Facilitating the development of Cultural Intelligence (CQ)

Q: What does Cultural intelligence in action look like? 

A1: A set of interpersonal skills and knowledge of cultural scripts and fluently adapting to the socio-cultural context to help to build and maintain an intercultural relationship.  

A2: A set of interpersonal skills that a individual or team draw on to effectively navigate intercultural situations, that include the motivation - awareness of how cultures are similar and different to one’s own - strategizing around those cultural similarities and differences and acting differently when the situation requires it.

Cultural Intelligence is a malleable capability that can be enhanced by multicultural experiences, training, self-awareness, travel and education.  Interestingly there is an inverse correlation between cultural intelligence and the experienced  sojourner.

Cultural intelligence can help us to become more open to how we view those that see and experience the world differently to us. Having the desire and intention to treat people respectfully, does not guarantee the impact of our behaviour. Various adaptations to our behaviour may be required to secure a trusting and beneficial relationship. 

There are many reasons for cultural intelligence.

• understand an increasingly diverse client and customer base

• managing or leading staff

• recruitment and retention of talent

• adapting leadership style to suit the context

• building relationships based on mutual understanding, respect and trust

Cultural Intelligence is a meta-framework based on rigorous academic research. The CQ measure, the CQS has been tested across multiple samples, times and cultures. Cultural intelligence is based on multiple intelligences research.

It is the only approach to cross-cultural leadership explicitly grounded in contemporary theories of intelligence.

The 4-factor CQ model is directly connected to the four aspects of intelligence (motivational, cognitive, meta-cognitive and behavioural) that have been broadly researched and applied around the globe.

Cultural intelligence supports  our interpersonal effectiveness in multicultural situations.

CQ is more than just knowledge of another cultural group. It also includes a leader’s or practitioner’s personal interests, strategic thinking and behaviour in cross-cultural situations.

Knowledge of differences in belief systems, norms, value and cultural scripts is not enough, one must also explore the socio-psychological dynamic between people as they interact together. Unlike IQ, but similar to EQ, CQ is not fixed, it can be enhanced.

CQ focuses on developing a comprehensive repertoire of understanding, perspectives and behaviour for making sense of the multitude of intercultural encounters we experience daily.

What is the CQ model?

The CQ Model is a framework that builds the capability cultural intelligence. The CQ Model emphasises the importance of developing an overall repertoire of motivation, understanding, strategy and skills that enables one to move in and out of lots of different cultural contexts (Ang & Van Dyne, 2008).

The CQ Model can be applied to culturally intelligent policy development, program design, client and community engagement.

The CQ Model consists of 4 sub-dimensions that contribute to our understanding of the construct cultural intelligence. They are as follows:

CQ Drive is the willingness to work with others from diverse backgrounds. It includes an ability to overcome explicit or unconscious bias and the capacity to persist in challenging intercultural settings—even when the individual feels confused, frustrated, or burnt out. CQ Drive is the extent to which one is energised and persistent in one’s approach to multicultural situations, one’s self-efficacy and sense of deriving benefit from intercultural interactions 

CQ Knowledge is an understanding of culture, cultural differences and similarities. CQ knowledge is the degree to which one understands how culture, cultural scripts and systems influence how people think and behave. 

CQ Strategy is the ability to adapt mentally. With high CQ Strategy, individuals understand that the cultural dimensions that constitute worldviews are multiple and likely different to one’s own and awareness of these assists in the development of strategies for interpersonal and community relations and business success. 

CQ Action is the extent to which you can act appropriately in multicultural situations. It includes one’s flexibility to adapt verbal and non-verbal behaviours and to adapt to different cultural norms to intentionally improve the relationship or interaction. CQ Action decreases the risk of miscommunication and helps an individual respond to diverse others in a manner that conveys respect and builds trust and rapport.