Skilled Migrant Professionals Autumn 2016 | Page 28

How to grow your cultural intelligence

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How to grow your cultural intelligence
u ACCORDING TO RECOGNISED WORLD AU- THORITIES in Cultural Intelligence ( CQ ), Soon Ang and Linn Van Dyne , a person ’ s cultural intelligence determines their capability to function effectively across national , ethnic and organisational cultures . It can also impact how we interact with different genders , or across different generations .
Although this can sound like common sense to many of us , you may not be as culturally intelligent as you thought ! Are you well-travelled ? Do you speak more than one language ? Do you have a wealth of technical expertise or book knowledge ? Do you have a high level of Emotional Intelligence ( EQ )? If you ’ re answer to one or more of these questions is yes , it does not necessarily mean you are more culturally intelligent ( Livermore , 2014 ).
High EQ enables you to read and react appropriately to different emotions , but it is culturally bound . You could have a great understanding of appropriate behaviour in a particular cultural setting , but this may be exactly the opposite in another cultural setting . This is why we often see skilled migrants not fitting in , or even going back to where they come from .
You can change this , however , without altering what you believe in or love ; you just need to be willing to adapt and observe .
High CQ will decrease burnout in the workplace , as well as increase your cross-cultural adaptability and your bottom line in the long run ( Livermore , 2014 ). It will also increase your situational awareness and ultimately enable you to build better , stronger relations – allowing you to feel less stressed and gain a stronger sense of belonging .
Here are my five top tips for increasing your Cultural Intelligence : 1 . KNOW YOURSELF Only by having an understanding of who you are , where you come from and more importantly , why you make decisions in a certain way , can you begin to adapt and understand others better . 2 . GROW YOUR CULTURAL AWARENESS

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By Tanya Finnie , Director RedHead Communications
Be aware of other cultures around you and pay attention to the behaviour of others , including what it is that drives this behaviour . Awareness grows understanding and this understanding will give you an edge to negotiate more effectively .
3 . BE PROACTIVE RATHER THAN REACTIVE Unfortunately , many organisations reach out to me when things have already started falling apart . A more effective approach , however , would be the
Chinese concept of paying the doctor only when you are healthy , as this means he has done his job properly . By anticipating how you can adapt your behaviour , react earlier and not react to certain scenarios , you can be more productive in the long run . Keep in mind that it is much more exhausting to constantly be reactive . 4 . BUILD RAPPORT BY ADAPTING YOUR STYLE Adapt your style when you speak to someone to mirror ( not copy ) their body language . People like someone similar to them , so be open to adapting your style . This doesn ’ t mean changing your personality , but sometimes little gestures can mean a lot . 5 . READ CULTURAL SIGNS Observe people when they are in their natural state and when they are discussing something they are passionate about . Look at what they do with their body language – their hands , their expressions – and note their tone of voice and pitch . Be aware of when this changes and draw the conversation back to their natural state .
There will be awkward moments and no one should completely change who they are and how they do things in order to fit in . Frankly , those who over-emphasise a bow or a handshake , which would not be their normal greeting , can make things worse .
Remember : We are all different . Others are not wrong or right , just different .
If you would like to measure and grow your CQ or the CQ of your team , contact Tanya Finnie from RedHead Communications .
28 www . smpmagazine . com . au | Autumn 2016