BGA | BUSINESS IMPACT
GUEST COLUMN
How cultural intelligence impacts DE&I
o be culturally intelligent is to adapt and operate effectively in a range of contexts. These
Additionally, some organisations look to hire based on ‘culture fit’. Both of these tendencies can result in teams that lack diversity of thought and approach problem- solving in the same ways. By developing our cultural intelligence, we can tackle these tendencies by increasing our understanding of, and familiarity with, those from different groups. Additionally, being comfortable and effective when working across different cultures will turn us away from seeking to hire based on ‘culture fit’. Equity Equity is not the same as equality. Equality means providing everyone with the same, regardless of their needs or circumstance. Equity, however, looks to give people what they need in order for the resulting playing field to be level. Cultural intelligence allows you to account for the cultural differences across your organisation and the needs of different markets and people. It also facilitates developing an understanding of the way different groups will need to be supported and empowered in order to have an equal, meritocratic experience of work. Inclusion High levels of cultural intelligence can support workplace inclusion. An essential part of cultural intelligence is being able to modify our behaviour consciously to be inclusive and help create a safer environment for those around us. It limits micro-aggressions and allows us to build a workplace culture where all of our
colleagues feel able to be themselves at work. This, in turn, will help drive the innovation and effective problem solving at which diverse teams excel. Improving your cultural intelligence • Create a safe space: Psychological safety is critical to inclusion, but is often overlooked. Creating environments where all colleagues feel that they can share their true experiences without fearing judgement or backlash allows us to understand each other’s backgrounds, needs and motivations better. • Acknowledge fears: Many of us will have avoided challenging conversations because we fear the repercussions of saying ‘the wrong thing’. We can commit to our learning by normalising these feelings of fear and discomfort in order to have better, more insightful conversations. • Name it: Don’t dance around issues that need to be addressed. Using vague, indirect language for specific problems means it is unlikely that these issues will be tackled. Cultural intelligence can be developed and enhanced, just as we develop muscles at the gym. With a better understanding of people who are different to us, and proactively learning more as time goes on, we can become leaders and managers who create inclusive environments for those around us. Lydia Cronin is marketing manager at consultancy Included and a contributing author to The Key to Inclusion , edited by Stephen Frost (Kogan Page, 2022).
can be across national, ethnic, organisational, generational and departmental settings. Cultural intelligence is made up of four key capabilities. These are drive (the curiosity and motivation needed to work well with those who are different to us); knowledge (learning and understanding different cultures); strategy (embedding this understanding into your plans); and action (adapting your everyday behaviour in light of your knowledge). If we build our own cultural intelligence, we can play a significant part in improving diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) at work. Diversity In a globalised world of work, managers and leaders often need to have the ability to manage teams who live in different countries and represent different cultures. A diverse workforce will be made up of a range of demographic groups and, post-Covid-19 pandemic, these groups are also likely to have differing flexible working arrangements and needs. This diversity is the reality of organisations and our society. With cultural intelligence, you can leverage the power of a globalised workforce as your ability to perform in a
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cross-cultural situation is increased. In recruiting, there can be a risk of
confirmation bias. This is a natural human tendency to look for evidence that supports our held beliefs and avoid information that conflicts with these.
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