THOUGHT PROVOKING THURSDAYS--6. Dealing with career transitions - Building CQ!

Continuing with career transitions for one more week, I will share my perspective on building Cultural Intelligence, a key ingredient to being successful in a cross-cultural role. While IQ and EQ are essential, the role of the Cultural Quotient (CQ) cannot be over emphasized.

So why does it matter?

? Cultural intelligence is an important predictor of expatriate success: A meta-analysis of studies conducted on expatriate success found that cultural intelligence was a strong predictor of success in international assignments.

? In a study conducted by PwC, 73% of business leaders stated that they believe that CQ is essential for employees to work in a global business environment. As globalization continues, the ability to navigate different cultures is becoming increasingly important.

I have had the good fortune to work and live in 4 countries—India, Singapore, Vietnam and Philippines. And I have also had the great luck to have served regional and global roles which allowed me to experience many more cultures. As I reflect now on this amazing journey, I can’t help but remember all the mistakes I made which I corrected later. I only wish someone had mentored me while I was going through these experiences.

So here are some classic traps to avoid as you build yourself as a regional or a global leader. I will also share what you could stop and start doing when preparing for such a role.

1. Trap No. 1—What got me here will get me there—Over years of working we develop a personal playbook and we use that every time we move to a new role. This needs to be reconsidered especially from a cultural context.

Stop Doing—Assuming people are the same everywhere—Needs and motivations could be cultural and therefore very different

Start Doing

? Begin with a clean slate. Become a student and unlearn before you start to add value

? Find as many mentors you can who will give you local perspectives

? Build an informal network outside the organization of peers. Learn from their experience in the country. When I was parachuted to Vietnam, I quickly connected with a range of marketers of other companies and hosted lunches by rotation. Their perspectives were invaluable as I settled in to a market where I did not even know the language.

? Observe how people communicate and mirror their styles. As an Indian, I was always used to speaking fast but I deliberately slowed down when speaking to other nationalities. Become more present and alive in the moment.

2. Trap No. 2- Move fast and do something big—When we enter a new role in a new country, we know everyone is watching us. So, we have this desire to quickly show everyone what we are made of. This is a trap to be wary of

?Stop Doing—Thinking tactical and trying to impress everyone in a hurry

Start Doing

? Go slow to move fast later. Build a deliberate 90-day plan that really allows you to listen and watch more and act less. Allow the current team to take the less important and urgent decisions. Hold on to the important and urgent ones.?

? Align with your boss on this so that you have the freedom to act

? Get regular feedback-- Never be shy to learn about how you are doing. I remember the HR person came to me in Vietnam and told me that my team felt they were not learning enough from me. I used this to change my working style completely. I shifted from team meetings to 1-1 meetings as my default. This also helped me form relationships before you get to the work( more true in Asia than perhaps elsewhere

3. Trap No. 3—Believing that you have unusual talents and have all the answers. In most cases, such a role comes as a promotion and to loosely translate an Indian saying, “it can off-center your mind”. You can get deluded and act with a sense of over confidence and privilege.

Stop Doing—Being the Mr. Know-all and being prescriptive about everything.

Start Doing

? Go beneath the surface of what you see. Remember, Culture is always invisible and lies below the water line. Understand values, needs, motivations that lie submerged to make sense of the behavior you see above the surface

? Be open to the idea that there can be a second right answer. Encourage diversity of views from the team

? Respect other cultures and do not stereotype people—It’s easy to do it when you are not operating in the local context. But once you live there, you need to get rid of generalisations and start to see people as they are.

I am sure there are many more traps that exist but it is important that you recognise your own infallibility and seek out new areas of learning and growth. I encountered and overcame many personal failings. In the process, I became a different person and probably?a better version of myself —more culturally aware, more compassionate, more sensitive, more curious and more accepting of people in general.?

The journey continues now in a new way now. I advise companies coming to Asia on what to expect and how to deal with this invisible, intangible and almost inscrutable thing called Culture??