A continuation of the LinkedIn Diversity & Inclusion Group discussion regarding intercultural competence and D&I implementation

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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 Kevin Carter and 2 more
leaders that they have an awareness of the culture that they represent, foster and have a commented on:
bias towards; a recognition of how that culture is different than the one they are in and their Intercultural Competence
ability to adapt and integrate the cultures of others ....
54 seconds ago 37 comments
6 days ago
The Cobra Was O.K.; The Duck Tongue Not So Much New York Times Hamlin Grange likes: Intercultural
Competence
Cultural delights and minefields characterize business travel for Gary Pomerantz, executive
vice president of the international engineering firm WSP Flack & Kurtz. 1 hour ago Like (1)
Peter Bye and 4 more commented
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Intercultural Competence
10 hours ago 37 comments
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Neal Goodman • Kevin. There is much complexity here. First, I must admit (as a social Exchange by AT&T
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 Recommend Share
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
Follow Neal
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 See more AT&T products »
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 Latest Post
23 hours ago
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Neal Goodman • Kevin and others. Sorry the correct link to the articles is Ana Isabel B. B. Paraguay See all »
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-
Top Influencers This Week
media#diversity_exec
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Good luck. Neal Kevin Carter
23 hours ago
David Lipscomb
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 Damian Hanft
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
Follow Marc
for one generation only. Our brains are the result of millions of years of evolution and Joel Martin
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
Ana Isabel B. B. Paraguay
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

2. manifestations.
23 hours 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.
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
23 hours 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
Follow Marc
hidden biases, power differentials etc." As I have tried to point out elsewhere, D+I are
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.
23 hours 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.
23 hours ago
Follow Neal
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.")
Follow Hamlin
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.
23 hours ago

3. Neal Goodman • Hamlin, I am on the same page with you. We should be able to bring
D&I and Intercultural Competence together. Neal
22 hours ago
Follow Neal
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
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.
22 hours 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."
Follow Hamlin
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.
22 hours 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!
21 hours 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.
18 hours ago
Follow Hamlin
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
Stop Following
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.

4. # 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
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.
10 hours 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?
1 hour 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
Follow Neal
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

5. and improvements based on self-reported applications of our training/coaching etc. but
no two solutions are ever the same. Neal
1 hour 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
Follow Marc
statement can lead to a realization that intercultural learning and knowledge are useful.
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
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.
11 minutes 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?
54 seconds ago • Delete • Edit Comment 13 minutes left
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