Unleashing the Power of Cultural Intelligence (CQ) - Your Path to Inclusive Excellence
What is Cultural Intelligence (CQ)?
Cultural Intelligence (CQ) is the key to unlocking excellence in organisations by embracing diversity and fostering inclusive cultures.
It's not just an innate ability; it's a skill that can be cultivated and improved upon over time.
CQ allows you to work effectively across cultural differences, forming meaningful relationships and boosting your job performance.
The Inclusive Culture Pyramid: A Platform for Success
At Unheard Voice we have created the Inclusive Culture Pyramid as the foundation of our methodology.
When implemented, it empowers organisations to improve their culture by integrating Cultural Intelligence.
Let's explore the pyramid and its transformative capabilities.
The Model
Four CQ Capabilities, Four Change Cornerstones, Four Organisational Layers, Four Implementation Pillars
Drive (Motivation)
Do you have the desire to work and relate effectively across cultural differences?
Motivation is the first step in developing CQ, but it can be hindered by fear, defensiveness, and discomfort.
We help you navigate these barriers, pushing you forward with confidence.
Knowledge
Knowledge is the cornerstone of CQ.
It involves understanding different backgrounds, lived experiences, values, belief systems, leadership styles, organisational cultures, and even diverse professional languages.
Surrounding yourself with diverse perspectives and listening to these voices enriches your CQ.
Strategy
Before diving into action, it's essential to stop, think, and assess your thinking patterns.
Developing self-awareness helps you create procedural changes that mitigate the impact of biases.
Without CQ Strategy, actions may become stereotypical and tokenistic.
Action
Ultimately, people judge us by our behaviours.
Cultivating a broad repertoire of adaptable behaviours allows you to effectively work and relate across differences.
CQ Action demonstrates your commitment to inclusivity.
The Four Cornerstones of Change
To embed cultural intelligence and create an inclusive culture within your organisation, we focus on four essential cornerstones of change:
Role Modeling
Inclusive behaviours start from the top.
When leaders and colleagues behave inclusively, others are more likely to follow suit.
Fostering Understanding & Conviction
To drive inclusive change, individuals need to understand why these changes are necessary.
It's about inspiring people with the vision of an inclusive organisation.
Reinforcing Formal Mechanisms
Formal policies and practices play a vital role in promoting inclusivity.
By integrating inclusive practices into recruitment, procurement, and work policies, you encourage inclusive behaviour.
Development of Talents & Skills
Training is crucial for cultivating inclusive behaviour, and it must be complemented by opportunities to apply that training.
Including inclusive objectives in yearly appraisals supports this development.
The Four Layers of an Organisation
The way cultural intelligence can be used as you change requires different levels of responsibility to be taken:
Individual
Those who lead an organisation need to do the introspective piece of work to take responsibility for their role in the change, but so does everyone else in the business.
Team
Working effectively as a team means acknowledging and working with difference to create amazing and innovative solutions together.
Department
Having a shared language to promote departmental objectives which values and respects all who are working there, and takes into account interdepartmental needs, is delivered through this model.
Organisation
A culturally intelligent organisation does not adapt to everyone and everything. It has its own culture that is shaped by a unique set of shared norms and routines. Employees do not have to compromise their personal and cultural values to be part of a culturally intelligent organisation, but everyone is flexible to create a third culture that drives results.
The Four Implementation Pillars
And then we implement the behaviours using policies, procedures and practices across all elements of an organisation or business.
Attract
Who and how you educate people in your profession and attract them to join your company, business or organisation.
Retain
How you treat, progress and retain those you work with, engaging staff, contractors and collaborators.
Create
How you create your designs, products and services needs to have an inclusive lens placed across it all.
Engage
How you work with external stakeholders and build relationships to the widest possible range of users, customers, clients and supply chain.