Instruction:
Read the article taken from ©2006 New Directions Consulting, Inc. written by By Deborah Mackin, and then DO summarize the messages in Bahasa Indonesia (translate the summary into Bahasa Indonesia), and after that your summary should be sent to: misdiivan@yahoomail.com
How to increase our cultural intelligence and improve our ability to relate to others?
Step One: Become aware of your own cultural style.
There is a tendency to look only at the “good things” in our own cultures. When I ask people in training to write down what they hear people say about different cultures (Canada, America, and France, for example), they will list good things about their own culture, and bad things about the other cultures. So it’s important to identify various aspects based on the five dimensions discussed earlier. Many people are a combination of various cultures ranging from their mother tongue to the new cultures they have adopted as they’ve moved around the globe. There may be aspects of multiple cultures in how they think and respond. For example, a Chinese Canadian may have an interesting blend of cultural characteristics.
Step Two: Know the facts about the cultures you most commonly relate to.
There is a difference between studying another culture and the generalizations that have been identified through research and listening to negative stereotypes that others suggest about a culture. Knowing the facts means doing your homework on the cultural characteristics. It helps to learn a bit of the language and study how closely to stand and other nonverbal behaviors. For example, the French like to stand very close to each other and touch, whereas North Americans keep a greater distance. It’s also helpful to know how the culture responds on the five dimensions and to know how your own cultural style compares with others. For example, North Americans enjoy brainstorming ideas when confronted with problems. The French, on the other hand, have very little experience brainstorming because that is not the way they were taught in school. So, when planning a meeting of the two groups, it would put the French at a disadvantage if brainstorming was an activity for the whole group. Instead, it would be better to hold general discussions — which is common to both — and build on the ideas coming forth.
Step Three: Identify ways to modify your behaviors appropriate to the other culture.
If you are typically task-oriented, begin an email with a bit of chitchat to build the relationship first. If you like a timed agenda, add in more flexibility around time in order to accommodate the different culture. Use a bit of the other culture’s language in correspondence and be sensitive to the time it takes for another culture to translate what you are saying before they can even participate in the activity you are asking them to perform. It’s also important to speak slowly and avoid using slang in your sentences.
Step Four: Respond to the other culture using your modified behavior.
Similar to emotional intelligence, cultural intelligence suggests that after you have a good understanding of your own self, you develop social awareness of the other culture and then begin to manage it more effectively. Usually this requires some proactive thinking about the situations you will encounter before you get there. For example, if your cross-cultural team is going to try to reach a decision about something, it will be important to make sure that all cultural approaches are represented. For example, the French often begin from a “Non” or “C’est impossible” position and then slowly move toward “yes” and “I guess that will be possible.” Americans often do the opposite; they start by thinking that anything is possible, make a quick decision, and then adjust it numerous times after the fact. Finding an accommodation that works for both will be much better than trying to push or pull either group. It’s okay to highlight these differences, as it helps to improve understanding and communication. The process of increasing your cultural awareness is just that, a process. As a result, it will often feel like two steps forward and one step back. However, with the right attitude, it can be fascinating to work to understand the different cultures you encounter and
practice new ways to get along. This may be as simple as practicing how and what to write in an email or the more complex requirements of a difficult negotiation. This work will require personal characteristics of empathy, tolerance for ambiguity, flexibility, openmindedness, and an outgoing personality. Those who take the plunge and make the effort to talk with and explore other cultures will always be more successful — even with a few mistakes — than those who hold back to avoid feeling uncomfortable.
