cultural intelligence

Have you got what it takes to be a Global Citizen?

When faced with an individual who is from another country (and thus is of a different culture), what flashes through your mind?

Do you think, “Oh man, another foreigner to deal with”, or does your interest pique as you think of all the questions you could possibly ask him or her, so that your knowledge and understanding of their country and culture increases and enriches?

If you are the latter, you’re just about ready to take on the world as a Global Citizen, and this is an article that shares about what it takes to be one.

Article: Getting Singaporeans to be more culturally intelligent
Author: Ameen Talib

Cultural Intelligence for Leaders

Expanding a business beyond local shores requires leaders to also expand their knowledge beyond localised business practices and strategies. What’s most critical before the business strategies start bouncing off the meeting room walls is to gain the respect and understanding from the brand new team of employees who are culturally different from you. Get them on your side, and they will run the business for you.

Article: Cultural intelligence – a skill critical for SME leaders
Authors: Paul Heng, Keng Keng Tan

The Importance of Cultural Intelligence (CQ)

Cultural Diversity is now apparent everywhere you go. Gone are the days when it was normal and acceptable for people to think of the “newcomer from X country” as an alien, and openly make them feel like an animal at the zoo. Try doing that now, and you’d be criticised for being discriminatory.

The workplace (and everywhere, really) is filled with people who have come from various parts of the world. Being able to get along with them requires one to develop an understanding for the way different people think and speak, which stems from their unique cultures. Developing this understanding is a part of Cultural Intelligence, or CQ, and it applies to every aspect of your life – at work or in personal relationships.

Here’s an insightful opinion piece on the topic, which we hope would help you to understand how CQ plays a part in enriching your life, broadening your mind and helping you to navigate through unfamiliar environments, just by being a little more culturally sensitive to the people around you.

Article: What Singaporeans need to know about Cultural Intelligence
Author: Mr Ronald Lee