What’s Your CQ?Cultural Intelligence

In a Multicultural Setting

Melissa PedersenMaria Brzeska

• To understand the concept of “Cultural Intelligence” and how it is developed and enhanced

• To raise awareness of the need for cultural understanding and improved intercultural communication

Objectives

FAQ’s About Recent Immigrants

Compared to prior 2000• May live in ethnic enclaves but not clearly defined neighbourhoods • Participate in mainstream politics• Intermarry more often • Are more highly skilled and educated • Are entering a globally aware society more willing to engage in cultural exchange

Source: Michael Adams, Unlikely Utopia, Penguin Canada, 2008

Canada’s Multicultural Society

Multiple Cultures Intersecting

Keeping their own DistinctionsForming

the Fabric OrganicChangingSociety

We come not knowing what we don’t know!

• Covert and Overt• Shapes our perceptions, judgments and ideas about self and others• Often unconscious• Carried in our language• Multilayered • Organic

Culture

• A set of attitudes, skills and levels of awareness• Lead to appropriate, respectful and relevant interactions with others• Developing a mindfulness to observe and interpret without judgment

Cultural Intelligence

• Idea first related to global business relationships• Understanding how culture impacts behaviour

is key to global business success

• Can be applied to understanding, predicting and integrating behaviour in a multicultural environment

Developing CQ

Culture Centric Culture Relative

DenySee “them” and “us”

Polarize with one culture as “superior

MinimizeCultural blindness

Highlight commonality

We are all alike

AcceptSee the differences

May respond inadequately

AdaptRecognize patterns of differences

Shiftperspective and behaviour according to cultural context

IntegrateSee patterns of differences

Respond Effectively

Incorporate a multicultural identity with a cultural perspective

It Starts with You Knowing YOU!Be aware of your own attitudes, biases and preconceptions• Activity: Check Out Your Biases!

CQ: Developed through Communication

On-going…

•Verbal/cognitive•Behavioural•Emotional…

Interaction andAdjustments

Communicating is everyone’s responsibility

Verbal Intercultural CommunicationWhoWhat WhyWhereWhenHow

X

Behavioural Communication• Body Language• Actions• ReactionsEmotional Communication• Big and small gestures• Over-time reinforcement

Appreciating Differences and Commonalities

Be curious!

•Activity: Find someone you don’t know and interview each other using the questions

on the Activity Sheets. You can add your own questions, too.

• What things do you have in common?

• What is different?

• What did you learn about and from each other?

CQ and Body LanguageEvery culture has a set of gestures that an

idiomatic meaning. • Activity: Look at the pictures in the handout.

Discuss with your group what each gesture means

in Canadian culture and your culture.

How to Increase CQ

• Break Assumptions• Empathize • Involve • Open your mind• Increase sensitivity• Be wise

Adapted from Neil Payne, Managing Director and Middle East Trainer, Kwintessential

Intercultural Scenarios

• Activity: Read through your Scenario.

Discuss with your group where you think

this situation is on the CQ Continuum and

how you would proceed to help move the

situation towards the Culture Relative

part of the Continuum.

Developing CQ

Culture Centric Culture Relative

DenySee “them” and “us”

Polarize with one culture as “superior

MinimizeCultural blindness

Highlight commonality

We are all alike

AcceptSee the differences

May respond inadequately

AdaptRecognize patterns of differences

Shiftperspective and behaviour according to cultural context

IntegrateSee patterns of differences

Respond Effectively

Incorporate a multicultural identity with a cultural perspective

Developing CQ

• Start from YOU and what you don’t know that you don’t know …be interested …be curious• Process is on-going and organic• Can start with small things…food!• Progresses to more in-depth knowledge• Is not linear

Communicate, communicate, communicate!

Any

Questions