe and wonder. “What is the crazy American talking about?” they were thinking. “Doesn’t he know this is Russia?”

 It was Russia indeed, 1992 in fact, only a few months after The Hammer and Sickle came quietly down over Red Square and the whole of what was then The Soviet Union. But these were not gray suited men or babushkas shoveling snow. These were sharp and eager young graduates, men and women, from the top technical school in Moscow. But, their initial reaction still reflected the centuries of Russian resistance to taking initiative and personal responsibility. But I quickly learned how to get around that cultural block and get something done.

 At first I presented the new business idea to the young Russians as I would do at home. But, often I would get a silence, maybe a head shaking, in any case a definite “no, it can’t be done.” They might have reasons to put forth, but those were seldom pertinent. Then the thought came to me to get on their side of the table and say, “I know it would be difficult, but if we had to do it, how would we do it.” Then, the lights would come on, the discussion would catch on fire, and solutions would come forth.

 I quickly learned that the Russian, especially during Soviet times, was often blocked from doing what he wanted, but under the new environment and if approached pro-actively, he expressed a resourcefulness like nothing I had experienced in my decades of international business management. From that start we built a major telecom company in the new Russia with a team that grew to over sixty and delivered state-of-the-art telecommunications to the rapidly expanding expatiate business community and to some top Russian clients, too.

 I also learned quickly that you have to be part of a dedicated team. With good leadership, they then will get excited with the potential of successful creativity and work hard to achieve the goal. It’s all about relationships.