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Intercultural Competence Updates: Last 7 Days
Thought I would share .... the article just touches the surface because the author is really
describing cultural protocol realities ... the true learning is raising the cultural competence of Clint Cora started a discussion:
leaders that they have an awareness of the culture that they represent, foster and have a 2010 Year End Motivational
bias towards; a recognition of how that culture is different than the one they are in and their Diversity Videos Recap
ability to adapt and integrate the cultures of others ....
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15 days ago
The Cobra Was O.K.; The Duck Tongue Not So Much New York Times Orietta E. Ramirez and 1 more
commented on:
Cultural delights and minefields characterize business travel for Gary Pomerantz, executive
Intercultural Competence
vice president of the international engineering firm WSP Flack & Kurtz.
1 day ago 57 comments
Jean Richardson likes: Intercultural
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57 comments • Jump to most recent comments
Marc Brenman • Kevin, if I understand your correctly, you are making a very good point
that people need to understand their own culture as well as different ones.
15 days ago
Marc
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Hamlin Grange • Marc and Kevin...In fact, I would say that the first step in the journey
to becoming more culturally competent is to have a greater understanding of your own
cultural world-view.
15 days ago
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Peter Bye • Thanks for sharing it Kevin. A fascinating article. As you say, it deals
entirely in the visible or objective aspects of culture - foods, interaction protocols, Latest Post
meanings of colors. Perhaps the author explored the deeper subjective and non-visible 2010 Year End Motivational Diversity
aspects of culture that form the basis for the objective aspects he discussed in the Videos Recap
article - the underlying beliefs and values - although these subjective aspects certainly
Peter Clint Cora See all »
are not addressed in the article. As written it seems to focus on a conventional "do /
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don't" list.
Those deeper aspects are the ones that determine how we see the world and interact Top Influencers This Week
with others. The deeper understanding coming from intercultural expertise is the source
of creating competitive advantage through diversity and cultural difference. Kevin Carter
Hamlin - I share your thought about greater understanding of one's worldview being a
critical step. This is one of the truly profound benefits of the Intercultural Development David Lipscomb
Inventory. It measures a person's or group's worldview or mindset regarding diversity
and cultural difference, and provides a basis for further development.
15 days ago
Pearl Jones, SPHR • The article is a great illustration of Intent vs Impact. It also makes
a serious point in a lighthearted way about the importance of cultural competence for
everyone, but especially for those whose work and travel globally. Taking the time to
learn more about the customs and mores of the people and places to where he
travelled could have prevented some faux pas.
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15 days ago
Kevin Carter • Marc, Hamlin, Peter and Pearl,
I appreciated your feedback. What struck me was the combination of what we all are

2. saying ... while it is important to understand how to behave appropriately in other
cultures, intercultural competence is not simply adopting certain protocols, or as Peter
stated - a "do / don't list." It is the awareness that each of us, and our corresponding
behavior, represent and create of culture for others that is either accepting or negating
of their culture.
This process not only happens when we travel abroad but also happens right here in
the US when supervisors attempt to coach, correct or improve the performance of their
direct-reports not realizing that it is the supervisor whose behavior is creating a work
climate, or culture, that is fostering low performance. How many leaders ask themselves
the question: "what about me (or my behavior) is preventing you from reaching your full
potential?"
11 days ago
Marc Brenman • Thanks, Kevin. I do not entirely agree with this: "it is the supervisor
whose behavior is creating a work climate, or culture, that is fostering low performance."
While it is the duty of the supervisor to assign work, make sure that staff have the tools
they need to do the work, to set expectations, and to evaluate objectively; and the
responsibility of management to ensure a good work culture; my experience is that some
Marc
staff are just better at what they do and work harder and more responsibly than others.
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Staff bear a great deal of responsibility for work culture.
11 days ago
Kevin Carter • Hi Marc,
I mostly agree with what you are saying but let me provide an example.
Let's say I am a manager whose strength is "communicating" or "getting to the bottom-
line" but I have the habit of over-communicating, or dominantly conversation and getting
to the bottom-line so quickly that I cut off debate, or the introduction of new ideas. I am
creating a work climate for my direct reports that will unconsciously benefit some and
unfairly penalize others. I may also be rating some direct reports poorly because they
"don't speak up," or "show initiative," even though it is me who is taking initiative out of
the work culture and discouraging others from speaking up. I believe that everyone is
like me - that if they have something to say, they will fight and push to be heard (and
those that don't - are not a good fit).
I would say that that's manager's intercultural competence is low ... they are not aware
of the work culture that their behavior is creating. They are not aware of how their
strengths - in excess - are preventing others from reaching their full potential.
11 days ago
Marc Brenman • We've all had to adjust to a supervisor whose style was not the same
as ours. The objective of a workplace is not reaching the full potential of the staff, but
getting the work done well, on time, at a reasonable cost. Some workplaces aren't as
"fun" as others. A rating system should be as objective as possible. Feedback should be
frequent. A supervisory skill is knowing that some employees do fine work quietly, and
Marc
some with more "speaking up." "Speaking up" is sometimes evaluated negatively, for
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example, when some minority employees are coded in a discriminatory way as being
"uppity." (To bring the conversation back to diversity and inclusion issues.)
11 days ago
Kevin Carter • Marc,
I don't necessarily agree with "the objective of a workplace is not reaching the full
potential of the staff, but getting the work done well, on time, at a reasonable cost." I
believe it is both, especially when most companies today are attempting to generate
new products, services and innovations to serve increasingly diverse and global markets.
I also believe our whole conversation has been about diversity, I began with cultural
diversity and transitioned to discussing the diversity of work styles or orientations that
individuals have and a manager's ability to be adaptive to them (just as a leader would
want to be adaptive to cultural differences in another country).
I think you are raising an excellent point regarding why some minority employees would
not "speak up." As you suggest, the interculturally competent manager would attempt to
create a work culture (through their behavior, speech, etc.) that would incorporate that
employee's ideas, suggestions and recommendations. He would help them reach their
full potential in the pursuit of business outcomes.
11 days ago
Hamlin Grange • Wonderful conversation!

3. I truly believe that cultural competence is the "end game"...as it were.
Diversity is merely the starting point or floor.
I have conducted many sessions with managers and eyes glaze over whenever "cultural
competence" is mentioned. And I cannot always blame them. I believe it is vital for us
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as diversity and inclusion professionals to give real-life examples, as each of you has
done, to illustrate what cultural competence means and the role managers/supervisors
play in this.
It is not just about "those people", it is about "all of us people."
11 days ago
Neal Goodman • All of our programs are about cultural competence and the first step is
to understand youself, your own culture and cultural assumptions and biases. Only then
can you focus on the "other" culture and its assumptions etc.
Neal
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10 days ago
Kevin Carter • Thank you, Hamlin and Neal (and everyone) for your thoughts!
Neal, from your work, can you highlight an example where managers who do not
understand themselves, their culture and their cultural assumptions and biases pre-
judge the performance of others? As Hamlin mentioned, manager's "eye glaze over
whenever 'cultural competence' is mentioned."
Also, how do they begin the journey to self-awareness.
Thanks.
10 days ago
Marc Brenman • Although I admire and respect Hamlin greatly, it has not been my
experience that managers' eyes glaze over when cultural competence is mentioned. In
regard to "where managers who do not understand themselves, their culture and their
cultural assumptions and biases pre-judge the performance of others," the last, cultural
assumptions, can shade over into discrimination. And cultural assumptions flow both
Marc
ways. As a white Jewish male, I ofter encounter professional situations in my business,
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social justice, in which people belonging to or self-identifying with other groups can't
figure out what I'm doing in their affairs, as if they had a monopoly on dealing with
certain kinds of equity issues. There are often more commonalities than appear on the
surface. For example, I recently read an article about Israeli and Palestinian high tech
workers contracting for work, and finding that they share cultural similarities that make
working together easy. One example given was the alleged preference of both groups to
speak openly and vociferously about concerns.
10 days ago
Neal Goodman • Kevin,
People come to our seminars, coaching etc. knowing that they want to develop their
Cultural Intelligence so there is no need to make the case for it. An example would be
an American Executive who is being assigned to take over as President of a Japanese
subsidiary of his Ameican company. He had to do a very deep dive into what it means
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to be an American, and an American leader, before he could be open to an alternative
leadership stlye that made him succesful in Japan. He admited that when he got to
Japan everything seemed stupid but he understood that there was a rationale he had to
learn and he did.There are thousands of other examples bot domestic and global.
10 days ago
Kevin Carter • Thank you, Neal!
Marc, I tend to experience what Hamlin is describing when I initially speak with
managers: a) having a self-awareness regarding one's own biases is somehow
embedded in simply being a good manager and doesn't need be addressed separately;
b) discussing commonalities is more important than discussing differences in getting
work accomplished or c) it's my job as a manager to set the priorities and parameters
for what work is done and how it is accomplished and my direct reports role to complete
those priorities and fit within those parameters.
As you suggest, however, no group or individual has a hold or lock on intercultural
competence. And individuals should be open to see and experience the commonalities
that they have with others. For example, as an African American male, I may have more
in common with a majority male than another African American male. It would depend
on what has defined my identity and culture. It would also not lessen the possibility,
however, that another African American male and I would also uniquely share and
identify with impact of race in the US.

4. Really excellent discussion!
10 days ago
Melissa Patrick • This is a fascinating conversation. I find it fascinating because there
has been no mention of how power, privilege, and oppression play into interpersonal
communication across human differences. I define differences as: cultural; racial;
gender; class; etc. Managers/supervisors by virtue of their position have a power or
authority that will have an effect on their direct report’s behavior. All over the world, men
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and women have been socialized in different ways (as is exemplified in the article), and
this creates a communication dynamic involving privilege and power. Finally, if you
consider heterosexism, certainly straight people have the advantage of not having to
orchestrate a “coming out” because we have the privilege of belonging to the
mainstream, dominant social group. My point is that group membership matters. Kevin,
you say it so well, that you may relate to other African American men because you
belong to the same racial group and therefore have some shared experiences
pertaining to race and racism. You can also relate to men who are not Black because
you belong to the same gender group.
Marc, as a White Jewish male, you mention the misperceptions or confusion that other
people have of you because of who you are and what you do. I wonder why your
service as an ally/activist in social justice efforts is misunderstood. I agree with your
sentiment Marc, and I suspect we are not alone, that as humans we have much more in
common than we realize. I also believe that we can not underestimate the influence that
our group experiences have on 1) our life experiences 2) how we interact with others
and nature, and 3) our worldviews, beliefs, and values.
Hamlin and Neal, I also agree that before we can understand others, we need to gain a
deeper understanding of our own identity. I have had participants in workshops I deliver
come to the realization that absolute behavioral objectivity is not possible, and yet if we
are aware of how our own privilege and internalized oppression (social locations)
influences our interactions and impacts others, we can do a much better job at being
competent communicators across lines of difference. Or as Pearl, pointed out, we will be
less likely to commit those faux pas that insult, offend, and shame others.
10 days ago
Marc Brenman • Hi Melissa, I was probably not sufficiently clear. It is not my "service
as an ally/activist in social justice efforts" that is misunderstood (usually). It is sometimes
my physical presence in the business, especially when people are dealing with first
impressions. For example, the chair of a commission I worked for as executive director
said very early in our relationship, "You're just a plain old white guy." (Luckily her
Marc
predecessor had hired me!) On the other hand, after the recent passage of the repeal in
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the Senate of Don't Ask Don't Tell, a couple of prominent LGBT activists told me they
appreciated my service as an ally. So this argues for reserving judgment and getting to
know the other person. We're all sometimes guilty of mistakes. After many years in this
business, I still make them. And, according to the theories of Unconscious Bias (borne
out in hundreds of thousands of tests) we are all guilty of prejudice and stereotyping. Is
this due to socialization? It appears not, from the very wide variety of people from many
places who show implicit bias. But we can to some extent control our behaviors as they
have an effect on other people.
10 days ago
Kevin Carter • Hi Melisa, Hi Marc,
Melisa, I am blown-away by your statement "absolute behavioral objectivity is not
possible." That statement nails it! If managers just believed and acted like "absolute
behavioral objectivity is not possible," they would view their behaviors with a skepticism
that would allow room for direct reports to insert what drives and motivates them. They
would also be open to the possibility that they may unconsciously favor some and not
others. There was so much in your comments that was outstanding ... the phrase
"absolute behavioral objectivity is not possible" just snatched me. Thank you!
10 days ago
Neal Goodman • Marc, if not socialization then what? We are all a result of our
socialization (our cultural DNA) and our biological DNA. While the biological does have
an impact it is through socialization that we learn how and what to judge positively or
negatively and it teaches us about power as well. Even "The Authoritarian Personality"
was based on diffrences in socialization.
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Kevin and others.
There appears to be a wide dicrepency in the meaning of Cultural Competence. Power
exists in all cultures but how it is done differs by culture. Within cultures power is one of
the most important aspects of Diversity but not the only one. If introduced properly,
power can be an important learning tool.

5. Neal
9 days ago
Kevin Carter • Hi Neal,
My definition of "intercultural competence" is the capability to accurately understand and
adapt behavior to cultural difference and commonality. I define culture as the norms and
expected behaviors of a group, or a learned and complex set of instructions on how one
relates to the world.
My experience comes from some travel and work outside of the US and from providing
IDI profile reports http://www.idiinventory.com/pdf/idi_sample.pdf. Unlike many of the
people taking part in this discussion, I have not lived outside the US for an extended
period of time so I find the discussion an excellent opportunity to learn and grow
professionally and intellectually.
In terms of Power, are you meaning someone's preference for hierarchy or equity that is
different in different cultures? I think Melisa is also referencing that "gender equity" has
a very different meaning in different cultures. Combined together, is it possible that US
majority males expect to be in the power position visa via women or minorities? I am
sure it depends on other aspects of a person's personality. What is the learning here for
the management of people within a corporate setting?
9 days ago
Neal Goodman • Kevin. There is much complexity here. First, I must admit (as a social
psychologist) that I find the IDI to not be the best approach to deal with this, though I
understand why people see it as a solution. The field of intercultural relations and the
field of diversity are not the same, yet there is much overlap. Many Diversity specialists
have recently "found" cultural competence but they have little grounding in the field of
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intercultural relations so they jump to simple solutions. Likewise there are few in the
intecultural field who really understand diversity and inclusion and the importance of
power that this entails. What it means for managers in a corporate setting is that they
need to build their cultural competence to work effectively with people from other
national cultural backgrounds and they need to develop D&I skills to be able to see and
deal with the hidden biases, power differentials etc. so that their interactions within the
workplace, markets etc. are as inclusive as possible. After 47 years doning this and
training hundreds of thousands of corporate managers and leaders I am always learning
something new and surprised by how much there is still to learn. I have several related
articles on our website under resources if you are interested. www.global-dynamics.com
9 days ago • Reply privately • Flag as inappropriate
Neal Goodman • Kevin and others. Sorry the correct link to the articles is
http://www.global-dynamics.com/news/gdi-in-the-media I am also sending a link to a
recent artice on Global Diversity which is very critical and which few organization are
approching effectively. http://www.global-dynamics.com/news/gdi-in-the-
media#diversity_exec
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Good luck. Neal
9 days ago
Marc Brenman • Hi Neal; in regard to your question, "if not socialization then what?" I
take your question to be in the context of implicit or unconscious bias. I'm not a wild
enthusiast for this theory, though as the test results accumulate, I'm coming around...I
think the originators might say that the human mind and consciousness operate at a
deep level that goes beyond socialization, which is more on the surface and operates
Marc
for one generation only. Our brains are the result of millions of years of evolution and
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survival. Even under the best of circumstances, neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to
"rewire" itself) works only for one generation. For example, even people raised in homes
in which there is tolerance and acceptance for others, including an accepting religious
belief structure, will still show results of prejudice and discrimination on the implicit bias
tests. Even African-Americans will show prejudice against other African-Americans. (I
acknowledge that some would say that this is due to imposed societal self-hate.) Some
psychiatrists say that "insight never cured anything other than ignorance." If this is true
(if somewhat exaggerated) then intercultural education only reaches the surface
manifestations.
9 days ago
Kevin Carter • Hi Neal,
Thank you. I will visit www.global-dynamics.com (http://www.global-
dynamics.com/news/gdi-in-the-media) and read http://www.global-
dynamics.com/news/gdi-in-the-media#diversity_exec.

6. I am not sure that D&I professionals are jumping to simple solutions as much as
attempting to learn models or processes that will assist them to learn, grow and be more
effective in the intercultural competence and intercultural relations fields. Models or
processes like IDI, or Cultural Navigator, etc. are probably a jumping off point for further
growth for many.
What would you say are the key tenets of intercultural relations that are different than
D&I and visa-versa?
I will review the material on your website, as well, thank you for sharing it.
Kevin
9 days ago
Marc Brenman • Thanks, Neal, I always enjoy your articles and insights. I share your
concern with the IDI and most other test and questionnaire-oriented instruments.
Though I thought the example Kevin supplied was interesting. In regard to your
discussion of the difference between intercultural relations and diversity, I agree,
particularly with this: "they need to develop D&I skills to be able to see and deal with the
Marc
hidden biases, power differentials etc." As I have tried to point out elsewhere, D+I are
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built on a foundation of nondiscrimination, equity, civil rights laws, and redress systems.
Intercultural relations has no such foundation, legitimately so, because it usually crosses
national borders. As in your own valuable and long background, it is based on social
psychology and not law. Efforts in international human rights law, especially in Europe,
try to overcome this gap. And as shown in Europe, the two are often not a good fit.
Merkel disses Turkish-Germans for failing to assimilate, France and Italy cast out Roma,
Switzerland bans minarets on mosques, Belgium bans veils, the UK indulges in caste
discrimination, etc.
9 days ago
Neal Goodman • Marc, Very insightful comments. Europeans typically approach thes
issues politically while Americans deal with thes issues legalistically. This is due to our
different histories and what it means to be a citizen.
9 days ago
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Hamlin Grange • This is indeed a wonderful discussion to ring in the New Year!. And
yes Neal, there appears to be a wide discrepancy in the meaning of cultural
competence...ranging from the academic (which creates that "glazed" look I sometimes
see in the faces of participants in training sessions) to the theoretical (that has no
tangible meaning for folks on "the shop floor.")
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Of course being culturally competent is more than just being able to enjoy Jamaican jerk
chicken or knowing when to/or not extend your hand for a handshake.
A member of our group shared this definition sometime ago: "Cultural competence is the
individual and organizational ability to have and utilize policies, appropriately trained and
skilled employees and specialized resources, to systematically anticipate, recognize and
respond to the varying expectations of clients, customers, and co-workers of diverse
backgrounds." I like this definition because it encompasses D&I principles as well as
issues of Power and Privilege.
Unfortunately, separate camps have emerged: Those in the D&I Camp and those in the
Anti-Oppression Camp. Those in the later believe that for an anti-oppression, anti-
racism approach must be taken in order for progress to be made. Those in the former
(where I reside) believe that D&I offers a large enough tent where issues of power and
privilege, racism and oppression can be addressed without excluding others. I have
been present at a conference where both sides clashed, and it wasn't pretty.
Being a culturally competent individual (organization, etc) requires awareness,
knowledge, skills and an open attitude towards difference. It should be the goal along
the journey we are all on and the one that we accompany our clients. Diversity and
Inclusion is the floor, Cultural Competence is the ceiling.
9 days ago
Neal Goodman • Hamlin, I am on the same page with you. We should be able to bring
D&I and Intercultural Competence together. Neal
9 days ago
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Kevin Carter • Hamlin,
I like these statements: "D&I offers a large enough tent where issues of power and
privilege, racism and oppression can be addressed without excluding others" and
"Diversity and Inclusion is the floor, Cultural Competence is the ceiling." I would be on

7. this page as well.
Our challenge is that many managers would not accept the premise or business
ramifications of this philosophy. Our gift is to meet them where they are along this
journey and connect our efforts to business outcomes.
9 days ago
Hamlin Grange • Kevin...it is indeed a challenge. However, if there was a framework
that encompasses these important concepts (which are really attributes of a productive
organization or team) then managers and others would be more open. I have been
fortunate to have been able to develop such a framework but it requires creativity and,
as my friend Billy Vaughn at DTUI says, a willingness to "lean into discomforts."
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Which in a way brings us back to what started this discussion in the first place: the NY
Times article "The Cobra was OK, the Duck Tongue Not So Much" by Gary Pomerantz.
Now he says he makes "a point of reading as much as I can about local culture to gain
a better understanding of customs." This is part of leaning into our discomforts because
it is in the leaning in where the real learning begins.
Thanks for starting this conversation Kevin. I learned a few new things.
I wish each and everyone of you the very best of the Season.
9 days ago
Kevin Carter • Thanks, Hamlin,
If you feel comfortable, please share (or direct us to a link) and discuss your framework.
Very best of the Season to everyone, as well!
9 days ago
Hamlin Grange • The framework is called the Six Cylinders. More info on our website at
www.diversipro.com.
In practice, each Cylinder has Key Performance Indicators that must be implemented in
order to activate the cylinders.
9 days ago
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Peter Bye • I approach this overall topic of intercultural competence (or, as I usually
refer to it intercultural expertise) from the perspective of Hammer's Intercultural
Development Continuum (IDC). More on IDC:
http://www.mdbgroup.com/intercultural_development.htm
Peter
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We each are somewhere on IDC and think we are further along. Almost all of us over-
estimate our level of intercultural expertise, no matter where we are on the continuum.
IDC is five successive worldviews of how a person tends to experience, think and feel
about, and react to diversity and cultural difference. Briefly, from our website:
# Denial. Being comfortable with the familiar. Not anxious to complicate life with “cultural
differences”. Not noticing much cultural difference around you. Maintaining separation
from others who are different.
# Polarization: Defense. A strong commitment to one’s own thoughts and feelings about
culture and cultural difference. Aware of other cultures, but with a relatively incomplete
understanding of them and probably fairly strong negative feelings or stereotypes about
some of them. May lead to some distrust of, and a tendency to be judgmental about,
cultural behavior or ideas that differ from one’s own.
Polarization: Reversal is the opposite of Defense. The person feels that some other
culture is better and tends to exhibit distrust of, and be judgmental of, their own culture.
# Minimization. Aware that other cultures exist all around you, with some knowledge
about differences in customs and celebrations. Not putting others down. People from
other cultures are pretty much like you, under the surface. Treating other people as you
want to be treated. A tendency to assume you understand the situation the same as a
person from another culture. Two-thirds of ANY large population will be somewhere in
this stage.
# Acceptance. Aware of your own culture(s). See your own culture as just one of many
ways of experiencing the world. Understanding that people from other cultures are as
complex as yourself. Their ideas, feelings, and behavior may seem unusual, but you
realize that their experience is just as rich as your own. Being curious about other
cultures. Seeking opportunities to learn more about them.
# Adaptation. Recognizing the value of having more than one cultural perspective

8. available to you. Able to “take the perspective” of another culture to understand or
evaluate situations in either your own or another culture. Able to intentionally change
your culturally based behavior to act in culturally appropriate ways outside your own
culture.
Development must consider one's current place on IDC. E.g. Consider someone at
Polarization with a "us and them" judgmental mindset. A person at this stage must first
become comfortable that we all have a lot in common before delving into the deeper
nature and effects of the ways in which we differ. First getting to the ethnocentric
Golden Rule is developmental progress. Confronting a person at this stage with
difference, power, privilege, and racism will be counter-productive. This only becomes
productive at Acceptance.
I use the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), a psychometric instrument that
measures where an individual or group is on IDC and where they think they are. This
enables stage-appropriate individual coaching and/or group development. More on IDI:
http://www.mdbgroup.com/idi_background.htm
Hamlin Grange made the outstanding point that we need to make the learning relevant
with real-world examples. The importance of this cannot be over-stated. I don't even
talk about intercultural competence / expertise at first. It tends to be extremely engaging
and effective to let people experience the effect of different mindsets regarding diversity
and cultural difference on business / real world situations. Then the eye glaze stops and
people tend to want to learn more.
9 days ago
Kevin Carter • Thanks, Hamlin,
The Six Cylinderss approach (http://www.diversipro.com/index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=77) appears to be an overall framework to conduct
D&I organizational analysis somewhat like Ed Hubbard's Diversity 9-S audit framework
(http://www.hubbardnhubbardinc.com/diversity_9-s_audit.htm). These frameworks are a
good place to start in terms of organizational D&I analysis. I couldn't find the piece,
however, regarding intercultural competence.
I have used Hubbard's framework, the APQC Measurement Alignment Worksheet
(http://www.apqc.org/knowledge-
base/download/37279/a%3A1%3A%7Bi%3A1%3Bs%3A1%3A%222%22%3B%7D/inline.
pdf?destination=node/37279) and a slightly modified version of Peter Bye's Business-
Aligned® diversity and inclusion framework
(http://www.mdbgroup.com/business_aligned_diversity_planning.htm).
Thanks, Peter for providing the overview of the IDC I / IDI model.
Marc and Neal, what do you view as the strengths and weaknesses of the IDC / IDI
approach since you have concerns about IDI and most other test and questionnaire-
oriented instruments. If a manager is interested in beginning the journey to improve their
level of intercultural competence in order to create more productive personal and
business relationships, how do they begin?
8 days ago
Neal Goodman • Kevin, Great question and discussion.
You begin by finding out what the organizational need is. Is it D&I, Cross-Cultural
Competency, OD or other. Some of the instruments mentioned can be helpful once you
have conducted your objective analysis of the situation. Only then can you find the
appropriate tools/solutions. Too many have "invested" in processes such as the IDI and
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see this as the only tool in their toolkit and then try to convince their clients of its
appropriateness to solve their perceived issue. (I will move your people from point A to
point B, C& D). To a carpenter, all I need is a nail and hammer (no pun intended).This
is very unfortunate as it limits our thinking and potential solutions. I would also like to
add that conceptually, the IDI is based on the ideas of Milton Bennett who of course
based it on the theories of others. We need to listen very carefully and inclusively before
settling on a possible solution. There are no quick fixes. I have seen significant change
and improvements based on self-reported applications of our training/coaching etc. but
no two solutions are ever the same. Neal
8 days ago
Marc Brenman • I agree with Neal that "You begin by finding out what the
organizational need is." One also looks at the mission of the organization. Not the phony
mission statements like hamburger companies saying they're serving the public, but real
mission statements like "Sell lots of hamburgers and make lots of money for the
shareholders." From a globalized marketing perspective, this kind of real mission
Marc
statement can lead to a realization that intercultural learning and knowledge are useful.
Stop Following
This is the horizon scan, and looking over the horizon, which is part of strategic
planning. For example, "Well, maybe we can't sell lots of hamburgers in China, but what

9. else can we sell that Chinese will buy and eat?" Or "Guess we have to serve wine with
those hamburgers at our stores in France." One can do organizational diagnosis: "How
well prepared are we to meet and fulfill those global needs?" This I think is where the
instruments can come in-- to evaluate each manager to ascertain whether or not she is
able to carry out the task successfully. But we also know that some managers are
simply better at these diverse, intercultural, global tasks than others. Effectiveness is
determined by results, and if a given manager is producing results, what the heck does
it matter whether she fills out an instrument or not? I can imagine, however, that in a
situation where large numbers of less-experienced managers are thrown into the fray in
an intensely intercultural situation, such as young US military officers in Afghanistan, it
might be useful to kickstart their learning by evaluating where they are on a scale of
intercultural understanding and ability. Maybe Neal can tell us whether his programs
have ever been used by the military. I've approached the problem from the diversity and
counter-insurgency side, with a curriculum for the military; and from the conflict
resolution side, with a program for culturally appropriate alternative dispute resolution.
Neither uses an IDI-type instrument, but maybe the former should. I'm open to thinking
about it, and maybe Neal can provide some thoughts on the subject.
8 days ago
Kevin Carter • Thanks, Neal and Marc
I would agree with this approach:
Step 1: organization analysis (and there many tools / frameworks out there that can
complete this process) that arrives at a clarity of the organization's business goals and
how changes in the workforce or work environment could accelerate the attainment of
these goals
Step 2: identification and introduction of the tool, project, training, education etc. that will
foster these changes, along with confirmation of the success metric (both direct - such
as project completion, education rating, etc and in-direct such as increased sales, new
products or services, cost savings, etc.)
Step 3: implementation and progress monitoring of intervention
Step 4: close out intervention (or stage of intervention) and report results
Step 5: incorporate intervention within existing processes to foster continuous
improvement
As you suggest, within such a methodology, I would not rule-in, or rule-out IDI, or any
other tool, I would just want to be sure I was utilizing the right tool for the right situation
to assist my client achieve their organizational goals.
Other thoughts, anyone?
8 days ago
Orietta E. Ramirez • Amazing discussion and lots of food for thought and insight
provided by the members ... so where to begin and how to contribute? I have to say that
having read everyone's comments, provided by personal as well as professional
experineces, and not yet having read the article, the phrase "until you have walked a
mile in my shoes" came to mind.
Orietta E.
Stop Following
Post-article reading, I would begin with what I believe is our goal and the theme of the
article - cultural diversity - which I understand to be defined as a peaceful coexistence of
multiple cultures or societies in an organization (e.g. workplace or university.) A culture
can be based on ethnicity (Hispanic, Asian, etc.), gender (male, female), age, sexual
orientation or religion. Cultural diversity is also referred to as multiculturalism. Two of the
key aspects of cultural diversity are coexistence without conflict and exchange of ideas.
Now to the real world, as the author identified via his colorful yet real-world examples,
there are issues that arise when striving for a diverse work culture, such as (but
certainly not limited to) 1) failure to respect others; 2) competition rather than teamwork;
and 3) failure to utilize differences.
The benefits of a diverse work culture, when managed properly, creates greater
innovation, or sharing of ideas, problem solving through different viewpoints, and better
company performance through people bringing differences together for the good of the
company. Customers, clients and investors are drawn to companies that have diversified
on both primary and secondary levels. A diverse workforce can be a hard working and
highly competitive workforce, one with the potential to reach clients and potential
investors in ways that a non-diverse workforce cannot.
Thus, diversity brings to the table, so to speak, creativity, increased adaptability,
broadens one's perspective thus allowing for flexibility, varied language skills which can
expand the business market presence which provides cross-cultural understanding, and
ultmately the respect and ability to work with, rather against, our differences. The author
learned these lessons, albeit the hard way (lack of proper and prior preparation and
research about the countries he was now navigating). The fact that not knowing and

10. understanding another person's culture could have ultimately cost him the account only
goes to support, that knowledge is power and taking the time to ask the questions and
have discussions, such as these, will only set the right (personal and business)
foundation going forward..
8 days ago
Kevin Carter • Oriette,
Welcome to the conversation and thank you for your comments. I agree that cultural
diversity is an exchange of ideas that fosters increased adaptability and flexibility within
an organization. Is it also described by "coexistence without conflict," or the successful
management or leveraging of conflict (inherent when different people come together) for
positive outcomes?
4 days ago
Pamela Tudor • I echo all of you who have noted this is an excellent discussion. It
seems that to begin the journey of becoming culturally competent many corporate
managers start by learning the visible, tangible behaviors of other cultures, such as
those described in the article and by Neal.
But then we get to the deeper stuff of cultural competence, i.e. developing an
Follow Pamela
explorative, open-minded mindset, becoming more aware of one's own cultural biases,
and the deeper dive into "what am I contributing to my team's success or failure?"
through my cultural behavior and assumptions. How many corporate managers/leaders
are willing to take that journey? Is that why the eyes start glazing over, as Hamlin
noted?
My guess is that corporate leaders stretch over the normal bell curve in willingness to
look at their own intercultural competence, and make it a priority for their organizations.
The good news is that those who are willing will probably pave the wave for their firm's
greater success in the marketplace and the workplace.
And what can we do to help stop the eye/mind glazing? The term cultural competence
itself is fairly clunky and academic, but people will get used to it, if we keep using
stories to illustrate what we mean. And keep making the links with good management
behaviors in the 21st century, where cultural competence is a necessary skill for
competitive advantage and success.
Whenever I go to my local Apple store, I see magnificent cultural competence. The
place is always buzzing with energy and good vibes. The staff is culturally varied:
young, old, black, white, latino, asian, and physically challenged. Everyone is welcomed
and the climate is inviting. Steve Jobs, this middle-aged white man figured out how to
create an enormously successful, multicultural, corporate environment. I speculate that
his un-stereotypical background helped to create his explorative mind-set. But who ever
knows what is it that creates a willingness to be open?
3 days ago
Marc Brenman • Pamela, in regard to "Steve Jobs, this middle-aged white man figured
out how to create an enormously successful, multicultural, corporate environment," John
William Templeton, who is a member of some of these LinkedIn diversity groups, has
done studies of minority employment (particularly among African-Americans) in Silicon
Valley, and found very disappointing results.
Marc
3 days ago
Stop Following
Peter Bye • Pamela - you touch on an important point for those of us seeking to effect
change in organizations with your point, "How many corporate managers/leaders are
willing to take that journey? Is that why the eyes start glazing over, as Hamlin noted?"
You also mention, "And what can we do to help stop the eye/mind glazing? The term
Peter
cultural competence itself is fairly clunky and academic..."
Stop Following
My experience is very much aligned with this. CEOs and line managers tend to care
about, worry about, and really get engaged in things that grow their organization. In a
for-profit corporation this is sales, market share, brand, operating expenses, growth. So
it is incumbent upon us to speak their language and show how what we espouse directly
helps them achieve what is important to them. When we start there and work our way
towards intercultural competence or, as I prefer to call it intercultural expertise, it can
work. When we start with intercultural competence, the business relevance is unclear,
the eyes glaze over and it does not work. It isn't because the leaders are "bad" in any
way - it is OUR issue for having addressed their needs improperly and ineffectively. It is
one manifestation of our own gaps in intercultural expertise - not being able to adapt to
the world as seen by our clients.
A recent experience highlights this. A client urged me to start an executive session with
their data. An exercise that actually has the participants see the effects of differing
mindsets on THEIR business outcomes was deferred until about 2 - 3 hours into the
program. This addressed one need - for the executives to see their data and inputs -

11. but delayed another need - seeing the tangible business value. So they started checking
out. Luckily, they were not 'out the door' by the time they did the exercise. One
participant comment after the exercise was telling - 'this would have been a good ice
breaker'.
Marc- your point about Silicon Valley representation is well established, yes. It can be
seen in the EEOC EEO-1 data. It is more a computer and technology industry issue
than Silicon Valley specifically. But is also seems an unrelated point to this thread.
There does not seem to be a relationship between technology industry diversity and the
degree of intercultural expertise of Steve Jobs as an individual.
3 days ago
Marc Brenman • Hi Peter, I disagree with your comment, "an unrelated point to this
thread." But perhaps we just emphasized Pamela's comment differently. I emphasized
the "corporate environment" part. And Apple is certainly one of the Big Dogs of Silicon
Valley and the IT industry. I will bet that even though Pamela sees a pretty multi-culti
group of employees in the Apple stores, the good corporate jobs are almost entirely
Marc
Anglo, Asian-American, and South Asian. But let's say as a thought experiment that that
Stop Following
isn't true, that Jobs is a paragon of intercultural competence, diversity, and inclusion on
the corporate level. Do we put all our eggs in the individual enlightenment basket, or do
we seek a corporate culture of these virtues?
3 days ago
Pamela Tudor • Peter,
I very much like the term intercultural expertise, and how you emphasize that it's not that
the leaders are "bad". Rather we all need more exposure and education, on both 'sides
of the aisle'.
Follow Pamela
Marc, I figure we can always learn from the "enlightened" (as you put it) individuals, and
see what is generalizable, rather than only see the down side of what firms/leaders are
not doing. That we all know, only too well.
I used the Apple Store as a story, and don't want to get too hung up on Steve Jobs'
exceptional leadership style, other than how it contains something instructive for other
orgs as well.
I spoke of the bell curve, and Steve is probably on the far, positive end. He went
through a pretty tough personal journey himself, and perhaps that leavened his
sensitivity/self awareness. Of course we're not putting all our eggs in one basket, but
rather, 1. acknowledging the breakthroughs that are possible, 2. seeing what we can
learn from them and what can be applied elsewhere. I doubt if anyone in this discussion
group doesn't seek a corp culture of these virtues but it's an educational process, and
that means we often learn and teach from the leaders, not the laggards. That means a
lot of learning for ourselves as well. We're all in this mix; the more equanimity and
acceptance we can actually live, the more we open the door for others, of all stripes. I
for one have become a big fan of Tara Brach, a buddhist psychologist who wrote
"Radical Acceptance". There's always something more to learn, n'est ce pas?
3 days ago
Marc Brenman • I don't know that much about Jobs' intercultural expertise, but from
what I've read and heard, he's a pretty quirky and unique leader. We should be clear
that success in developing new electronic products that people will buy is not the same
as meeting the goals of intercultural expertise. Though I suppose one could say that
Apple's products transcend culture. This does sometimes happen, as for example, in the
Marc
fact that African-Americans use Twitter more than other demographic groups. As to this,
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"the more equanimity and acceptance we can actually live, the more we open the door
for others," I'm not sure at all how it fits in with intercultural progress. If we have a lot of
equanimity and acceptance, the status quo doesn't bother us. On the one end, the US
civil rights leaders had little equanimity (see Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham
Jail, for example), and at the other, Buddhist priests in Japan generally supported the
Japanese government's war effort in World War II and before. Today, I would give the
Dalai Lama as an example of an executive whose equanimity does indeed open the
door to others.
3 days ago
Jean Richardson • As a relatively new Diversity champion working for a UK company I
have been driving the diversity agenda in my department. Most recently I conducted a
series of focus groups targeting Harassment & Bullying across the organisation by grade
to a senior level. The interesting summary is that each group mentioned the lack of
cultural awareness and misuse of power amongst many other concerns. The 'Managers'
Follow Jean
were mirrorring the top level management behaviours - and when this was seen as
agressive, dominant and without due consideration to anything but deliverables it was
deemed acceptable behaviour! Thus similar behaviours fillted down through the
organisation.
Misuse of power was not gender specific, more aligned to role/grade/people

12. management experience. The view was that Cultural awareness is a term used but not
bought into by the leadership team. Although as mentioned previously, everyone thinks
about understanding the culture of a country they visit but not of the people they work
with!
My challenge going forward is to embedd a 'business as usual' consideration for
diversity/cultural awareness or as you put it Kevin 'Intercultural competence'.
Any thoughts on an approach would be gratefully received.
2 days ago
Hamlin Grange • Jean, congratulations on your new role.
I have experienced a similar scenario in an IT firm where lower-level managers (and
even front line employees) were "modeling" the bad behaviours of senior managers.
They simply saw this as being part of the culture of the organization. Not surprising,
shortly after I commenced training sessions, a number of harassment complaints were
Follow Hamlin
filed against managers. These were long-simmering complaints - in one case the
employee had put up with it for nearly 10 years - that workers finally felt they could
bring the complaints forward. Of course, this is not uncommon.
I would suggest a good starting point is to give everyone a clear understanding and
definition of "culture." It is not merely linguistic or ethnicity...there are many "cultures"
inside and outside organizations. As you know, culture is really a system of values,
beliefs, attitudes, traditions, and standards of behavior that govern the organization of
people into social groups and regulate both individual and group behaviour.
Once managers understand that being culturally competent will make their units and/or
teams (and they) more productive, then embedding this thinking into business processes
will be much easier.
However, it appears, at least in your situation, a lot of people will have to do a lot of
leaning into their discomforts in order to move forward.
2 days ago
Kevin Carter • Hi Jean,
Great comments. Here is a quick guide (others can add their thoughts).
I think the core understanding that a manager should have is:
*. First, the manager should be open to the possibility that unconsciously and
consciously his, or her behavior will create a work climate for (or have an impact on)
their direct reports that may be different than their intention (or in alignment with the
values of the organization)
*. Second, the manager should be open to the possibility that some of their behavior
(and judgments) may be part of cultural norms (possibly) based on their life
experiences, nation of origin, race, gender, etc. (A manager understanding Hofstede's
five Cultural Dimensions is a great place to start)
*. Third, to address this possible bias, a manager should be clear about their intentions,
say the words: "I intend, I want, to help." "I desire for us to communicate better." "My
goal is for our team to be more collaborative." It is important that a Manager does not
assume a direct report understands a manager's intentions.
*. Fourth, using the examples above, the Manager should ask the direct report: "what
does help, better communication and collaboration" mean, look like and feel like to you?
By asking these questions, the Manager is learning what behavior (from the direct
report's perspective) will align with the Manager's intention (or goal)
*. Fifth, the Manager should be open to adapting their style, or work orientation to exhibit
that behavior. For example, "help" may look like providing resources to one direct report,
providing one-on-one guidance to a second direct report and simply asking questions for
a third direct reports. This ability is the adaptive/integrative cultural competence, fluency
or expertise that Peter and many others have mentioned during the discussion.
Hope this helps. I have some training that I have done that we can talk through if you
like.
Good fortunes!
Kevin
2 days ago
Peter Bye • To build upon Hamlin's and Kevin's remarks: I would start by addressing
two key aspects of the situation:

13. * Get clear why this is important to the CEO and senior leadership team. What are their
key business objectives, what changes are needed in the workplace to achieve them,
Peter
and how if at all does inclusion and intercultural expertise play a role in realizing those
Stop Following
changes. This is what we call Business-Aligned® D&I planning. See a brief overview
here:
http://www.mdbgroup.com/business_aligned_diversity_planning.htm
* Measure where the leadership team is in terms of their intercultural expertise. See my
comments above regarding this.
With this you can start designing development that makes clear to managers the
business relevance of intercultural expertise and then move into the types of
development Hamlin and Kevin mention.
2 days ago
Kevin Carter • Jean,
Building on Hamlin's comments and my first point above:
Because the Manager is the person in authority, direct report will assume his, or her
style, behavior, opinion is the norm to be successful within the organization (re-enforcing
that work climate) and the direct report may respond by shielding thoughts, opinions,
and work styles that they assume are different (lowering team creativity, innovation and
engagement) than the expected norm (or just decide to be less engaged, or leave the
organization).
I believe your example was evidence of this possible occurrence.
Thanks, Peter. I would agree with your comments and recommendation. Getting clear
regarding the alignment of intercultural competence to business goals would be even
before my first step above.
Kevin
2 days ago
Marc Brenman • Kevin's points, and many other points above, are well-taken. I
especially like Kevin's points about "shielding thoughts, opinions, and work styles that
they assume are different." Lack of transparency, trust, and fairness often leads to
complaints of discrimination. Such complaints, whether borne out by investigation, are
indicators of problems of perception in the organization. Good organizational culture
Marc
addresses these issues, or at least contains avenues and venues to address them,
Stop Following
without repercussions for those who raise the issues. As management and quality guru
Deming said, "First, drive out fear."
2 days ago
Kevin Carter • Hi Marc,
This statement: "lack of transparency, trust, and fairness often leads to complaints of
discrimination" I find to be so true.
In the field of D&I, most organizations fear transparency, particularly as it relates to
analyzing people data. This attitude is not a good foundation to establish a D&I program
aligned to business objectives, addressing misalignments in people processes or
fostering inclusion.
With "fear" and "lack of transparency," an organization tends to adopt a set of D&I best
practices that may be inappropriate, or even, detrimental.
2 days ago
Orietta E. Ramirez • Marc, you and the other members above, touch on a very
important issue/topic that needs a bit more clarity. Whose fear are we driving out, the
managers, the cultural organizational environment, or the individual employee?
From my perspective, we need to understand ourselves first in order to better represent
Orietta E.
and service our firm/clients/business. We must thus begin from a more objective, versus
Stop Following
subjective, perception (who we are and where we come from). Therefore, as managers
and senior executives, our approach ought to be less defensive, particularly at the initial
interactions with our team, for we may be projecting (knowingly or not) our own (biased)
beliefs, experiences and expectations to a process/project. I do not usually begin with, I
am a Hispanic woman (putting labels on ourselves) which can set a less productive and
receptive tone to the project/matter at hand. With that being said, however, the issues
and what lacks in a firm/manager's environment, can, and most often is, a result of a
lack of cultural knowledge and the unwillingness (call it egocentric) to learn from it. This
is when we need to step up and raise the subject as diversity representatives, not with

14. an "in your face" nor apologetic tone. I prefer applying hypothetical scenarios which
diffuse the personal aspect and provide a less intrusive yet stimulating tactic ... the
"what if you had" or "did you know that in ... they successfully produced/resulted in ...
due to the cultural approach/consideration".
In a "true cultural" work environment, the basic needs would be sensitivity and self-
consciousness: the understanding of other behaviors and ways of thinking as well as the
ability to express one’s own point of view in a transparent way with the aim to be
understood and respected by staying flexible where this is possible, and being clear
where this is necessary.*
It is a balance, situatively adapted, between the following parts:
1. knowledge (about other cultures, people, nations, behaviors…),
2. empathy (understanding feelings and needs of other people), and
3. self-confidence (knowing what I want, my strengths and weaknesses, emotional
stability), mixed in with
4.Cultural identity(knowledge about one’s own culture)
*Above section referenced from Wikipedia
2 days ago
Marc Brenman • Deming was talking about the fears of the individual employee. He
was especially concerned with quality control, and the ability of the individual production
worker to bring quality issues to the attention of others.
2 days ago
Marc
Stop Following
Orietta E. Ramirez • Agreed, Marc. But his mission statement, if I read it correctly was,
"to seek to conduct ourselves in a manner consistent with high moral and ethical
standards, professional and personal integrity, and a commitment to lifelong learning,
with the goal to advance commerce, prosperity and peace."
2 days ago
Orietta E.
Stop Following
Jean Richardson • Thank you all for your comments. The task is huge as this is not
my day job but a passion and 'Job 2' activity, however, have started by establishing an
Ethnically Diverse Employee Network which has been seen to be successful I was
nominated for and won an award!
Follow Jean
I agree with many of your comments, however, feel that the mission statement Orietta
references fits what I am trying to achieve. "to seek to conduct ourselves in a manner
consistent with high moral and ethical standards, professional and personal integrity,
and a commitment to lifelong learning, with the goal to advance commerce, prosperity
and peace."
Engagement in D&I must come from the highest level within an organisation but I have
found from current experience you cannot wait for this to happen. Starting at the working
level is just as effective.
Hamlin, Kevin, Marc, thank you for your suggested approaches. I am planning to
develop some educational material to support my quest and will build on your
comments. You have given me the inspiration to continue my D&I journey.
One last thought. Kevin your comment on "lack of transparency, trust, and fairness often
leads to complaints of discrimination" I find to be so true. In my experience this is the
case and includes complaints of Harassment & Bullying, however, when considered in
the context of HR Practices e.g. Performance Management complaints can become
blurred with being 'Managed'. There is a fine line between the two!
1 day ago
Orietta E. Ramirez • Congratulations on your amazing goals and achievements, Jean.
Continued success to you and all the members whose contributions can only enhance
and engender these important efforts. Best wishes to all in the New Year!
1 day ago
Orietta E.
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