With the advantage that access to global supply chains, markets, and talent provides, it is clear that globalization in the business world is here to stay. In fact, a recent study shows that 89% of white-collar workers are now part of global teams. But interconnectedness does not always mean intercollaboration, and sometimes connecting across different cultures can give rise to more misunderstandings than results. So, how can organizations unleash the power of intercultural communication in their global teams?
In this article, we introduce you to cultural intelligence, what it is, how to develop it, and how the right learning solutions can help you maximize the benefits of intercultural teamwork.
What is Cultural Intelligence?
Cultural intelligence is the ability to decode other cultures and connect accordingly across cultures. It is important to distinguish that, unlike cultural information, cultural intelligence is not just knowledge that you acquire about other cultures. Instead, it is a continuous sensitivity, desire, and empathy to understand and communicate with other cultures.
How to Develop Cultural Intelligence?
Developing cultural intelligence is a constant effort. We recommend that you follow this 3-step framework to cultivate the intelligence needed to effectively navigate cross-cultural communication.
- Know
Step one in developing cultural intelligence is to cultivate the curiosity to learn about other cultures. Therefore, do not settle for assumptions or stereotypes. Research about other cultures, ask open questions to people of the cultures you are learning about, and seek feedback from your multi-cultural teams about your cross-cultural communication effectiveness.
- Want
Not everything is learned through formal means. To develop cultural intelligence, you must have the desire to truly understand other cultures. Stay open to social learning and learning by doing. Stay sensitive and keep an open eye to your multi-cultural team members’ tone, facial expressions, and behavior. You will learn a lot more through observation than through formal learning, especially since some cultures rely on high-context, implicit communication.
- Adapt
Perhaps the hardest part, but there is no purpose in learning about other cultures if one is not willing to adapt to the different needs, styles, and expectations of others. What works in one culture does not necessarily work in another. Ask yourself, ‘Do my team members prefer direct or indirect communication? or ‘Is it better to start with ice-breaking or with the agenda?’. Adapting to the local norms can go a long way in making your multi-cultural leadership successful.
It is worth noting, however, that with today’s global teams, it is likely that you may have team members from very different cultures, possibly cultures that do things in opposite ways. Research shows that conducting open discussions to set team norms is an effective practice to deal with such cases, while ensuring the team norms offer the greatest possible flexibility and balance the opposite ways of doing things. This is important to bridge the cultural gap across the team. It is also important to establish fairness. Consider, for example, varying the team meeting time weekly to accommodate the different time zones.
Learning Solutions that Develop Cultural Intelligence
It is clear that developing cultural intelligence cannot be a one-off activity. Therefore, it cannot be cultivated by attending targeted, episodic training. Instead, it takes education over time, experience, and exposure to yield the best results.
The best learning solutions bear this in mind and offer longer-term learning journeys to help your multi-cultural teams succeed. Here are a few features to look out for when selecting a cultural learning program for your team.
- The program starts with an assessment
Cultural intelligence can vary widely between individuals. Therefore, there is no one-size-fits-all. The best learning solutions start with assessing the employee’s current cultural intelligence level and designing a personalized learning journey accordingly.
- The program offers blended and mobile learning options
Since cultural intelligence development is a long-term journey, setting it in a blended format or enabling a mobile learning option makes it easier for learners to commit to the long haul. Blended learning enables employees to shift between self-paced and instructor-led learning, and mobile learning enables learners to develop their skills anytime, anywhere. This mix of learning options helps employees balance learning with their ever-demanding lifestyles.
- The program is industry or function-customized
Cultural intelligence is huge, so instead of navigating the ocean with a simple rowboat, start by targeting industry or function-specific language, scenarios, and situations. This helps achieve learning ROI faster, increases learners’ morale, and speeds up the process of learning retention and application.
- The program prioritizes practice and feedback
As clarified above, the biggest part of developing cultural intelligence is to be able to adapt one’s style to the global team’s culture. Therefore, the best programs not only give learners ample opportunities to practise in class, but they also stretch over time to give learners opportunities to practise in real life, receive feedback, and pivot accordingly.
Improve Your Global Team’s Cultural Intelligence
Developing your global team’s cultural intelligence is not an impossible task; it’s not a walk in the park either. With the right learning solutions, you can help your multicultural team communicate and collaborate effectively with less friction and more noticeable results.