Most of us can fathom the concept of an individual possessing and developing a form of intelligence in this case, cultural intelligence. But can a whole organisation, team, leadership become culturally intelligent? The answer is yes, it is possible to develop a culturally intelligent organisation.

 

CQ (Cultural Intelligence) is the capability to function effectively across national, ethnic, generational, and organisational cultures.

 

CQ focuses on assessing, enhancing, and applying four capabilities that improve understanding and collaboration between people from different backgrounds. Developing a culturally intelligent organisation is about creating an environment where individuals learn about CQ and grow their CQ Capabilities together.

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Steps to Developing a Culturally Intelligent Organisation or Team:

 

As leaders there are proven steps, we can take to create inclusive teams that leverage the differences they bring to make our organisations more productive, innovative, and agile. Here are some you can start with:

 

1. Mapping Cultural Value Differences

 

Culturally intelligent innovation begins with reflecting on and mapping the value differences that exist across your team/s. Conflict, miscommunication and misunderstanding are often the most visible results of low CQ in a diverse organisation. These often arise from a lack of understanding how our cultural values shape the way we view the world, which can sometimes be at odds with how other people view the world. Our cultural value orientations result from how our national background, ethnic, generational, and even religious upbringing shape what we consider normal or abnormal. While we might be somewhat aware how these cultural values affect how we see the world, we can be completely blind to how they affect our interactions with others who differ from us.    

 

The CQ framework has an excellent way of mapping these cultural value differences through assessments that individuals can take online. When individuals go through a cultural values mapping assessment as part of their CQ journey it increases their understanding and awareness of themselves while helping them learn about others. The Ten Cultural Values of the CQ framework provide individuals and teams a way of understanding how they are wired culturally, as well as seeing how they compare to their colleagues on a spectrum. For example, one of the 10 cultural values is Individualism vs Collectivism which looks at the extent to which your personal identity is defined in terms of individual or group characteristics. Someone from an individualism orientation emphasises individual goals and individual rights while someone from a collectivism orientation emphasises group goals and group rights. Rarely are we one or the other but are on a spectrum, where 1 is complete Individualism and 10 complete Collectivism. You can be a 4 on this scale while your colleague is an 8 depending on their cultural background and this can have great implications on how you approach work and life together.

 

By mapping and understanding cultural value differences of your team/s and organisation you can create better understanding and benefit greatly in leveraging your differences for success.

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2. Assess and Develop CQ Capabilities Across the Organisation

 

  We’ve all heard the mantra “what gets measured, gets done”, the same applies to developing a culturally intelligent organisation. Unless you assess and measure where your people are and their capability to work well across culturally diverse environments, you cannot adequately equip them to be successful. Most organisations that run diversity and inclusion programs often struggle to measure their impact outside of the demographic metrics. CQ provides a way to assess everyone across the organisation and a way to help them individually and collectively improve their capabilities for success in diverse environments. When teams take the CQ assessment they get measured on the 4 CQ Capabilities that are proven to increase cultural competence.

 

The four capabilities are: CQ Drive, CQ Knowledge, CQ Strategy and CQ Action. Each of these capabilities have sub dimensions that are also measured separately. When teams take the assessment and the training that goes with it, everyone gets their own report complete with personal action plan based on their results. The organisation can also get a group report detailing areas of opportunity, risk, and growth. CQ removes the stigma that often comes with attention that most diversity programs bring to monitored and marginalised groups by focusing on improving everyone’s capability to work with difference.

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3. Create a Conducive Environment for Inclusion

 

Lastly, developing a culturally intelligent organisation requires a conducive culture for inclusion to take place. The key characteristics for a culturally intelligent environment are Trust, Engagement, Authenticity and Positive Intent.

 

• Trust - Trust is easier to achieve when people have similar backgrounds and value orientation but harder when diversity is a factor. Therefore, leaders need to know how to build trust among people with differing value orientations by promoting understanding of each other’s differences.

• Engagement - Team members from culturally intelligent organisations are more fully engaged in their work. When you work at a place where your manager understands how to motivate you, gather your input, and support you to do your job, it drives you to be far more productively engaged.  And when you interact with team members who value what your different perspective offers, it causes you to lean in and speak up more fully.

• Authenticity - A culturally intelligent organisation is a place that encourages people to be comfortable in their own skin while learning which behaviours and procedures need to be adjusted when working in a diverse environment.

• Positive Intent - Psychologists say we’re naturally inclined to view others suspiciously. When working in diverse teams, our differences can often lead to unconscious biases. Culturally intelligent organisations create a culture of positive intent by equipping managers and associates to be committed to assuming the best first. They’re places where people stop to consider whether an “inconsiderate behaviour” might be a result of a cultural difference before assuming something else is going on.