Background of Cultural Intelligence
- Cultural intelligence is a soft skill that can be learned, measured and therefore improved. No two humans are culturally the same. Developing a high level of cultural intelligence improves your ability to prepare for and act effectively in culturally diverse environments.
- All societies have diverse communities, cultures, values and norms, backgrounds and beliefs, languages, and religions. We know this through experience with family, neighbors, schools, communities, work and volunteer activities. We can hold very different ideas about life than our neighbors, yet still love our neighbors.
- Virtual teams continue to widen boundaries for human interaction. As a result, CQ joins a critical toolbox for everyone, from students through seniors, for processing the amount and complexity – a virtual fire hose – of information that comes our way on a daily basis. While it is normal to create a highly personalized worldview to filter the actions, words and gestures we encounter around us, the CQ Workshop enables team members to increase their agility as they navigate new cultural settings.
The Importance of CQ Capabilities and Value Preferences
- Research has shown that culturally homogeneous teams are more successful than untrained culturally diverse teams. However, culturally diverse teams trained in CQ are more successful than homogeneous teams.
- Why? Team members who improve their CQ learn the range of values, beliefs, and attitudes of people from different cultures, so they can respond with informed empathy and real understanding.
- Without making quick judgments or falling back on stereotypes, team members interpret what is happening in culturally diverse settings and adjust their behaviors accordingly.
- The CQ Workshop will include a study of four capabilities: Drive, Knowledge, Strategy, and Action, as well as 10 Cultural Value Preferences.
- The Workshop helps break down cultural diversity into these learnable parts and give you important advantages for leveraging cultural diversity.