Leading with Cultural Intelligence: The New Secret to Success - by David Livermore
Date read: 2017-05-18How strongly I recommend it: 8/10
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Different than most international business books that help to educate you on the specific customs and best practices when visiting and doing business in a foreign country (see Kiss' Bow' or Shake Hands). Although the author gives plenty of examples of cultural differences' he focuses more on the mindset you should have and what types of activities you should be more attentive to when interacting with non-Americans. Recommended for anyone interacting with international employees or those that travel or living abroad.
Contents:
My Notes
Cultural intelligence' or CQ' is your "capability to function effectively across national' ethnic' and organizational cultures."
Just as individuals possess varying views and beliefs about preferred styles of leadership' cultures as a whole have varying preferences for certain leadership approaches.
The preferred emphasis of cultural intelligence on developing an overall repertoire of skills and behaviors that you can draw on when engaging in any cross-cultural interaction rather than expecting you to master all the ins and outs of each culture.
CQ is an individual capability.
If two American leaders go through identical training for an assignment in Brazil' they'll still have two very different experiences because they're two very different people.
CQ drive' the motivational dimension of CQ' is the leader's level of interest' drive' and energy to adapt cross-culturally.
CQ drive includes three sub-imensions:
- Intrinsic motivation - The degree to which you derive enjoyment from culturally diverse situations.
- Extrinsic motivation - The tangible benefits you gain from culturally diverse experiences.
- Self-efficacy - The confidence that you will be effective in a cross-cultural encounter.
Cultural systems are the ways societies organize themselves to meet the basic needs of their members.
Cultural norms and values' refers to the varying ways cultures approach issues such as time' authority' and relationships.
CQ strategy' also known as metacognitive CQ' is the leader's ability to strategize when crossing cultures.
The three subdimensions of CQ strategy:
- Awareness - Being in tune with what's going on in ourselves and others.
- Planning - Taking time to prepare for a cross-cultural encounter-anticipating how to approach the people' topic' and situation.
- Checking - Monitoring our interactions to see if our plans and expectations were appropriate.
The subdimensions of CQ action are verbal actions' nonverbal actions' and speech acts-the exact words and phrases we use when we communicate specific types of messages.
Leaders with high CQ drive are motivated to learn and adapt to new and diverse cultural settings. Their confidence in their adaptive abilities is likely to influence the way they perform in multicultural situations.
Implicit association tests are tools created to demonstrate how bias affects the way we interact with people. You can review some of the actual tests by visiting the website http://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit.
Write it down' talk with a trusted friend' and verbalize what energizes you about your cross-cultural work and what leaves you fatigued' fearful' or just unmotivated.Our sense of confidence for particular tasks varies based on the situation and context. Growing our confidence will enhance our CQ drive.
In most cultures' eating together has far more symbolic value than simply "grabbing a bite to eat." Sharing a meal together can often be viewed as a sacred event.
Our level of interest in connecting with the culture and the people as a whole will directly shape how well we do our work.
We're much less likely to succeed in a cross-cultural setting when we withdraw from it or remain with a large group of colleagues from home.
Connect your cross-cultural assignment with other interests. If you aren't naturally motivated to experience different cultures' find a way to connect the assignment with something that does interest you. If you like art' what artistic expressions can you discover? If you love sports' discover what sports are hot there. If you're a foodie' the options are endless. If you eat' drink' and sleep business' use this as a way to learn new business insights.
Break out of your routine and try new foods. And especially when visiting another place' always try at least a few bites.
Leaders high in CQ knowledge have a rich' well-organized understanding of culture and how it affects the way people think and behave. They possess a repertoire of knowledge in knowing how cultures are alike and different. They understand how culture shapes behavior.
Ethnocentrism - evaluating other people and their culture by the standards of our own cultural preferences - is found among people everywhere. Seeing the world in light of our own cultural background and experience is inevitable. However' ignoring the impact of ethnocentrism on how we lead is the single greatest obstacle to CQ knowledge.
Understanding the rules' albeit often unspoken ones' that are behind the behavior occurring within a particular culture - whether among an ethnic group' an organizational culture' or the subculture of a political party or religious group.
The objective of the acquired understanding isn't to become like the people in that cultural group or to be able to play their games. The goal is to understand and appreciate the rules behind their lives and society.
A leader's ability to distinguish between what's universal' what's cultural' and what's personal is one of the most important indicators of cultural intelligence.
The tip of the iceberg' visible above sea level' includes things universally shared by all humanity. But when you begin to go deeper' you find there are a slew of differences attributable to varying cultures and individual personalities. But the most important points of understanding are the thoughts' values' and assumptions that lie beneath the surface of what's visible.
A culturally intelligent leader will learn to identify the personal quirks and characteristics of individuals versus those that fit cultural norms.
General awareness of the differing ways in which economic systems are organized will enhance the ability to negotiate and develop a working relationship outside your own national culture.
Competition tends to be a better motivational strategy in capitalist societies and cooperation in socialist ones.
Kinship societies are made up of extended families where the household often includes three or more generations.
The nuclear-family system - Usually based on two generations where the group members are related by marriage. Societies based on nuclear families are places where employees are much more apt to pick up and move when a better career opportunity comes along.
Expect introductions in kinship societies to be embedded with references to siblings' uncles' parents' and grandparents. Learning about the career of an individual's parent may be very important.
Seek to understand the degree to which formal' academic research is valued as compared to conventional wisdom in the ways you motivate' negotiate' and market your work. When seeking to debunk a myth or advance a new idea' understand the primary source of socialization in a culture (e.g.' sage wisdom versus academic research).
Recruit local expertise to aid you in negotiating with legal and government officials.
Find out what unwritten practices should be used or avoided with legal officials. For example' giving a gift to a government official will be essential in some cultures but can get you arrested in another.
Supernatural beliefs affect the financial' management' and marketing decisions made by an organization in a particular culture.
Beware of assuming that symbols or logos can be universally applied in all cultural contexts. Do your homework to find out how symbols will be received in the places where you work.
People in Western' industrialized cultures live by clock time. Punctuality and efficiency rule the day.
In event time cultures' events begin and end when all the participants feel the time is right rather than artificially imposing clock time. Spontaneity is a core value among individuals from these contexts.
For those coming from clock time cultures' be willing to spend time building long-lasting relationships. Create margin and flexibility in your schedule for this pursuit.
For those coming from event time cultures' be alert to the urgency felt by bringing closure and expediency. Find ways to communicate your need for more time while offering some concrete deadlines.
A low-context culture is a place where little is left to assumption so things are spelled out explicitly. In contrast' high-context cultures are places where people have significant history together and so a great deal of understanding can be assumed.
For individuals from low-context cultures' beware of ridiculing a place that just "doesn't bother" to label its roads or provide explicit instructions. For individuals from high-context cultures' be sensitive when hosting low-context individuals by providing more explicit instructions than what would ordinarily be needed with a colleague from your own culture.
Employees in individualistic cultures like Australia' the United States' and the United Kingdom are expected to pursue every opportunity that comes along to get a better job with better pay. In contrast to Australia' China is the most collectivist culture in the world. Collectivist cultures emphasize dedication and loyalty to the group' including the family "group'" the religious "group'" and the employment "group."
Those coming from an individualist culture are likely to be motivated through individual incentives whereas those from collectivist cultures will be more motivated by seeing their work team succeed.
Those from individualist cultures need to understand the importance of long-term relationships and third-party connections when working with individuals from collectivist ones.
Power distance refers to how "far apart" leaders and followers feel from each other. Countries scoring high in power distance-such as Mexico' India' and Ghana-offer a great deal of formal respect to leaders.
Uncertainty avoidance is the extent to which most people in a culture are at ease with the unknown.
Learning another language significantly contributes to growth in CQ knowledge. You might find yourself innovating and leading in new ways simply as a result of learning a new language.
Best Practices for Obtaining CQ Knowledge:
Slowing down the RPMs long enough to become consciously aware of what's going on internally and externally as we lead in a multicultural world.
CQ strategy is the way we answer the why questions behind what we experience and observe. Why does negotiation seem to consistently involve these dynamics here? Why is the leadership of this organization structured this way? Why is the office decorated like this?
With heightened awareness of others' an individual will realize that while smiles might reflect genuine happiness' they just as well might be a nervous cross-cultural response that indicates little about one's level of contentment.
Ways to become more aware of a diverse workforce and customer base:
- Spend at least 50 percent of the time you have with your direct reports listening. Make regular appointments with your global partners "just" to hear their insights.
- Seek varied sources of input. Check out YouTube and see what people are watching from various parts of the world. Check out a variety of newspapers. What are the best-selling books and movies in London? In Dubai? In Moscow?
- Ask yourself: What kind of small talk is appropriate for a person from this culture and for this individual? Who should initiate the transition from small talk into business? How will you get to action steps in this meeting? How much direction should you provide?
CQ action is the extent to which we appropriately change our verbal and nonverbal actions when we interact cross-culturally.
The goal is to be yourself while figuring out which behaviors need to change in order to accomplish your objectives.
The very words that create vision and expectation in one cultural context can be the same ones that instill distrust and suspicion in another.
Appropriately adapting our behavior involves learning what topics of discussion are appropriate in various settings.
Leaders have to learn the level of comfort individuals and cultures have with direct versus indirect orders and requests and adjust accordingly.
The same culture that values indirect communication may also be a place where senior leaders give explicit and direct commands to subordinates if there's a high level of power distance.
You need to learn where you're perceived in the hierarchical structure to gage the appropriate level of directness to employ.
The most important phrase I try to learn in the language spoken anyplace I visit is "I'm sorry' I don't speak _________________. Do you speak English?" It postures me as being in need rather than presuming everyone would be happy to help in English.
It's important to learn if and how to apologize to a culturally different colleague when offending that person.
The giving and receiving of compliments is another communication exercise that requires cultural intelligence.
Even when appropriate words are chosen' a great deal of miscommunication can occur in how information is delivered. Culturally intelligent leaders will learn what communication is best offered in writing' when to pick up the phone' and when to communicate face-to-face.
They will gain confidence in knowing the appropriate level of enthusiasm' pace' and style to use when talking to different audiences.
Here are several strategies for enhancing communication when addressing an audience of second-language English speakers:
- Slow down. Slow down. Slow down.
- Use clear' slow speech.
- Enunciate carefully.
- Avoid colloquial expressions.
- Repeat important points using different words to explain the same thing.
- Avoid long' compound sentences.
- Use visual representations (pictures' tables' graphs' etc.) to support what is being said.
- Mix presentations with a balance of story and principles. Hand out written summaries. Pause more frequently.
Knowing the appropriate touch for different levels of authority' gender' and age are all important considerations for how we lead.
There are also unwritten' often even unconscious cultural rules that govern the degree to which individuals sit' stand' and bow.
Watch for cues. It's very hard to understand gestures but notice how people point' if they point at all.
Exercise extreme caution in making judgments about what a facial expression means when observed cross-culturally.
Different cultures have various norms about when and how long eye contact is appropriate.
Develop the ability to observe the behavior of others' reflect on it' and learn when to modify our own actions in response.
Adapt your negotiation behavior in light of the various values present with a readiness to further adapt along the way.
Taking the long view is essential because it's usually going to take longer to negotiate internationally. Allow for that. And learn what times of year are best. Different places shut down at different seasons throughout the year. Adjust your expectations and approach for the amount of time and relationships required to negotiate.
Be prepared for the unexpected and develop adaptive skills.
Rather than simply mimicking the behaviors we observe' we need to adapt based on the knowledge of the other culture and the expectations of the people.
We have to ask: When will adapting our behavior to that of others enhance the accomplishment of our objectives? When will doing so impede our performance or at the very least seem strained and awkward?
Best Practices for CQ Action:
- Learn what practices and taboos are most important for the key regions where you work.
- Knowing when and how to exchange a business card' the protocols for gift giving' and whether or not to use the left hand are a few of the specific behaviors worth mastering.
Whenever you have a meeting or a trip that involves cross-cultural work' bring someone along. Jointly processing the challenges and rewards of cross-cultural negotiation and work is much more effective than doing so individually.
Develop a zero-tolerance policy for inappropriate jokes and language directed toward any specific cultural group (including socioethnic' sexual orientation' and religious).
Develop an overall decision-making process that helps your team balance an appropriate measure of self-governing authority while also knowing where to get help when confounded by the unanticipated curve-balls that come with multicultural leadership.
Suggestions for educating your team about cultural intelligence:
- Gather your team members and explain the benefits of CQ to them personally and to the organization as a whole.
- Find ways to incorporate learning about cultural intelligence throughout your leaders' respective areas in the organization. For example' the sales team has a whole different framework from which to approach cultural intelligence than the R&D team does.
You might also consider making course offerings on country-specific knowledge available' particularly if your organization works mostly in a small number of other regions.
Many organizational leaders do the same thing. They make some great strides in developing good international plans and partnerships' but by failing to truly engage with the people and culture connected to those plans' the partnership brings far fewer results than it could.