Why is Cultural Intelligence important?

As somebody who has lived in various cities, I have always been fascinated by the culture of the places I have lived in. I am an avid traveller and one of the biggest take aways for me at the end of every holiday is the culture of the place. Given my background, I believe accepting and appreciating another person’s culture comes naturally to me. One might wonder where I am going with this. In today’s globalised world, it is becoming increasingly important for us to understand different cultures. 

Before going ahead, it is important for me to define what “culture” is. Culture can be described as the relatively stable set of inner values and beliefs generally held by groups of people and the noticeable impact those values and beliefs have on the outward behaviours and impact. Social Psychologist, Professor Geert Hofstede, defines culture as “the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes one category of people from another”. 

Coming back to the topic at hand, today multinational corporations account for a significant share of the world’s industrial investment, production, employment and trade. Tens of thousands of parent companies employ millions of people globally. Many individuals within these MNCs work with colleagues from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures. In such a scenario, it is important for them to demonstrate cultural sensitivity in order to achieve business objectives. 

This brings me to the concept of “Cultural Intelligence”. Cultural Intelligence, also known as CQ, is a theory within management and organisational psychology that highlights the importance of understanding the impact of an individual’s cultural background for effective business and measuring an individual’s ability to engage successfully in any environment or social setting. I have often wondered how one can develop their CQ. Shouldn’t this be something that comes naturally to people? Given that we as humans are a curious lot, shouldn’t we anyway want to learn about other people’s cultures? However, some research on the topic led me to understand how big this concept of Cultural Intelligence really is and how it is becoming increasingly important for people to develop their CQ if they want to succeed at the workplace. As a Diversity and Inclusion Professional, I have come to appreciate this concept even more. Through this piece I will try to enlighten some others who are yet to catch the CQ bug! 

Let’s begin by understanding what constitutes Cultural Intelligence:

1.    CQ Drive (motivation) – This is a person’s desire to perform well in an unfamiliar culture.

2.    CQ Knowledge (cognition) – This involves a person’s understanding about how other cultures resemble or differ from his / her own culture. The more one knows about another culture’s characteristics, the more easily he / she can read the cues of people from that background.

3.    CQ Strategy (meta-cognition) – This looks at a person’s skill at interpreting “culturally diverse experiences”. CQ strategy encompasses being alert to differences, planning ways to conduct oneself and assessing how he / her are doing in a new situation.

4.     CQ Action (behaviour) – This is one’s ability to alter how he / she acts in accordance with cultural norms. Developing insights and courtesy lets one assume leadership by transcending cultural differences. This involves adjusting behaviour accordingly.  

Cultural Intelligence involves teaching strategies to improve cultural perspective in order to distinguish behaviours driven by culture from those specific to an individual, suggesting that allowing knowledge and appreciation of the difference to guide responses results in better business practice. It’s a given that the more global an organisation becomes, the more complex it will become. Cultural Intelligence plays an important role here. It is one skill one cannot do without in today’s world. Cultural Intelligence includes adapting to ethnic foods, new languages, unfamiliar dress, local gender relations and international currencies. Regardless of specific differences among cultures, Cultural Intelligence involves understanding and being sensitive to people from other cultures and how they think, feel and act.

One can develop their CQ by committing to increasing his / her knowledge of facts about different people and places, their political and economic systems, traditions, diet, fashion etc. There are various ways of doing this – formally – by reading newspapers and exploring international websites, or informally – by engaging with colleagues who have experience of different cultures, learning from their first-hand experiences. It can also be developed by taking time to reflect on the visible and invisible differences that manifest in different cultural groups. It is very important for us to apply what we learn by reviewing existing working relationships and identifying opportunities to gain more cultural understanding for the individuals we work with, who have a different background to our own.  

This brings us to understand the need for one to develop his / her CQ. In today’s global business environment, CQ is a requirement for good leadership. Demonstrating understanding and respect for others’ cultural preferences is exceedingly important. In a multicultural work environment, a high CQ will improve and sensitise one’s leadership, decision-making, negotiation and networking skills. Today when more and more organisations are appreciating the importance of soft skills, as a tool to further success, CQ ranks higher in effectiveness as compared to other attributes like age, gender, location, IQ (Intelligence Quotient), EQ (Emotional Intelligence) or SQ (Social Intelligence). An enhanced CQ can lead to greater personal comfort and higher earnings.  

A culturally intelligent manager needs to have a repertoire of culturally appropriate behaviour and needs to know when to use each approach. Leaders with high CQ can identify subtle cues and anticipate change, thus ensuring smooth running of business. 

Leaders must cultivate cultural intelligence so they have the ability to:

1.    Understand diverse customers – The typical customer no longer exists. As cultures converge, managers must understand the nuances of varied target audience.

2.    Manage diverse teams – Communicating and building trust are essential management skills that a diverse workplace makes even more challenging.

3.    Recruit and develop cross-cultural talent – Companies need to find and nurture people with the aptitude and skill to succeed in various cultures.

4.    Adapt leadership style – Different cultures admire and respond to different attributes in their leaders. Some prefer a collaborative style; others favour an authoritative approach.

5.    Demonstrate respect – Different does not mean wrong. Learning how to understand, embrace and appreciate differences makes you a better person.

(Source: Leading with Cultural Intelligence – The New Secret to Success, David Livermore)

It is evident CQ is important, increasingly so because of the globalisation of businesses. CQ is closely related to both EQ and SQ, however, an emotionally intelligent or socially intelligent person is not necessarily culturally intelligent. CQ focusses specifically on individual differences in the ability to discern and effectively respond to dissimilar cultures. This skill is vital for global managers, organisations and business in order to be conducive to the multi-ethnic institutional environments.

Have you checked your CQ yet? 

Busting the myths about GenY

It won’t be wrong to say Generation Y employees are the wave of the future. There is a lot of talk among managers that it is necessary to sacrifice your standards in order to manage Gen Y employees. But, I beg to differ. 

Here are some Gen Y workplace myths, busted!

Myth #1: Gen Y wants undeserved praise

It is true that praise is the number one predictor of Gen Y job satisfaction. Raised in a praise-filled world, GenYers are different from older generation workers who typically assume “if the boss isn’t saying anything, I must be doing ok.” 

Every generation of employees want real feedback that helps them grow and develop on the job. By turning Gen Y’s love of praise into teaching opportunities, it will benefit every employee, where specific positive reinforcement is given as soon as great work is identified. A simple example: Instead of saying “Great job on that report”, saying, “The way you got that report done ahead of schedule means a lot to me and the client really appreciated the creative data analyses”, will do the trick. 

Myth #2: Gen Y is lazy and unwilling to put in the time to rise to the top

Gen Y grew up in a technologically advanced world that offered lots of immediate gratification. Knowledge has always been at their fingertips and services like overnight delivery are the norm, not a luxury! But, this doesn’t mean that high and middle performing Gen Y employees expect something for nothing. They have the same desire to earn their promotion as do their predecessors. They just have a different take on how to get there. 

For years, employees stayed silent as they worked hard and “did their time,” hoping it would lead them higher up the organizational ladder. But Gen Y believes that talent and results should drive their success, and not rules about time served. They want to do their work and master the skills, competencies and achievements required to move ahead, but they don’t like being told to be patient and wait for it. 

Myth #3: Gen Y is a bunch of spoiled brats who ask “why” just to drive managers nuts

Some members of Gen Y have been convinced by their parents, schools and friends that they are the centre of universe and whatever they do has a special meaning to it. They were taught that rules and instructions are important and good only if they make sense and that, as individuals, they could make a difference in the world. That’s why they want to know there’s a purpose behind everything they do.

By asking questions, they just want to learn. They want a better view of the big picture, and to know there is significance and meaning to their work. Most people want to know “why,” and for pretty much the same reasons, but older generations were taught it’s a rude question to ask. 

Myth #4: Gen Y makes all kinds of outrageous demands 

Gen Y hasn’t been asked to make a lot of either/or choices in their life. Like most employees of every generation, Gen Y enjoys being on a lifelong learning path. Everything is a constant process for Gen Y, and they look at things in terms of job opportunities and what they can learn, or what they can get out of the experience.

Myth #5: Gen Y has no respect for formal authority

Many managers think that Gen Y employees don’t value management. The fact is, Gen Y wants the guidance and insight managers have to offer, but they don’t want to have to repeat a mistake before getting it right in order to learn the lesson. They want to learn how to do it right the first time. 

All employees appreciate a deeper understanding of how their role contributes to the big picture. And, as is obvious, they will deliver better performance when given clear end points, clear directives on why they are doing the work, who will benefit, what impact the employee should expect, available resources, expected obstacles, levels of freedom and information about the expected end product and how it will be used. All followed up in writing, please!

Reflections

The sudden death of Survey Monkey's CEO, David Goldberg, has shocked the world. Personally, this news has led me to realise the importance of appreciating small things in life and life in general. 

Often referred to as the ‘Silicon Valley Power Couple’, David Goldberg and Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, probably had everything going for them – high profile careers and 2 children. Given their respective positions in corporate America, the couple undoubtedly led a good life, but David Goldberg’s sudden death last week will probably change that. 

Having read Sheryl Sandberg’s highly acclaimed book, ‘Lean In- Women, Work and the Will to Lead’, I remember reading about Ms. Sandberg and Mr. Goldberg adopting a ‘Shared earning / shared parenting marriage’ approach. Ms. Sandberg wrote of Mr. Goldberg being a “true partner” who helped her make her career possible. In the high pressure environment that the couple worked in, sacrifices might have been made on the family front, however, Ms. Sandberg often spoke of Mr. Goldberg being a hands on husband and father. 

One might wonder where I am going with this. Like I mentioned earlier, I have suddenly come to realise the importance of appreciating my life. It’s time for some self-introspection. While I gain my footing in the corporate world, I have to ensure I don’t sacrifice on other equally important aspects of my life. Given that I am still trying to make my career, I probably miss out on things, for example, spending quality time with the family, pursuing my hobbies, taking care of my health or even spending some “me time”. At this stage, many like me get so absorbed in their careers that all these other equally important aspects are often ignored and then it’s too late to go back. I have spent the last couple of years feeling very proud of myself for doing something good with myself, however, I have now come to realise all that I have done so far is nothing out of the ordinary. I am only doing what every other person is probably doing. 

I am not a spiritual or superstitious person, but events like these often make a person relate them to their own lives and I am no different. I now see a big board in front of my eyes that says “Caution! Take control of your life!” I have been lucky to have been brought up by parents who have given me everything I ever asked for, which has probably made people to label me as ‘arrogant’, ‘spoilt’, ‘pampered’ or ‘privileged’, thus making me take things for granted. However, I am currently going through a phase where I am realising the value of life and all that it has to offer.   

I always considered myself as an average individual who followed the set pattern of completing high school, then moving on to pursuing a graduate degree, then a Master’s degree and then make a decent career. However, once I got into the groove of the corporate world, I realised even I could have potential if I worked hard and believed in myself. As a result, the past couple of years have been spent in understanding what direction I want my career to take. Not that I have achieved all that I want to, I think I have managed to make a small place for myself. And, it’s now time to give some serious thought to what else I need to do.  

It’s sad to know that I have to make a conscious effort to spend some time with the family, but I have to do it to continue to lead a happy life. I have tried to pursue various hobbies, be it learning to play an instrument, playing a sport, drawing and even singing, however, I often gave up for various reasons. Today, when I see people around making an effort to pursue their interests, it makes me wonder why I haven’t thought about doing the same. It might just be a way for me to de-stress and also realise that even I can do something other than what is expected of me. 

As much as I steer away from clichéd sayings, my new mantra is “Life is too short, do what you want NOW!”

What does GenY want?

Have you ever been in a situation where somebody belonging to an older generation berates you for your generation’s shortcomings? Has your supervisor or an older colleague shown his / her reluctance in working with you because you belong to a certain generation? Worry not, for you are not the only one. A few months ago I was part of a meeting where the discussion centered on Grooming GenY Talent for Leadership. One of the participants at the meeting, a visibly apparent GenXer, kept insisting on not spending too much on a company’s GenY talent, since they will leave soon anyway. As somebody belonging to GenY, I was getting agitated with her constant dislike for my breed. However, given the occasion, I chose to ignore the obstinate lady. Eventually, I even forgot about the incident, but not the subject.

I have been reading articles about corporates looking at integrating multi-generational workforces. Today, we are in unprecedented times where four generational groups co-exist in the workplaces. I present below the generally accepted descriptions of the groups I am referring to. However, these descriptions may vary according to their socio-cultural and demographic contexts.

Veterans / Traditionalists

Those born between 1922 and 1945 are known as Veterans / Traditionalists. It consists of individuals who are 60-plus and have either retired or are re-entering the workforce, due to monetary constraints.

Baby Boomers

Born between 1946 and 1964, Baby Boomers are predominately in their 40s and 50s. They are well-established in their careers and hold positions of power and authority. The majority of this demographic is preparing to retire, which has spurred talk of a future talent shortage.

Generation X

Members of Generation X are defined as being born between 1965 and the late 1970s. Bounded by two large generational groups, Generation X is one of the smallest. The oldest members of this generation have entered into management roles in the workforce and more will do so in the coming years, as increasing numbers of Baby Boomers retire.

Generation Y

Generation Y, also known as Millennials, were born between the late 1970s and the late 1990s. This is the newest group to enter the workforce, with many of its members holding entry-level positions.

Generation Y have grown up in an environment unlike any before them. They have been raised in a world of technology, where they have been more educated than their preceding generation. They come to the workplace with different wants and needs as compared to their predecessors – different things motivate and drive this generation in their lives and careers. While listening to the lady rant about Generation Y, I was very tempted to ask her,given that Generation Y is the biggest of all generations (as consumers and workers). Who will be better informed on what a Generation Y consumer wants than a Generation Y worker?

I once read an article where the author labelled Generation Y the “diva generation” – high maintenance, self-centred, greedy, fickle and thinking only in the short term. As a GenYer, I obviously did not like reading this. However, I was then very keen to know what else has been published about my ilk.Following are some things I read:

• GenY is lazy
• GenY has a short attention span
• GenY feels entitled
• GenY requires constant praise
• GenY is disloyal

On the other hand, according to a research conducted by the Institute of Leadership and Management, Ashridge Business School (Great expectations: ManagingGeneration Y), Gen Y workers:

• Are academically talented
• Are ambitious and motivated
• Plan to move jobs within 2 years
• Value both money and status
• Value interesting / challenging work higher than salary
• Want to be coached rather than managed.

While organisations are looking at various ways to bring about this integration, here’s what I feel my generation want from their work.

• Expectations – My generation have high expectations from themselves; they are always aiming to work faster and better than others. These expectations also extend to their employers, where they would like to work for managers who are interested in developing their careers. 
• Learning and Development – Ongoing learning and develop interventions / opportunities are always top priority for the GenYers. I often feel like a sponge that wants to soak up as much knowledge and information as possible from everywhere in order to constantly improve.  
• Responsibility –Generation Y craves responsibility and involvement within the workplace and they are often berated for their want to be ‘fast-tracked’ into management. This stems from the education system that we have studied from. A lot of emphasis is given on individual or team presentations, where students are given an opportunity to feel accountable for their work.
• Frequent Feedback – We believe we benefit greatly from regular feedback. One only needs to look at a millennial’s constant stream of blog posts, status updates and texts to know they are big fans of acknowledgement and interaction. Generation Y workers feel they are working with a purpose if feedback is provided on their progress. A coach is more favourable than a manager.
• Progression – This generation wants diverse and meaningful office tasks and is happy with lateral moves within their companies, as long as they are able to gain more experiences. Along this line, being provided with workplace mentors, training opportunities and job performance plans is important to this demographic. 
• Flexibility – Generation Y were raised on flexibility and the best way to get them onside is to offer them the flexibility they are looking for. A structured 60 hour work week and corporate ladder climb is less appealing to this group of employees. Work-Life balance is extremely important to Generation Y’s members and a relaxed office environment is also desirable.
• Generation Y looks for the “why” behind the tasks they are asked to perform and can lose interest in menial responsibilities.
• Community work –The current generation is more socially aware about the happenings around the world and they feel it is their duty to give back to their community. Young people entering the job market today want to work for companies that care about the world.

Please note, through this piece I am in no way trying to promote my generation or justify the actions of my generation. I feel my generation is often misunderstood and only want to put across my points. I am happy to discuss further.