Intercultural Competence: Achieving Elements of Skill

Earlier themes in this “Intercultural Competence in the Workplace” series have addressed self-development, understanding context, connecting emotionally and assessing behavior in context. These essential connectors, through the synergy of awareness and practice, catapult one’s mindset to the level of skill—the fifth and final theme. This element is about action—applying the constituent components that inform, support and develop intercultural competence. 

The model below represents the five essential themes reflected in the Intercultural Competence series. These elements respond to challenge, promote development and contribute to skill and knowledge, continually circling back, evolving and informing each other. This synergy supports and builds intercultural competence—and, at the same time, opens the way to increased learning and sensitivity.

 

Most skill building is specific to one’s role within an organization and—whether working domestically or abroad—hinges on organizational culture and ways in which one approaches context within the organizational setting. Ultimately, skill building is about the ability to size up whatever situation we are in and quickly assess and diffuse whatever challenges arise. For purposes of this series, skill building naturally falls into two dimensions: perspectives on intercultural skill and sources of intercultural skill building. 

Perspectives on intercultural skill 

Ask yourself, “How does intercultural competence inform my work?” This question will tease out the situational challenges you face related to culture in your daily interactions. An important part of intercultural skill is recognizing a situation when people are in the thick of issues and identifying ways to bring those issues to the fore. It requires creating safe space while recognizing and acknowledging feelings about difference. Skill is looking at ways to manage the difference to be more effective, as a team member or as a group. Intercultural skill is built over time, along with the ability to identify cultural nuances. Intercultural knowledge is especially necessary to maintain openness despite uncertainty in challenging cultural situations. One of the key components of intercultural competence is the ability to be present in the moment when defense reactions are triggered as a result of unknown circumstances, unknown actions, and behaviors that can’t be interpreted.
 

Sources of skill building 

Resources for building intercultural skills are readily available—models, books, workshops, in-house and online training—and strong feelings exist regarding the applicability of certain tools within the context of a workplace. In the end, however, it’s all about your mindset—how you work with and treat people. Are you culturally curious? Do you have an open mind? Are you willing to look through a lens other than your own? In his 2004 book, Presence, Peter Senge describes the moment when his own approach shifted from having to be in control to simply receiving. Since this idea of presence was introduced in 2004, the term has moved into the nomenclature of corporate environments and in popular culture in the notion of “mindfulness.” I’ll close the series with one final question: Are you “present” when dealing with intercultural challenges? 

Note: To comment, click "Name/URL" on the dropdown menu.  Enter name or blog ID in the name field, and leave the URL field blank.

Posted on LinkedIn 9/22/15

Evaluating Cultural Competence in the Workplace

Are cultural needs being met in the context of your workplace? Although establishing the presence (or absence) of intercultural competence can be illusive, certain indicators can help in determining whether cultural competence is present or absent.  An interculturally competent interaction might appear in one-on-one or group contexts as relaxed dialogue; going beyond language to demonstrate a level of comfort; no reluctance to interact; moving easily within a diverse group; really listening; and laughing—an I’m-with-you kind of laughter.

What is it that translates cognition and attitude into culturally competent behavior? Perhaps it is the focused “seeing” that comes from internalizing three elements—cultural self-assessment, understanding context, and the ability to connect across the cultural divide—that fuse together and propel cognition and attitude into awareness and mindful behavior.

While the goal of cross-cultural communication is to impart information, it is necessary to first create a level of comfort and safety in those interactions. When intercultural competence is not present, there is an absence of real dialogue. People feel misunderstood. You can tell the difference between the brief, verbal connection that anyone can make make—one that dissipates quickly—and actual engagement in a lasting conversation.

Isn’t it incumbent upon professionals in the culturally diverse workplace to call on their skills and knowledge to assess, sense, interpret and respond to cultural needs? When culturally competent, these professionals mindfully build individual and/or group unity and trust. The result is the creation of safe space for successful cross-cultural (or difference) interaction in context—space that offers individuals and groups a non-threatening opportunity to express themselves, be themselves and disclose their issues. At this point, intercultural competence presents itself as authentic awareness.

This post led me to recall a how-do-I-know-what-I-don’t-know situation that occurred in one of my classroom sessions a few years back that emphasizes the importance of workplace awareness. Here’s the story . . .                                               
                                             ~ A Hand Over the Heart ~

An email from a fellow instructor stated: “I have a young man from Pakistan about to graduate.  He will be interviewing in U.S. American organizations and is concerned because he can't shake hands with women.  I don't know what to tell him—maybe you do.”

Clearly, the young man was of Muslim faith, and devout Muslim men are not allowed to touch any woman who is not their mother, wife, children, or sisters, so I reached out to a Muslim man from my doctoral program. He responded that the young man needed to seek the counsel of his spiritual advisor.  That didn't satisfy me, so I asked him what he would do in the situation. Eventually, over the course of a lengthy email exchange, he provided a solution.

At the time, I was teaching “Global Leadership: The Mindset That Matters,” and I couldn’t resist creating an exercise around this issue for my students. I divided the class in half. Group One was assigned the role of the young man from Pakistan. Group Two was given the role of a female corporate recruiter who would greet five potential hires: one female from the U.S, and one from Belgium, and three males, from the U.S., Pakistan, and France.  I gave Group Two the visual prompt of the recruiter reaching her hand out to shake hands with each of the applicants, and I asked them how the greeting might unfold.

Neither group could understand why I was asking the question.  Then, I read the email exchange, beginning with the request for advice from my fellow instructor.  “Why should we in the U.S. need to understand this?” one student asked, with annoyance. “Hey, this guy is in the U.S., and he needs to operate by our rules,” another opined. “Religion shouldn’t be an issue in the workplace,” chimed in another student. They were uncomfortable when a culture was at odds with the one they deemed dominant in a specific context, or when it required them to know more than they thought they ought to know. It was a lively discussion pointing to the importance of awareness, particularly around religion and gender in a workplace setting. And, in case you aren’t already aware, when a devout Muslim man greets a non-Muslim woman, rather than shake hands, he places his hand over his heart and bows slightly.

Note: To comment, click "Name/URL" on the dropdown menu.  Enter name or blog ID in the name field, and leave the URL field blank.

Posted on LinkedIn 8/26/15

Your thoughts . . . ?

"How can you best establish and maintain cultural acceptance (respect) in a global workforce?"

Note: To comment, click "Name/URL" on the dropdown menu.  Enter name or blog ID in the name field, and leave the URL field blank.