Admit it. You like some cultures more than others. • Headscarves—Yes or No? • Senior Citizens—Out of Touch or Insightful? • Southern Accent—Annoying or Charming? It might not be these differences. But we all have implicit assumptions about certain cultures.…
Read MoreI’ve always been a fan of directly addressing the elephant in the room.[1] I don’t enjoy conflict but I loathe avoiding it even more. In this way, I’m terminally a New Yorker. Don’t dance around the issues. Shoot straight…
Read MoreThe other day I almost missed my flight. I threw my stuff in the overhead bin, took my place in my bulkhead seat, and sat still for the first time all day. I welcomed the break for the first couple…
Read More--Guest post by Julie Slagter with David Livermore If you have culturally diverse customers (and hopefully you do), consider adding the following to your customer service training manual: “Don’t treat customers the way you want to be treated”. This may…
Read MoreSometimes we spend so much time deliberating the ideal skills for cross-border negotiation and intercultural communication that we overlook one of the most important ones—small talk! What you say during a formal interview or meeting is important. But your overall…
Read MoreGuest post by Sunita Sehmi Don't just concentrate on what you have to say… #01 Be empathetic Whilst we all may ‘speak the same language’ in a multilingual context, we may not necessarily ‘speak the same way’ so put yourself in your…
Read MoreCultural intelligence doesn’t mean being a cultural chameleon. Sometimes when I attempt a Japanese bow, I notice my Japanese counterpart extending her arm to shake my hand. It's a bit like a middle-aged adult trying to act, dress, and talk…
Read MoreI’m constantly observing the way individuals’ cultural intelligence (CQ) comes through in their verbal interactions. I don’t mean whether they’re knowledgeable about many different cultures. I’m talking about whether they actually adjust the way they speak in light of the…
Read MoreMy 15 year-old-daughter is preparing to travel to Thailand by herself next month. Emily has often heard me say that international travel is more likely to increase adolescents’ cultural intelligence (CQ) when they travel without their parents or friends. So…
Read MoreIt’s widely known that Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, frequently leaves one open seat at the company’s most important meetings. It’s there to remind his fellow executives and managers of the most important person in the room—the customer. Forbes reports that…
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