Practical ways to increase your "Cultural Intelligence" when working abroad

IQ is commonly used to measure intelligence. EQ, Emotional Intelligence is a concept that was made popular by the groundbreaking book by Daniel Goleman in 1995. CQ or "Cultural Intelligence" is a concept that incorporates the ability to interact effectively across global cultures and diverse workplaces.

Here are some practical ways to increase your "cultural intelligence" when working abroad:

• Approach everyone as an individual–don’t make assumptions based on a group identity
• Understand that cultural tendencies such as mannerisms are not necessarily indicators of a person's performance and capabilities
• Seek feedback to confirm the other person understood what you were really communicating
• Reconfirm your understanding by paraphrasing what you have read or heard
• Stay away from using jargons and metaphors defined by your own cultural background
• Give time out to your team to talk in their mother tongues so that your counterparts can explore and articulate what they really want to say
• Notice how something is said and be aware of patterns of speech, tone of voice, periods of silence
• Listen to silence–it means different things in different cultures!
• Find a cultural informant/interpreter to coach or guide you
• Use pictures, or diagrams or stories to convey your messages
• Make an attempt to learn the logic behind the new culture–the connection between appearances, behaviors and values
• Take part in intercultural training in the new location to gain insights into how your foreign counterparts communicate and behave