Your thoughts . . . ?

“The biggest challenge I face in the workplace is how to effectively and graciously address language barriers in cross-cultural communication.”

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Your thoughts . . . ?

“I would like to understand the cultural aspect of the country of my present residence i.e. United States. Even though I have worked in U.S organizations, I have had very limited interactions with American counterparts due to the nature of my job in the past. But my current job requires me to interact with counterparts with American cultural background. I feel understanding the cultural difference between American and Asian cultures and how that shows up in the American corporate world- that is the most important topic I would like to understand.”

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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? 

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Posted on LinkedIn 9/22/15

Your thoughts . . . ?

"What are some of the skills and strategies necessary to integrate as a leader in a foreign country?"

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Serendipity . . .

Unity in Diversity . . . Hanukkah thoughts
at the time of Rosh Hashanah

During a recent catch-up session with a friend of Jewish heritage over a late afternoon coffee, she mentioned the upcoming “holidays.” By the context of the conversation, I knew she was referring to a religious holiday—not the upcoming Labor Day weekend. “Which holiday is it,” I asked. “Rosh Hashanah,” she replied. Rosh Hashanah, a celebration of the Jewish new year, begins on Sunday, September 13.

My friend and I moved quickly to other topics, but later that evening while sorting through a pile of papers I found a poem given to me a few years back by another Jewish friend—an energetic and enthusiastic woman, now in her early nineties. The poem was written by her husband before he passed away almost a decade ago.

As I reread the poem—clearly written for the holiday of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of Lights—my thoughts flashed on recent media broadcasts depicting a climate of violence, injustice, bigotry and separation. But the poet suffused his work with a passionate love of humanity—a mind’s reach for unity in diversity—and it kindled in me a light of hope.

No matter what holiday you’ll be celebrating this month, the poem is published here with the hope that it will touch others as it did me.

As we celebrate together in a season of light,
may we see in that light the beauty of our common humanity.

May we also see, reflected in that glow,
the light on our differences and the beauty of man’s diversity.

For these are the lights lit not by one man, but all men—not by one faith,
but by all faiths, not for the freedom of one—but for the freedom of all to worship,
or not to worship, each according to his belief, his heart and his conscience.

May the light that glows in that diversity illumine
the miracle and wonder of creation.

But may we also see in the bright glare of light,
the evil of bigotry, injustice and indifference
that thrives in the darkest recesses of man’s soul.

                 As we celebrate together, may we look into one another’s eyes
                    and see a light reflecting love, understanding and caring.

                                                                ~ by Dr. Edward Osran ~

                                                                (Permission:  Lillian Osran)      

I didn’t have the privilege of meeting Ed Osran—I would have appreciated knowing him.

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Posted on LinkedIn 9/2/15

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.

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Posted on LinkedIn 8/26/15

Your thoughts . . . ?

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

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Intercultural Competence: Reaching Across the Cultural Divide

Do intercultural skills and interpersonal skills inform each other? This is one of the most intriguing issues in the examination of intercultural competence.  Examining the concepts of intercultural competence versus interpersonal competence—a distinction that my students often find unclear—is helpful in understanding and developing intercultural competence.

What differentiates intercultural skills from interpersonal skills?  It seems that intercultural competence is an expanded dimension of interpersonal competence.  Thus, intercultural competence includes certain characteristics, intentions and skills that relate to cultural difference.

Think about this: When we talk about interpersonal, do we begin with the assumption that there is not much difference among individuals, but when we talk about intercultural, do we automatically assume there is significant difference and must make an effort to work effectively with difference? Does interpersonal assume we’re just trying to work effectively?

Are there additional elements to intercultural competence not included in interpersonal competence? If so, what are they? How much of intercultural skill is different from interpersonal skill? Does one need to be interpersonally competent to achieve intercultural competence? Can clear distinctions be made and, if so, what are they? How many of these competencies are trainable?

The relational aspects of both intercultural and interpersonal interaction appear to factor equally during successful cultural interaction. One element required for the development of intercultural skills that is not needed in interpersonal skill building is a great deal of knowledge about how culture shapes people's perceptions and actions.  Interculturally competent people possess both intercultural and interpersonal skills and the sensitivity to work around difference and pursue their goal of cross-cultural understanding.  Having the ability to synthesize, they draw on their own cultural experiences and the experiences of others to understand different perceptions of the same situation.

The relational aspects of interaction discussed here (intercultural/interpersonal) appear to factor equally into those moments during cultural interaction when emotional connection takes place.
Alan Fogel, a developmental psychologist, who speaks to this developmental process of the relational perspective in his book Developing Through Relationships: Origins of Communication, Self and Culture, claims that "communicative connections to other people are fundamental to the workings of the human mind and self.” Alfred Schultz, a social phenomenologist, describes this kind of connection as seeing “my own stream of consciousness and yours in a single, intentional act which embraces them both ... having a sense that the other person’s stream of consciousness is flowing along a track that is temporarily parallel with your own ... synchronized and interlocked.” In their book entitled Systems Theory and Family Therapy: A Primer, Becvar & Becvar interpret this connection as “... allowing for the movement to and through successive stages of growth and development.”

Framing one’s perceptual images in this way suggests people becoming interwoven, able to be in the moment.  This framing focuses on interdependence.

                        ~ The Fighting Irish—A Story of Connection ~
One of my fondest memories of my family’s exposure to cultural difference is when we hosted a teenage girl from Northern Ireland during a turbulent period in that country’s religious history. My youngest daughter served as the host sister. The program’s orientation prepared us for the realities of the religious and political strife occurring there; yet, none of us will forget watching those 12 Irish teenagers—an equal number of Catholics and Protestants—exit the customs gate at O’Hare Airport. Immediately, our young visitors grouped themselves by religious affiliation as their host families began to sort out who belonged to which family.

The month-long program involved service projects, group discussions, social events, and host-family interactions. Additionally, these bright and eager teenagers, chosen for their leadership qualities and academic accomplishments, were required to attend weekly services at the church of the religion opposite their own. The experience proved to be a successful and enriching one for all involved, so much so that a stunning image of their departure remains vivid in my mind: As they were preparing to board the plane for home, this group of young people—so obviously divided upon their arrival in the United States—were hugging each other and tearfully coming to terms with the idea that they could no longer be friends once they returned to Ireland. They were about to return to a culture that clearly impeded connection across religious differences.

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Posted on LinkedIn 8/12/15

Your thoughts . . .

Intercultural Competence in the Workplace: Reaching Across the Cultural Divide . . .

"How can I build better working relationships with colleagues located in other countries?"