Cultural intelligence or CQ is an essential part of understanding our world. Some say it's on par with emotional intelligence, but I propose that it is an extension of emotional intelligence, a more robust ability to appreciate other people's experiences, practices, and perspectives. Specifically related to diverse cultures, an ability to truly understand and connect with others.
CQ is not just about awareness or cultural competence. It also refers to adapting to others’ cultural differences, instead of expecting them to flex to your standpoint.
In short, according to leading social scientist and cultural intelligence consultant Dr. David Livermore, cultural intelligence is your “ability to relate to anyone, anywhere.”
It involves a skillset that helps you recognize differences and act accordingly. That’s a positive — it means developing cultural awareness is something we can all do.
You can take the first step by reading our latest blog post. It’s an essential read for leaders and anyone involved in developing cultural intelligence at work. You’ll also find it useful in your personal interactions with others.
In it, we’re going to explore the core values, four types or dimensions, four focus areas, and three elements of cultural intelligence. Once you’ve reached the end, you’ll understand why we need cultural intelligence and you’ll feel motivated to develop your own ability to function and manage effectively in culturally diverse settings.
Whether you are a people leader, entrepreneur, global professional, or remote worker, you’ll be sure to find valuable information and concrete reasons to grow your cultural intelligence. Table of Contents:
What Are the Core Values of Cultural Intelligence?
Whenever you consider learning something new, it's imperative that you have to have a purpose to do it and that you connect with the content in some way. One such way is resonating with the foundational principles of what you're learning. Aligning with the core values of cultural intelligence is a very important aspect of being able to develop this ability. Think of them as the foundations on which you can build your knowledge, awareness and intercultural relationships. We’ve summarized them here.
1. Respect
Respect is an equalizer. It recognizes that each culture is as valid as the next and that everyone deserves honouring. Respect for others’ practices and beliefs nurtures the trust and understanding we need to forge positive partnerships.
2. Empathy
Empathy is about being able to consider and understand the feelings and perspectives of others. It helps us dive deeper to truly acknowledge the value of other people’s experiences and to see them first and foremost as human, just like us.
3. Open-Mindedness
Open-mindedness is embodied by an absence of prejudices and preconceptions. It’s a freeing quality that allows you to learn from others’ experiences and create solutions instead of barriers.
4. Adaptability
Adaptability is a flexible mindset, one that grasps growth and opportunity. So, when presented with a cultural experience that’s different from their own, an adaptable individual will work around barriers and create innovative answers to reach mutual understanding.
Now that you're in agreement with what cultural intelligence is built upon, let's look at the different types of cultural intelligence and what we need to do to foster it in our own lives.
What Are the 4 Types of Cultural Intelligence?
Let’s start by clarifying that 4 key dimensions make up cultural intelligence as a whole, which have also been referred to as types of cultural intelligence. Understanding what each dimension stands for and knowing how to develop all four dimensions so that you can apply them to your everyday life and relationships, are key to attaining the full gamut of CQ skills. Let's review them here:
1. Motivational CQ
Motivational CQ describes an eagerness and ability to learn about and function in multicultural situations. Individuals with high motivational CQ are energized by cultural experiences that are different from their own. In the workplace, they’re the champions of multicultural team building and inclusive company culture. Outside of work, they love learning languages, travelling, and engaging with other cultures.
2. Cognitive CQ
Cognitive CQ refers to people’s knowledge of diverse cultures. This could be general knowledge — for example, an understanding of the diversity of languages, social practices, and religions that make up various cultures. It could also be more specific knowledge of cultures within cultures. For example, an individual who has had significant contact with a cultural subset, due to living or working closely with its members. It could also refer to more specific contextual knowledge of a company culture and its unique features.
3. Metacognitive CQ
Metacognitive CQ is about awareness of our own knowledge of cultural differences. Just holding this knowledge is not enough; a person with metacognitive CQ continuously reflects on and updates their understanding. This makes them flexible in their thinking and able to adapt and respond to new and dynamic situations.
4. Behavioural CQ
Behavioural CQ refers to the capacity to put theory into practice. A person with high behavioural CQ will not only have attained a vast bank of knowledge but the skills to apply this understanding to everyday situations. So, they may adjust their communication style, gestures, and actions according to the culture they are in contact with. In this way, they build bridges and foster understanding across cultures.
These 4 types of cultural intelligence make up a framework for successful intercultural relations, whether that’s in the workplace or in day-to-day situations.
What Are the 4 Focus Areas in Cultural Intelligence?
As part of his groundbreaking work on cultural intelligence, Dr. David Livermore has offered four focus areas or capabilities. These focus areas give you another way of thinking about cultural intelligence and how to expand on your skills and apply them more efficiently to life. We’ll explore them in this section.
1. CQ Drive
This is your motivation for learning about cultural intelligence and your perseverance in continuing to gain understanding, even when experiencing challenges. It is embodied by an openness to learn and a desire to make and retain connections with other cultures.
2. CQ Knowledge
CQ knowledge is linked to cognitive CQ. It’s about your awareness and understanding of the many similarities and differences that exist between cultures. It’s also about acknowledging the significance of these and applying sensitivity in your everyday interactions.
3. CQ Strategy
While drive and knowledge are the foundations for cultural intelligence, CQ strategy allows the individual to acknowledge their own cultural awareness and plan their actions and reactions appropriately. It’s an essential element of workplace cultural intelligence, empowering leaders to effectively and sensitively manage staff and ensure that the environment is appropriate for people of all cultural backgrounds, for example.
4. CQ Action
This refers to the ability to adjust behaviour accordingly and appropriately in a variety of cultural contexts. It feeds into behavioural CQ, describing how an individual may change their communications and actions to adapt to any given cultural context.
Develop each of these focus areas and you will grow your cultural awareness and knowledge, and surely over time, practice and exposure, your behavioural CQ will improve as well.
What Are the 3 Elements of Cultural Intelligence?
It’s clear that cultural intelligence is a multifaceted and complex phenomenon. It’s an incredibly valuable one too, so it’s worth the deep dive.
Once you’ve mastered the principles of cultural intelligence, it can help to look at them in a simple format that resonates deeply. Think of cultural intelligence as made up of the three elements of head, body, and heart.
1. Head
This element encompasses the concepts of your cultural knowledge, awareness of cultural knowledge, and the way you think about your understanding. It directly relates to cognitive CQ, metacognitive CQ, and CQ knowledge. With your head, you gain and apply knowledge to raise your cultural intelligence.
2. Body
The body element includes the physical aspects of cultural intelligence. It’s about how you act in response to diverse cultural situations. It covers behavioural CQ and CQ action. With your body, you can act out the knowledge you have acquired.
3. Heart
The heart mirrors your emotions and motivations to learn and apply cultural intelligence. It relates to motivational CQ, CQ drive, and CQ strategy. With your heart, you feel, react, and act in a culturally sensitive way.
Thinking of cultural intelligence within these three frameworks will help you apply your knowledge and understanding in practical, tangible ways.
We've highlighted these four cornerstones of cultural intelligence above so that you have a solid foundation for understanding the principles of cultural intelligence and gaining the confidence to put them into practice.
Develop Your CQ with CultureQ Code
Cultural intelligence is a necessary skill we can all continuously hone and develop. It’s relevant to every walk of life and in every scenario, from the corporate world to the simple interactions that make up everyday life.
If you’re inspired to learn more, we developed the CultureQ Code, an easy-to-use digital tool to help you implement these principles. Download our free CultureQ Code from our Resources page. It details 15 key principles to help you grow as a leader, professional, and human being.
Keep working on these principles to develop your cultural intelligence and connect with sensitivity and confidence on every level.
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