We
live in a global interconnected multicultural world. From promoting world peace, to maintaining a
competitive business edge, to making the most of a holiday abroad, we need to communicate
with different cultures.
Communication
is crucial and challenging at the best of times. Factor in the cultural element
and the stakes rise. There is
the issue of language and knowing what to say, how, when, where and why and the
non-verbal behaviour. Then is our inclination to see what we want or expect to see and to reject possible
interpretations that don’t fit with what we expect; a tendency which becomes even more apparent when faced with a different culture. We evaluate behavior as good or bad, and make
judgments based on our own cultural bias.
And all this adds to high levels of stress.
For
leaders, the ability to understand, build trust with and serve people from
different cultural backgrounds with different values and assumptions and to
unleash this human potential to reap the benefits of diversity, is critical.
IQ,
EQ, CQ – are the commonly accepted abbreviations to represent intellectual,
emotional and cultural intelligence respectfully*. As leaders we have been
concentrating on the first two. Cultural intelligence which layers onto these
is no longer an add-on: we must give it our attention. With
various studies that conclude 16-40% of all managers who are sent on foreign
assignments end them early, it makes no sense for companies not to.
Cultural
intelligence can be simply defined as being intelligent about cultures -
having the ability to make appropriate behavioural choices depending on the culture-based
values and attitudes of the people with whom one interacts. It is not about being an expert about every
culture, but more about having the ability to be effective and respectful in
any cultural situation.
Last
week, I was in Connecticut with a group of IT managers who were exploring this
very thing. What mindset and behaviours
did I need in order to be more effective globally? What does it mean for me as a Texan to lead a
multicultural team?
Culturally intelligent people I know? They have developed their awareness, knowledge and
skills. They are cognitively strong, open and mindful. Appreciative of difference
they take time to learn about their own culture, to dig deep into their own assumptions and learn about other cultures and their languages. They have the physical means, in that they
have a high attuned awareness, their ‘antennae’ are finely tuned to non-verbal
behaviour, they are perceptive and sensitive to context and adjust and adapt as
necessary. Motivationally, they have a
strong inner purpose, are comfortable with ambiguity, resilient and use the
richness of cultural differences to create new options.
If
IQ gets you the job and EQ gets you promoted, well perhaps we can say CQ gives you
‘the world’.
Notes/Sources
*
The Q stands for the quotient, the
measurement of these intelligences. The abbreviations of IQ, EQ, CQ have become
accepted ways to talk about both the intelligence and the measurement.
A
rainbow of flags...'Vivacity' by Juan Aguilar. Colours and shadows dancing in
the wind near Qinghai Lake, Qinghai province, People's Republic of China as
posted by Vivid Greeting Cards on Facebook 27 June 2013.
Vivid Greeting Cards – celebrating the world's wonders with gems found in
cyberspace and Gallery Windows of VGC art - http://www.vividgreetingcards.co.uk/.
Sign up to Vivid Greeting Cards Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vivid-Greeting-Cards/187838957957375
Economist
(2010), In Search of High CQ, April 6, http://www.economist.com/node/15859723
Brooks Peterson (2004) Cultural Intelligence, Intercultural Press
For a short CQ assessment go to Earley
& Mosakowski, (2004) “Cultural Intelligence”, Harvard Business Review,
October, pp. 139-146. http://hbr.org/2004/10/cultural-intelligence
With much respect and admiration to all you culturally intelligent folk - you know who you are.
Other
related cultural intelligence postings:
Could
the opposite also be true? http://quintessenza-consulting.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/could-opposite-also-be-true.html
What
are the Italian fundamentals? http://quintessenza-consulting.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/what-are-italian-fundamentals.html
Nil Difficile Volenti. Really?? http://quintessenza-consulting.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/nil-difficile-volenti-really.html
Are
you listening waiting to talk? http://quintessenza-consulting.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/are-you-listening-waiting-to-talk.html
You
cannot not communicate http://quintessenza-consulting.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/you-cannot-not-communicate_3.html
What
does it take to integrate? http://quintessenza-consulting.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/what-does-it-take-to-integrate.html
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