Why Your Expats Say That the Cross-Cultural Training Didn’t Help
If you’ve received feedback from your expats that,“The cross-cultural training didn’t really help,” you’re not alone. Companies often invest in cross-cultural training programs, but when employees are on the ground (or figuratively, if virtual), those efforts fall short. Why? Because traditional training focuses too much on surface-level “dos and don’ts”—without equipping people to navigate real-world cultural complexities.
Cultural Adaptability is More Than Fast-Food Menu Changes
Everyone who needs to (quickly) describe cultural adaptability will point to the time when they visited a McDonald's in another country and describe something local on the menu that they wouldn’t find in their home country. Yawn. Cultural adaptability is far more than recognizing the differences in rather obvious regional tastes and preferences.
The Difference Between Cultural Intelligence and Cultural Agility
In today's global world, it's more important than ever to understand and work well with people from different cultures. Two key skills that help with this are cultural intelligence (CQ) and cultural agility. Although they are related, they are not the same. Knowing the difference between them can help you succeed in a multicultural environment.