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From Understanding to Action - Making Cultural Intelligence Work
Leading a half-day virtual training on delivering feedback and better conversations, I looked around the room to notice the cultural diversity. We'd finished a warm-up conversation on intentional listening, sharing our interests and passions outside of work. Stories from learning about the stock market, the significance of happy hour, gardening, travel plans, and playing jokes on family members were shared. The levity was contagious. What a delightful conversation.
Did I mention all five individuals were PhD project leaders in oncology and immunology biochemists in a pharmaceutical organization? Note to self: Even the most serious people still have a sense of humor. Given my meeting participants, the old proverb comes to mind: 'A joyful heart is a good medicine.' Proverbs 17:22
Towards the end of our call, I took notice of the cultural backgrounds of the five: Japan, Korea, India, Belgium, and a Brit from London.
This moment reminded me of my ongoing coaching work with Phillip from Australia. As our sessions continued, our conversations shifted from understanding cultural differences to actively leveraging them for team success. The real breakthrough came when he stopped seeing his team's diversity as a challenge to manage and started viewing it as an asset to develop.
Remember the drinking culture issue? Phillip transformed this potential divide into an opportunity for innovation. Instead of maintaining the status quo or simply eliminating after-hours events, he worked with his team to reimagine how they build connections. They created multiple pathways for team building - some during work hours, others after hours, some focused on wellness, others on professional development. Each option respected different preferences while serving the same goal: strengthening team bonds.
Consider: What traditional practices in your organization could be reimagined to better serve all team members?
The impact was remarkable. Team members who had previously felt excluded became more engaged. Those who had dominated social interactions learned to create space for others. Most importantly, the team started seeing their differences as a source of strength rather than tension. They began to understand that diverse perspectives lead to better solutions - a truth backed by research showing companies with diverse management teams report 19% higher innovation revenue.
Reflect: How could your team's cultural differences become a catalyst for innovation?
Phillip's journey taught him something profound about leadership: creating an inclusive team culture isn't about grand gestures - it's about consistent, intentional actions that demonstrate respect for differences. He learned to start meetings by acknowledging different perspectives, to actively seek input from quieter team members, and to celebrate successes that emerged from diverse viewpoints.
Ask yourself: What small, daily actions could you take to make your team's cultural differences work for rather than against you?
The transformation wasn't just about feeling good - it drove real business results. Team collaboration improved, innovation increased, and employee engagement rose. But perhaps most importantly, team members began to see their cultural differences not as barriers to overcome but as bridges to greater understanding and effectiveness.
Your Challenge This Week
I call this the "Cultural Bridge Challenge." For the next five days, commit to creating psychological safety that invites diverse perspectives. Remember, diversity isn't just about global backgrounds – it's about the colleague who grew up on the far side of town, the team member with a different personality type, or the person whose experience differs from the majority.
These differences may initially seem to threaten harmony or synergy, but they're actually your greatest defense against the fish-bowl effect of groupthink. When we surround ourselves with similar perspectives, we miss the breakthrough ideas that emerge from cognitive diversity. As my Belgian biochemist exclaimed to her Indian colleague during our training, "Now, that's the million-dollar idea!"
Start your next meeting by inviting the voices less often heard. Create space for different thinking styles. Listen not just for what aligns with your perspective, but especially for what challenges it. The most valuable insights often come from the most unexpected sources.
What bridge will you build this week that transforms differences into your team's most valuable asset? How will you create the psychological safety that turns diversity into innovation?
Remember, the competitive edge doesn't belong to the leader with all the answers – it belongs to the one who can orchestrate the diverse voices that together find solutions no one could discover alone. Every interaction is an opportunity to tap into your team's full spectrum of brilliance. Make each conversation count.
