Diversity is becoming the norm in everyday life. However, introducing global delivery models without a proper understanding of intercultural differences can lead to difficulty, frustration, and reduced productivity. Priyanka Sharma and Thena Barry say that in our diverse world, we need teams with people who can cross these boundaries, communicate effectively, and build the diverse networks necessary to avoid problems. We need to learn about cultural intelligence (CI) and cultural quotient (CQ). CI is the ability to relate and work effectively across cultures. CQ is the cognitive, motivational, and behavioral capacity to understand and respond to beliefs, values, attitudes, and behaviors of individuals and groups. Together, CI and CQ can help us build behavioral capacities that aid motivation, behavior, and productivity in teams as well as individuals. Priyanka and Thena show how to build a more culturally intelligent place with tools and techniques from Leading with Cultural Intelligence, as well as content from the Hofstede cultural model. In addition, they illustrate the model with real-life experiences and demonstrate how they adapted in similar circumstances.
3. Culture Intelligence
Don’t shy away, learn for success
Priyanka Sharma
MBA, CSP, CSM, PMI-ACP
Director, QA
Nashville, Tennessee
Thena Berry
CSM, ITIL
Manager, BA
Nashville, Tennessee
The views expressed in this presentation are those of the presenter and do not necessarily reflect the views of DaVita.
Why are you here?
• Culture
• Cultural Intelligence
• Cultural Dimensions
• Intercultural Communication
Process
4. For Your Consideration
Is it “Culture Shock”?
Recognizing
• Communication styles
• Approach towards conflict
• Approach to completing tasks
• Decision making styles
• Attitude towards disclosure
5. Challenges?
• They won’t tell the truth
• I can’t get a straight answer
• I can’t get an answer
• But they agreed
• They just over-complicate everything
• Nothing worked when we came in the morning
• If they would talk to each other…
Definitions
Culture: Provides us with our identity, beliefs, values,
and behavior.
“The way we do things around here.”
Cultural Intelligence (CQ): Cultural intelligence is the
ability to relate and work effectively across cultures.
“The way we adapt for various cultural settings.”
IQ : General Mental Ability
EQ : Emotional Intelligence
CQ : Cultural Intelligence
Good leaders need all three to lead effectively
6. Goal of Cultural Intelligence (CQ)?
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Onshore-Offshore model
• Diversity in Organization
Grasshopper
The days of identifying a single target customer are long gone.
Pest – USA
Appetizer – Northern Thailand
Pet – China
Distinguish behaviors driven by culture from those specific
to an individual
• Respect and recognition of other cultures
Adapt Leadership style
• Leaders gravitate towards differences
• Improved creativity and innovation
Manage business and workplace relationships
• Recruit and develop cross-cultural talent
My most surprising cultural interaction?
7. CQ Model Dimensions
CQ Drive [Motivation/Heart]
What’s my interest in this cross-cultural assignment?
CQ Knowledge [Cognition]
What cultural information is needed to fulfill this task?
CQ Strategy [Metacognition/Head]
What’s my plan?
CQ Action [Behavior/Body]
What behaviors do I need to adapt to do this effectively?
•Business
•Values and Norms
•Socio-linguistic
•Leadership
•Planning
•Awareness
•Checking
•Intrinsic
•Extrinsic
•Self-Efficacy
•Speech Acts
•Verbal
•Nonverbal
4. CQ
Action
1. CQ
Drive
2. CQ
Knowledge
3. CQ
Strategy
CQ Drive [Motivation/Heart]
What’s my interest in this cross-cultural assignment?
•Business
•Values and Norms
•Socio-linguistic
•Leadership
•Planning
•Awareness
•Checking
•Intrinsic
•Extrinsic
•Self-Efficacy
•Speech Acts
•Verbal
•Nonverbal
4. CQ
Action
1. CQ
Drive
2. CQ
Knowledge
3. CQ
Strategy
8. CQ Knowledge: Understanding Context
Economic Systems: How does a culture organize itself to produce, allocate, and distribute basic resources?
Essential Question: How to motivate; state vs. private; HR policies
Capitalist
Tends to be motivated by competition. Individuals are motivated to
care for themselves.
US and Singapore
Socialistic
Understand which industries are state run or privatized. Some privatized may
have high state-level investments.
Denmark and New Zealand
Relationship Systems: How do people see themselves in relation to the people around them?
Essential Question: How will making room for family obligations effect recruiting and retaining talent?
Kinship
Expect introduction to include discussion of family relationships
(siblings, parent, etc.) and your educational or familial background.
South Africa and Oman
Nuclear Families
Nuclear leaders may not see the importance of hearing or sharing about
extended family during initial introductions
US
Religious Systems: How do people see themselves in relation to the “bigger picture”?
Essential Question: How will religious holidays impact your business interactions?
Rational
Be respectful about how you discuss your religious beliefs.
Mystical
Avoid mergers and meetings during inauspicious days or important festivals.
• Business
• Values and Norms
• Socio-linguistic
• Leadership
• Planning
• Awareness
• Checking
• Intrinsic
• Extrinsic
• Self-Efficacy
• Speech Acts
• Verbal
• Nonverbal
4. CQ
Action
1. CQ
Drive
2. CQ
Knowledge
3. CQ
Strategy
Individualism
Cultures in which people define themselves as individuals and form
looser ties with other groups.
USA, Australia, UK, Canada
Collectivism
Cultures where people have stronger bonds to their groups and
group membership forms a person’s self identity.
Pakistan, India, China, Indonesia
Low Power Distance
A society that views an unequal distribution of power as relatively
unaccepted.
Austria, Denmark, Israel, Ireland, USA
High Power Distance
A society that views an unequal distribution of power as relatively
acceptable.
Malaysia, Philippines, Russia, Mexico, India, China
Low Uncertainty Avoidance
Cultures in which people are comfortable in unpredictable
situations and have high tolerance for ambiguity.
Saudi Arabia, Jamaica, UK, China, Sweden, India
High Uncertainty Avoidance
Cultures in which people prefer predictable situations and have low
tolerance for ambiguity.
German, Belgium, Greece, Guatemala, Portugal, Russia
Masculinity
Cultures in which people value achievement and competitiveness,
as well as acquisition of money and other material objects.
Japan, Hungary, Austria
Femininity
Cultures in which people value maintaining good relationships, caring
for the weak, and quality of life.
Norway, Netherlands, Sweden, Chile
CQ Knowledge: Understanding Context
Hofstede’s Model of National Culture/Challenges
9. PowerDistanceLarge
PowerDistanceSmall
Collectivist
Individualist
INDIA
MEXICO
RUSSIA
JAPAN
CANADA
US
UK
NORWAY
GERMANYISRAEL
COSTA RICA
CHINA
THAILAND
FRANCE
Masculine
Feminine
Uncertainty Avoidance Strong
Uncertainty Avoidance Weak
INDIA
JAPAN
CHINA
RUSSIA
MEXICO
CANADA
GERMANY
UK
US
COSTA RICA
THAILAND
FRANCE
Comparing Cultures
Adapted from: https://geert-hofstede.com/cultural-survey.html
80
20
60
30
87
24
77
48
56
40
51
26
Power
Distance
Individualism Masculinity Uncertainty
Avoidance
Long Term
Orientation
Indulgence
China and India Comparison
China India
80
20
60
30
87
24
40
91
62
46
26
68
Power
Distance
Individualism Masculinity Uncertainty
Avoidance
Long Term
Orientation
Indulgence
China and United States Comparison
China United States
Cultural Differences
77
48
56
40
51
26
40
91
62
46
26
68
Power
Distance
Individualism Masculinity Uncertainty
Avoidance
Long Term
Orientation
Indulgence
India and United States Comparison
India United States
80
20
60
30
87
24
77
48
56
40
51
26
40
91
62
46
26
68
Power Distance Individualism Masculinity Uncertainty Avoidance Long Term Orientation Indulgence
India, China, and United States Comparison
China India United States
10. Time Orientation
CLOCK Driven EVENT Driven
Australia Arab Countries
Canada India
China Mexico
France
Japan
US
CQ Strategy: What’s my plan?
•Business
•Values and Norms
•Socio-linguistic
•Leadership
•Planning
•Awareness
•Checking
•Intrinsic
•Extrinsic
•Self-Efficacy
•Speech Acts
•Verbal
•Nonverbal
4. CQ
Action
1. CQ Drive
2. CQ
Knowledge
3. CQ
Strategy
11. •Planning
•Awareness
•Checking
Include everyone in conversations
• One tool
• Use one communication tool
• Unmute phones transparency
Remove ambiguity
• Prepare to ask specific questions
• Ask to summarize
• Clear charters
• Specific commitments
Build relationships
• Enable remote pairing
• Connect across cultures (movies, food,
sports, art, etc.)
Build effective team leadership
• Find generalists
• Comfortable with ambiguities
• Able to remove ego from conversations
“Know yourself”
• What are your
biases/preferences?
• What is your personality?
• What are your cultural traits?
Learn about other cultures
• Attend local international
festivals
• Check out international news
• Try cuisine from other
countries
Evaluate
• Experiences verses expectations
• Assumptions verses reality
CQ Strategy
CQ Action: How should I adapt?
•Business
•Values and Norms
•Socio-linguistic
•Leadership
•Planning
•Awareness
•Checking
•Intrinsic
•Extrinsic
•Self-Efficacy
•Speech Acts
•Verbal
•Nonverbal
4. CQ
Action
1. CQ Drive
2. CQ
Knowledge
3. CQ
Strategy
12. •Verbal
•Nonverbal
•Making Requests
Verbal
• Speed
• Accent
• Tone
• Topics
• Words
Nonverbal
• Gestures
• Facile expressions
• Head movement
• Closeness
• Body contact
• Eye movements
• Hand movements
Requests
• Direct
• Indirect
CQ Action
Are you aware of how much personal space others need?
CQ Drive – Know why you want to have a cultural interaction
CQ Knowledge – Research cultural contexts
CQ Strategy – Know how you’re going to approach interactions
CQ Action – Implement your strategy and check the results
Know yourself, know your audience, have fun
• Culture
• Cultural Intelligence
• Cultural Dimensions
• Intercultural Communication Process
Summary
13. Questions? Feedback? Coffee?
emailpriyanka2010@yahoo.com thenaberry@hotmail.com
The views expressed in this presentation are those of the presenter and do not necessarily reflect the views of DaVita.
Priyanka Sharma, MBA, CSM, PMI-ACP, CSP (Emailpriyanka2010@yahoo.com) Thena Berry, CSM, ITIL Shared Services (Thenaberry@Hotmail.com)
Currently working as Director, QA in Nashville, Tennessee. She has 17+ years of
engineering background with experience in Healthcare and Energy sector. She is also
acting as Scrum trainer in a distributed environment. Public Speaking talks include:
• PMI Symposium 2013 [With Judith Mills, JudithMillsConsulting group]: Culture a ‘Silent
language’ – Learn it to make Scrum successful
• PMI Symposium 2014 [With Neal Reizer, SVP R&D, MedAssets]: Agile, PDLC, and You
• SCRUM Alliance 2014[With Judith Mills, JudithMillsConsulting group]: Culture a ‘Silent
language’ – Learn it to make Scrum successful
• PMI Symposium 2015 [With Thena Berry]: ManAGILEment the Dilbert way
• PMI March 2016 Luncheon [With Thena Berry]: ManAGILEment the Dilbert way
• PMI Symposium 2016 [With Thena Berry]: Agile Project Managers: Translators,
Connectors, Builders
• Music City Code 2016 [With Thena Berry]: : Culture Intelligence: Don’t Shy Away, Learn
for Success
• Music City Agile 2016 [With Thena Berry]: Ending SCRUM Ceremony Phobia: Definition of
Ready
• Center for Information Development Management, April 2017[With Thena Berry]:
Content Management
• PMI Symposium 2017 [With Thena Berry]: Culture a ‘Silent language’ - Don’t shy away
Serves as the Manager for BA in Nashville, Tennessee. In her 20 year career as a Technical
Communicator, Ms. Berry has worked across industries including Healthcare Management,
Software and Hardware Development, and Education and Housing. In each of her
endeavors, Ms. Berry focuses on building effective processes for getting the right
information to the right person at the right time. Public Speaking talks include:
• Center for Information Development Management, April 2013: Introducing Knowledge
Management to Your Enterprise
• PMI Symposium 2015 [with Priyanka Sharma]: ManAGILEment the Dilbert way
• PMI March 2016 Luncheon [With Priyanka Sharma]: ManAGILEment the Dilbert way
• PMI Symposium 2016 [With Priyanka Sharma]: Agile Project Managers: Translators,
Connectors, Builders
• CIDM INFO 2016: Building Product Documentation in Parallel Sprints
• Music City Code 2016 [With Priyanka Sharma]: Culture Intelligence: Don’t Shy Away, Learn
for Success
• Music City Agile 2016 [With Priyanka Sharma]: Ending SCRUM Ceremony Phobia: Definition
of Ready
• Center for Information Development Management, April 2017[With Priyanka Sharma]:
Content Management
• PMI Symposium 2017 [With Priyanka Sharma]: Culture a ‘Silent language’ - Don’t shy away
