Cultural Intelligence by my definition, is learning about other people and places, in its most basic term terms. Welcome to Day 6 of 10 Career Challenge Actually Worth Doing. Having cultural intelligence is having awareness and knowledge of one’s customs and cultures. I am a firm believer that everyone should travel to another country to see and share in the customs of others. Understanding people’s cultures, is a good starting place in understanding humanity and bringing harmony to the world.
Benefits of Cultural Intelligence
According to Indeed, “Cultural intelligence, or cultural quotient (CQ), is the ability to relate to others and interact effectively across cultures. Since large companies often operate on a global scale, employees adapt to the respective cultures of their peers.” In an ideal world this is possible, and supporting this idea is very beneficial not only for others, but for yourself.
In learning about other cultures, foster the desire to do so, besides sometimes, we already have basic knowledge of someone’s culture by how they speak, or certain foods they eat.
As we know each culture, has its own way of saying things. For example, the one word I love the most from the British culture is ‘jumper!’ Americans call a jumper a sweater. Every time I put on a sweater; I want to jump in it!
However, trying baked beans for breakfast, is a bit of a challenge for me. But my key understanding is a cultural awareness that baked beans are a staple with a British poached egg for breakfast served at most hotels across England. But I do love sweet potato leek soup, with sweet bread, this is heaven!
People fascinate me, I love learning about other cultures and in turn, I am giving value to the culture and learning compassion as well. Here are some other benefits of cultural intelligence.
- Better communication
- Harmony among each other in the workplace
- Great better workspace solutions and ideas
- Promotes better unity in the workplace.
- Increases your awareness of personal differences.
- Creates a positive working. environment for problem solving.
- Understanding the growth of your cultural diversity in your workplace
- Learning to respect humanity and finding common ground for peace and tolerance.
Cultural Intelligence and a Sense of Belonging
We all want to belong; we all want a place to call home physically and mentally. By learning and understanding different cultures we can come together in unity, and we can begin to put that question to rest. Do I belong? We must be vulnerable enough and confident enough in own ourselves to want other people to know who we are, you know, what makes you you, me me, and we we (I just really did a double negative). But you get what I’m saying right?
Helping each other understand different viewpoints and engage as a group in successful problem solving, creating unique innovation for global resolution, this is exciting! Sadly, we don’t always listen to one another.
Cultural Intelligence: Exercise 1
While you are at work, introduce yourself to someone you don’t know from a different culture than you, and ask them 2 or 3 questions about themselves. Get to know them and extend a helping hand.
Exercise 2
Learn a new language, Babbel is awesome for learning new languages! Did you know that learning a new language ups your work promotion score, and it enhances your cognitive ability as well!
“Consider different viewpoints and you will discover endless ways of doing things.”
― Cristina Ho, Discover Cultural Intelligence: Your New Superpower
Final Thoughts and Words of Encouragement
Humanity is a cultural sphere, made up of many. Medically, we all bleed red. We have more in common with each other than we know, we just have to start asking questions. Remember, people fear what they do not know. It’s through cultural intelligence, that we can learn more about others and gain different perspectives to improve our own lives and may even play a part of global change or change in our workspace. People are valuable in every sense of the word. Humanity matters.
Someone is waiting to get to know you today, give them a chance. You’re worth getting to know.
“After we peel off the layers, we are all the same.”
― Cristina Ho
We’ll chat soon,
