Being culturally intelligent doesn’t mean you can speak multiple languages or that you have spent a lot of time visiting other countries and cultures. But it does mean you have an open mind and appreciate that different cultures have distinctive norms, values, and practices. The goal of a culturally intelligent leader is to navigate cross-cultural situations with sensitivity through respectful behavior.
Cultural intelligence (CQ) is imperative to learn or begin the process of learning. I remember the man who briefed me on it. How few other leaders actually adhered to it, or at the very least made an effort to learn.
Example; we'd have team members who would pray (they would be gone for five times a day). At first glance, this appears to be time theft. Upon an investigation, we'd learn they were Muslim. Same goes with women being only allowed to lift under 20 lbs. As a man and human, I am suspicious of the WHY. If you keep someone weak, then physically they are a lot easier to beat ..
Regardless, as a supervisor, it was my responsibility to respect their decisions about how they choose to live their life. That was the hardest lesson during that time.
* I want to be clear, elderly people were assigned light duty. That's common sense (to me).
I never tolerated discrimination, altercations, and/or harassment on the team (this was common sense by this point in my life/career). It simply surprises me how some people handled their teams...
Makes me think of the head nods in Indian and eastern culture that are intially unknown to westerners who have never seen them. Important to understand, not sure about trying to use them would be the recommendation here.
Good morning,
Cultural intelligence (CQ) is imperative to learn or begin the process of learning. I remember the man who briefed me on it. How few other leaders actually adhered to it, or at the very least made an effort to learn.
Example; we'd have team members who would pray (they would be gone for five times a day). At first glance, this appears to be time theft. Upon an investigation, we'd learn they were Muslim. Same goes with women being only allowed to lift under 20 lbs. As a man and human, I am suspicious of the WHY. If you keep someone weak, then physically they are a lot easier to beat ..
Regardless, as a supervisor, it was my responsibility to respect their decisions about how they choose to live their life. That was the hardest lesson during that time.
* I want to be clear, elderly people were assigned light duty. That's common sense (to me).
I never tolerated discrimination, altercations, and/or harassment on the team (this was common sense by this point in my life/career). It simply surprises me how some people handled their teams...
Thanks for your time.
Makes me think of the head nods in Indian and eastern culture that are intially unknown to westerners who have never seen them. Important to understand, not sure about trying to use them would be the recommendation here.