Cultural Intelligence: A Competitive Advantage

Technology has created a borderless, 24/7 global workplace. New markets and diverse customers fuel the need for multicultural talent. These employees can meet customer needs and collaborate with coworkers in a culturally appropriate way.

Whether you are a global or local organization, your workforce must be able to understand each other.  They must communicate across cultures and collaborate well for maximum efficiency.  In other words, they need cultural competence and a high degree of cultural intelligence (CQ).

An individual with CQ can seamlessly adapt their thinking and behavior to different cultures. In other words, they are mindful of the person with whom they are communicating , and of the person’s culture and business environment. Each market is different.  A tailored approach to unique cultures demonstrates respect, creates lasting business relationships and gives you the competitive advantage to achieve your business objectives.

So how can an organization develop cultural intelligence?

  • Desire

    All employees from the top down must have the desire and willingness to learn about themselves and others.

  • Knowledge

    Employees must learn facts about cultural expectations, norms and cues.

  • Skills

    Employees must make decisions, negotiate and motivate others in multicultural settings.

La Fuente Consulting helps organizations develop a global mindset.  This helps the organization create respectful relationships, leverage competitive advantage, and drive business results.