You are probably familiar with the term ‘emotional intelligence’. Thanks to Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence or EQ has become widely recognized as being one of the key components for success in the workplace and in relationships. What about cultural intelligence – or CQ? Cultural intelligence is the ability to adapt to and function well in culturally diverse environments and is almost an extension to emotional intelligence.

Many of us are now working or connecting internationally on a regular basis with people from many different nationalities and cultures. Diverse teams can be co-located or might be dispersed across continents. Diverse teams have been shown to be capable of improved creativity and productivity through the harnessing of different perspectives and skills. Yet, diverse teams also have a greater potential for misunderstanding and conflict.  Differences in areas such as attitude to time, how we communicate, how much personal space we need, how to greet someone, and whether socializing with our work colleagues is seen as a good thing can all be influenced by our cultural norms. Until we find ourselves with other cultures we are not even aware that we have such views. If you are for example an expat working in a completely new and different culture it can feel almost like someone has changed the rules of the game but no one is telling you what the new ones are. You have to figure it out as you go along.

To navigate the challenges and make the most of increasingly diverse teams in international settings we need culturally intelligent managers and leaders. The good news is that, whilst some people might be naturally better at this than others, cultural intelligence is something that can be developed.

Essentially there are four elements required for being adaptable and being able to function well in cross cultural situations:  motivation or drive, knowledge, strategy, and action. We need to want to adapt and be willing to learn about other cultures, we need some knowledge about cultural norms, we need to be aware and have a plan for participation and we need to get experience and engage in the new way to learn what works.

To improve your cultural intelligence, it can be a good first step to take stock of where you are currently strong or need some development. If you want help with this then please follow the link below where you will find a chance to complete an assessment, or feel free to contact me.