Cultural Intelligence (CQ) is an important asset for leaders and team members in today’s diverse workplace.
It’s important to understand how to work with leaders, peers and clients who hail from different countries, cultural and religious backgrounds, socioeconomic circumstances and experiences. Understanding what CQ is and how it can be developed can give you and your team an advantage.
Understanding Cultural Intelligence (CQ)
If you’ve travelled abroad or even to different regions of Canada, you’ll likely have encountered that culture varies as you notice nuances in the ways people communicate, interact, gesture and speak to one another. The same can be said when you move from one industry or company to another and realize that the company culture – and even the culture between departments in the same organization – is variable.
Folks with high CQ are able to decipher the cultural code of a new environment, which means not only understanding the language and cultural differences of those they encounter, but how their own actions, gestures and attempts at conversation are interpreted. They pick up on the cues to fit in within the culture.
When someone is able to understand a new culture as if they were part of the culture in question and perhaps even mimic the norms and use some of the behaviours, they have high Cultural Intelligence (CQ).
This is different from Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in leadership (the ability to understand your own emotional response to a situation and the emotional and interpersonal needs of others), which we’ve discussed previously. The concept of Cultural Intelligence is related to EQ, but different.
It’s also different from cultural awareness (recognizing similarities and differences) and cultural sensitivity (understanding differences in beliefs or values related to someone’s cultural background and being willing to accommodate them) because CQ transcends understanding and moves into being able to act, react and interact effectively in a culturally diverse setting.
The Four Components of CQ
There are four key components of Cultural Intelligence. Here’s what they are and how to approach each one:
Cognitive CQ
The knowledge of different culture(s) and how they are different and similar. This includes knowing about the customs, values and beliefs of diverse groups of people.
Questions:
- What is my intention when I interact?
- How can I use what I learn from this interaction in future diverse cultural settings?
- What can I do to relate better to people from diverse cultural backgrounds?
Motivational CQ
The motivation to learn and interact in culturally diverse settings. This is a combination of interest and confidence to try to function effectively with people from different cultures.
Questions:
- How confident do I feel about interacting with folks from different cultures?
- Am I interested in meeting culturally diverse people?
- Do I have the confidence to handle a cultural situation that is alien to me in an effective way?
- Can I adapt to cultural differences easily?
Behavioural or Physical CQ
Having the ability to adapt both verbal and nonverbal behaviour so that others are comfortable and don’t perceive someone as an outsider.
Questions:
- Can I adapt my body language to match that of others?
- Should I modify my tone or accent?
- How can I modify my expression and actions to suit someone from another cultural background?
Meta-Cognition CQ
Having the awareness of one’s own cultural skills and ways other cultures might be different, plus being able to use that understanding and knowledge to navigate cultural differences.
Questions:
- How quickly do I learn about cultures?
- What do I recognize about myself with other cultures?
- How do I react to unfamiliar actions and expressions from others?
The Benefits of Developing Cultural Intelligence for Leaders
When leaders develop their CQ, they are able to establish trust with others. This is beneficial whether that’s with their boss or the board, peers, direct reports or other stakeholders.
It’s critical to increase CQ because it’s more important than simply having experience internationally or learning a language. CQ is the ability to communicate and interact with flexible cultural understanding, adapting and learning constantly.Those who build their CQ are more effective leading diverse teams as they understand and interpret behaviour correctly. As we discussed previously, making assumptions can negatively affect communication and the cohesiveness of teams.
Leaders with high CQ benefit from:
- communicating effectively with employees from diverse cultural backgrounds, whether that’s at home or abroad.
- adjusting their leadership style to appeal to different cultures.
- understanding what culturally diverse customers might value, need or expect from customer service or corporate interactions.
- creating marketing strategies and campaigns that resonate with diverse populations and in different countries or communities.
- assisting team members to develop their CQ.
Ways to Develop Cultural Intelligence
There are different strategies for leaders, managers and team members to develop and enhance their CQ. Here are some tips for developing CQ:
- Develop understanding of cultural backgrounds – your own and from other cultures. Read books, watch movies and find media created by diverse groups. This will deepen your knowledge and understanding of the customs, values and beliefs of others and expand your worldview, particularly if you are open to learning about opinions that differ from your own.
- Travel so that you can immerse yourself in a different culture. Make an effort to talk to locals and be curious, asking thoughtful questions and listening to what they share with you. Observe the habits and customs wherever you go.
- Find ways to interact more with people from diverse backgrounds, in person or online. This might involve joining a group or community association. Engage in conversations with new and different folks, and try to keep an open mind as you learn. Being able to communicate effectively includes being observant and practicing active listening skills.
- Allow time for folks to understand each other. This requires patience as everyone learns and adjusts. It takes time and effort to build strong teams, but developing relationships is a key to success.
- Assess your CQ strengths and weaknesses because then you’ll know what to work on.
- Are you aware of cultural differences and similarities?
- Do you have empathy for people who think and act differently than you do?
- Are you interested in learning about and understanding people from other cultural backgrounds?
- Can you adapt how you communicate and behave in different cultural contexts?
- How well do you engage with people from different backgrounds?
- Can you be respectful of differences?
- Do you seek to improve your interactions?
- Are you able to blend in when you’re in a different cultural environment?
- Do you look for ways to improve your CQ?
It’s possible for anyone to develop their CQ. When executives lead with cultural intelligence, they foster an inclusive and diverse workplace.
Coach’s Questions:
How would navigating diversity better help you? How can you help your team develop CQ? What can you do to start enhancing your own CQ?
