Cultural Intelligence can mean the world to you on World Culture Day
Life and business can take us to many varied and incredible places around the world, exposing us to unlimited opportunity, unlimited talent, unlimited experiences and inspirations. To be able to tap into the amazing sources of insight and learning, it takes an open and willing mind to understand and embrace new cultures, attitudes and customs. And all of this can happen all around us, at home, in the office, in our personal life, in everything we do.
Understanding CQ
This is where Cultural Intelligence (CQ) comes in. Cultural Intelligence is similar to Emotional Intelligence (EQ) but picks up where EQ ends. CQ is the skill to recognise, understand and interpret ambiguous and foreign habits or nuances and even imitate them to help build trust and foster a healthy relationship. That said, this isn’t a magic formula to forge instant close relationships. The truth is, any and every relationship has to be nurtured and developed. We can’t force people to like us or engage with us. Instead we have to work to build relationships on solid foundations based, on mutual ideas, values, preferences and aligned goals.
Indeed, it’s exactly these types of skills that are now being identified as critical to the make-up of today’s businesses and integral to the core soft skills required in the workplace of the future. This aligns to the notion of building CQ into the education system ahead of entering a workplace that will be blended and formed of a new combination of people from varying backgrounds and cultures with robots, tech and AI.
The Benefits
Having a high Cultural Intelligence has proven commercial benefits as it positively impacts the bottom line. 82% of respondents in Deloitte’s Impact of Culture on Business Strategy research believe that “culture is a potential competitive advantage”[i], while a McKinsey & Company study found companies in the bottom 25% for both gender and ethnic/cultural diversity were 29% less likely to experience profitability above the industry average[ii].
None of this is just a ‘nice to have’, it’s good for people and for business. Building great relationships is a key foundation to business success. And great relationships, are critically dependent on a few core elements. Communication, trust, understanding and respect. If you are missing just one of these then most relationships, of any kind, are not going to flourish and stand the test of time. Establishing and maintaining healthy relationships takes thought, time and effort and perhaps most critically an understanding of differences.
How to Make a Difference
So how can we bring this all to life and make it real? At Dell Technologies, we have always taken an active role in unlocking innovation by celebrating differences. We champion access and opportunity for all and we respect differences in people and cultures among our team members, customers and partners across the world. We’re passionate about contributing to the communities we live and work in and we strongly support partnerships that help us contribute to those communities and cultivate inclusion.
To underline this commitment, Michael Dell chairs our Global Diversity Council. This council provides direction, support and strategic oversight, ensuring that Diversity and Inclusion is woven into the fabric of everything we do. Michael’s role in this demonstrates the intention of our business and it is an example of the role leaders can be playing; instilling the practices and attitudes of Diversity and Inclusion while also encouraging and supporting other leaders to follow suit.
On World Culture Day, a global event to raise the awareness and understanding of diversity issues and the value of cultural diversity, it’s a time to reflect just how important it is to have an enhanced understanding and awareness of foreign customs and cultures just to begin to build and grow successful and healthy business relationships.
Seize the Opportunity
Aside from Global travel, it’s a Global mentality that presents us all with the unique and significant opportunity to learn, grow and innovate professionally and personally. Actively and positively seeking out the moments to experience and absorb new cultures and customs first-hand is the key. That means pushing out of the proverbial comfort zone, raising your CQ and ultimately developing yourself as well as new ideas and opportunities through new genuine, meaningful and real relationships.
[ii] https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/delivering-through-diversity
Customer Success Management at Automation Hero, Inc, Enterprise SaaS | AI | Startup
5 年Thank you very much Adrian for pointing out the importance of diversity and inclusion on an important day as World Cultural Diversity day. I can not describe my feelings enough to show how lucky and honored I am to work with an incredible team of different cultures, different ideas, different beliefs, different habits and many different aspects but all unites in the same ideology and knows how to celebrate diversification in all aspects of life. It is a great thing to be a part of this team and gives me a very strong reason to wake up everyday knowing that I am part of a team which supports the same values I have regardless of location, age, sex, skin color etc.. It is so strong that makes me feel that I defined another world in myself and strenghen my belief into humanity. We believe in Mosaic, we believe celebrating our differences.
Adrian, your article is both timely and relevant in an age where cultural diversity is not just a ‘nice to have’ but a critical business imperative. We know that a diverse workforce, supported by an inclusive culture, delivers both business and social value, so I’m incredibly honored and proud to lead and be part of the Dell Technologies team in the META region. Our colleagues here, come from rich and diverse communities, groups and cultures, creating an environment where we understand the value of building relationships and bringing forward different perspectives. For us, every person is unique, but by embracing our differences and understanding and learning about each other, we have been able to knock down barriers and eliminate bias, while also driving business success because of the insights we each bring to the table. As a global company with local market knowledge, we have the power to drive positive change and I look forward to continuing the work we do to ensure that our people feel empowered and thrive in what is a truly collaborative, inclusive and culturally engaging workplace.
Global Account Manager Dell Technologies
5 年This is what makes Dell Technologies such a great place to work! #Diversity?#iworkfordell
Regional Head of Legal of a Nasdaq listed company and Founder of a Women’s Empowerment Non-Profit
5 年Thank you for elevating the message of the importance of?growing in our cultural knowledge and putting?the knowledge into action in Dell Technologies & the communities we belong to, at home and during travels, Adrian. #Mosaic? #DellEMCMosaic? ?