What is Cultural Intelligence?

CQ differs from IQ in the fact that it cannot be quantified by a score. There is no simple Cultural Intelligence scale by which to measure ourselves against, and indeed it is unhelpful to think of CQ as a number.

Instead we should think of Cultural Intelligence as being something which we can continuously improve and develop over the duration of our lives. The difficulty is in acquiring it. We do this through our experiences, but also with knowledge imparted by other people whom we trust, and who trust us enough to give us their knowledge.

Understanding what Core and Flex are, and how they work, is the key to developing CQ.

Our Core comprises the things that define us: our own personal 'over my dead body' list. These are things that won't change (or won't change easily). Their solidity is our strength. In our Flex are things that we can choose to change; things that we can adapt to circumstances, or to other people or other cultures. Their fluidity is equally our strength.

Core and Flex cover more than just our principles, they also account for everything from spirit and identity to behaviours and habits; from grand beliefs to small actions. Sir John Parker gives a good account of some behavioural values he is able to Flex, and how this represents more than just etiquette:

‘You must bow in Japan; it is how you show deference. At home, I might do this in another way but, in Japan, I do it their way. You simply have to take account of where you are, and show people that you have done so. You have to get the basics of the Flex right: when to bow, when to smile, how to show that you are polite. This does not mean that you have to change who you are, but it does change how you express it. You have to figure out how other human beings, who have grown up in a different culture and society from you, express their honesty and integrity in their own way, and then you must do it in the same way.’

Once we've worked out what is Core and what is Flex for us, we need to keep them in review. Testing. Weeding. Transplanting. To make sure that the right things are in the right places, and our Flex is actually Flexing.

A well defined Core and Flex, kept under constant review is key to Cultural Intelligence because it equips us with the ability to experience new situations and adapt to other people without fear of losing ourselves, while changing and accommodating without ever compromising on what matters.

Keeping our Core and Flex under review also helps to keep our biases under control. Although it can be sometimes tough to admit, we all hold biases in one form or another. They are the knots in our Core that we know should not be there. And for those of us who have experienced prejudice ourselves, it is especially important to scrutinize our Core for biases (because we have them too) and move them to Flex. They need to face the light and air. They need to be regularly dusted down, examined and tested. Because, for leaders, they produce blind spots and they cause us to miss opportunities