Cultural Competency Training

“𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵” and in today’s global workplaces, fluency in culture can’t be optional. In HR, our ability to grasp how people show up across different cultures can make all the difference in fostering trust, belonging, and performance. Here are a few reflections I’ve been working through lately: 𝟭. 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. It’s one thing to know different holidays, languages, or stereotypes. It’s quite another to empathise with how values, communication styles, and power distance affect everyday interactions, and then to adapt in real time. 𝟮. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻. HR can recommend training and frameworks, but if leaders don’t model cross-cultural empathy, the signal is weak. Embedding cultural agility into leadership development is essential. 𝟯. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. True fluency comes when we step outside “textbook” learning: having open dialogues, being vulnerable when we misstep, seeking feedback, and inviting people to share their lived experiences. 𝟰. 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗛𝗥 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀. Hiring rubrics, onboarding journeys, performance reviews, even reward systems, need to be calibrated for cultural nuance and inclusion, not just “one size fits all.” 𝟱. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗯𝗼𝘅. Cultures shift. Organisations evolve. Our understanding needs to evolve too. If HR is in the business of enabling people to bring their full selves to work, then cultural fluency isn’t a nice-to-have... it is fundamental. #DrJaclynLee #HR #CulturalFluency #Leadership #Inclusion #PeopleFirst

🌍 The Real Reason Your Team Isn’t Connecting Might Surprise You 🛑 You’ve built a diverse team. Communication seems clear. Everyone speaks the same language. So why do projects stall? Why does feedback get misread? Why do brilliant employees feel misunderstood? Because what you’re facing isn’t a language barrier—it’s a cultural one. 🤔 Here’s what that looks like in real life: ✳ A team member from a collectivist culture avoids challenging a group decision, even when they disagree. ✳ A manager from a direct feedback culture gets labeled “harsh.” ✳ An employee doesn’t speak up in meetings—not because they don’t have ideas, but because interrupting feels disrespectful in their culture. These aren't missteps—they’re misalignments. And they can quietly erode trust, engagement, and performance. 💡 So how do we fix it? Here are 5 ways to reduce misalignments and build stronger, more inclusive teams: 🧭 1. Train for Cultural Competence—Not Just Diversity Don’t stop at DEI 101. Offer immersive training that helps employees navigate different communication styles, values, and worldviews. 🗣 2. Clarify Team Norms Make the invisible visible. Talk about what “respectful communication” means across cultures. Set expectations before conflicts arise. 🛎 3. Slow Down Decision-Making Fast-paced environments often leave diverse perspectives unheard. Build in time to reflect, revisit, and invite global input. 🌍 4. Encourage Curiosity Over Judgment When something feels off, ask: Could this be cultural? This small shift creates room for empathy and deeper connection. 📊 5. Audit Systems for Cultural Bias Review how you evaluate performance, give feedback, and promote leadership. Are your systems inclusive, or unintentionally favoring one style? 🎯 Cultural differences shouldn’t divide your team—they should drive your innovation. If you’re ready to create a workplace where every team member can thrive, I’d love to help. 📅 Book a complimentary call and let’s talk about what cultural competence could look like in your organization. The link is on my profile. Because when we understand each other, we work better together. 💬 #CulturalCompetence #GlobalTeams #InclusiveLeadership #CrossCulturalCommunication #DEIStrategy

Tell me what’s wrong with this picture: ➡️ An expat CEO initiates a handshake to welcome a new Emirati colleague. ➡️ The same CEO then asks to schedule a meeting with a Saudi client on a Friday at 12 PM. ➡️ Then, this CEO speaks in a direct and confrontational way to a Filipino team member. ➡️ And then, this CEO declines to meet an Indian team member’s family that was passing by the office quickly. If reading these scenarios triggered you; imagine what the person on the receiving end is experiencing. The interesting thing is, is that if you were to remove the cultural references - These scenarios would seem innocuous. CQ, or what is also known as Cultural Intelligence, is the ability to relate and work across cultures while understanding and embracing cultural differences. Today, a lack of cultural awareness is why many senior leaders are losing the respect of their teams and damaging their reputations. CQ encompasses four key components: 1️⃣ Cognitive CQ (Knowledge) - Understanding cultural norms, practices, values and beliefs. 2️⃣ Metacognitive CQ (Strategy) - Being aware of differences and adjusting your behaviour and thinking. 3️⃣ Motivational CQ (Drive) - Demonstrating an interest in learning about other cultures. 4️⃣ Behavioural CQ (Action) - Exhibiting respectful verbal and non-verbal actions when interacting with others. All four components are necessary if you want to be known as someone who respects and encourages diversity, and understands the subtle nuances that exist between cultures. By approaching cultural differences with curiosity and humility, and genuinely asking team members to share more about their cultures and preferences - You’ll create a more inclusive work culture that fosters respect, empathy and trust. #BestAdvice #Culture #Leadership

🌍 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: 𝐀 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫 In global teams, success depends on more than strategy or execution, it depends on understanding how people operate differently across cultures. 🙋🏼 𝐀 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞: When I moved from 🇨🇦 Canada to 🇫🇷 France, I brought a topic to a global HR meeting without running it by my boss. Oupsy 🙈. 🇨🇦 In Canada, that’s a sign of ownership. 🇫🇷 In France, it clashed with an expectation: hierarchical alignment first. 🎯 Same intention, very different signal. Erin Meyer’s work on cross-cultural management offers a clear framework, so grateful for her research and practical tools 🙏 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 4 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 👇 💬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞𝐬 Cultures differ in how explicitly ideas are expressed. What sounds direct in one context may be perceived as abrupt elsewhere. 🎯 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 In some environments, open debate is part of decision-making. In others, it's approached with more discretion and diplomacy. 👥 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 Some cultures build trust through performance. Others through time, shared context, and relationships. 🧭 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 Autonomy, authority, feedback are all shaped by cultural norms. Adapting your leadership style creates clarity and alignment. If you're working in a global environment, investing in cultural awareness is a key to influence, collaboration, and better results. 🧐 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞? 📎 Take the Culture Map self-assessment https://lnkd.in/eaBjNK9E 🎥 Watch: How Cultures Across the World Approach Leadership https://lnkd.in/eFFvGWh 🎥 Watch: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐩: 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 https://lnkd.in/eaVTKkmT 📎 Navigating the Cultural Minefield https://lnkd.in/eQU555eq 👉 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫? 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐝𝐨𝐭𝐞 — 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭.

It's assessment time! One of my favorite times!! Yes, I was that kind of teacher. But no pop quizzes. I want everyone to succeed. But to do that, you first HAVE TO know where you are. That's why today for my weekly focus on cultural intelligence, we'll cover ways to assess your orgs and employees' current level of cultural intelligence. Let's start looking at how to assess cultural intelligence on the macro level and then zoom into individual assessment. You're going to want to start with a solid CQ assessment one way or another. There are many out on the market, many tailored to your specific industry as well. However, if resources are thin and you need to build your own. Here are the things you should try to capture: ✅ Leadership commitment – Are leaders modeling and prioritizing cultural intelligence? ✅ Policies & systems – Do HR practices, promotions, and policies support inclusivity and cross-cultural adaptability? ✅ Employee engagement – Do diverse employees feel heard, valued, and supported? ✅ Communication norms – Are messages adapted effectively across cultures and languages? ✅ Learning & development – Are there structured programs to build CQ across the workforce? ✅ Customer alignment – Does the organization adapt well to serve diverse or global customer bases? As mentioned your engagement data is a great source for this information. You can tack on CQ specific questions or ask follow-ups. Gold star if you do focus groups to dive down deeper. The aggregate data from individual assessments such as 360s can also be a valuable pool of data. It's likely that you'll need to pull data from different areas anyway to get a complete picture. Now let's talk about what you can do to measure CQ at the individual level. Here are some highlights: 📊 Observe in Real Interactions – Watch how employees adapt in meetings, projects, and client calls. 📊 Scenario-Based Exercises – Case studies and role plays to reveal on-the-spot adaptability. 📊 Self-Reflection Prompts – Journals or guided debriefs after cross-cultural challenges. 📊 Language & Curiosity Signals – Look at everyday behaviors that show motivation to engage across cultures. By far, my preferred way is scenario-based exercises. When I was at NLRB, we produced a first-person simulation in which employees had to choose the least offensive ways to communicate. It was to build people's awareness of how the words they choose matter. On the backend though, we were able to see how individuals performed. This gave us a good benchmark and targets to focus on for any follow-on learning. It's not hard to do, but it does take intention in the design. Don't wait till the end to decided how and what you are going to measure. So, that's a start. But let's hear it from you. How are your orgs measuring or putting an emphasis on CQ? #culturalintellgence #cqassessment #DiversityAndInclusion #FutureOfWork #EmployeeEngagement #WorkplaceCulture #GlobalLeadership #OrganizationalCulture

A small Zoom moment that taught me something big about cultural competency in grantmaking. Do you know that thumbs-up reaction in Zoom meetings? In Ghanaian culture, the way Zoom animates it with the thumb moving up and down repeatedly is actually a serious insult. Every time I accidentally click it in meetings, I cringe internally. This tiny tech example illustrates a bigger challenge for funders: What feels ‘normal’ or ‘positive’ in your culture might not translate. When foundations make grants across cultural lines, cultural competency isn’t optional. It means: ✅ Having culturally diverse staff who can spot blind spots ✅ Recognizing that your ‘standard’ processes might create barriers ✅ Understanding that community problems have a cultural context ✅ Accepting that effective solutions often come from within communities, not imposed from outside The stakes matter. If you’re putting your resources, capital, and reputation behind solving problems, understanding the people experiencing those problems isn’t just nice to have: it’s essential for impact.

Think your workplace is inclusive? Subtle habits may be saying otherwise.... Discover how to move from ‘minimizing differences’ to fully embracing them. 📌Minimizing Problem #1: Silences differences Tip: Encourage open dialogue by creating structured opportunities for people to share their unique perspectives. Establishing listening sessions or rotating discussion leaders can ensure everyone has a voice. Promote psychological safety so that individuals feel comfortable speaking up. 📌Minimizing Problem #2: Assumes similarities Tip: Avoid blanket assumptions by actively speaking to understand individual backgrounds and perspectives. Use tools like cultural intelligence assessments to highlight differences within the team. Encourage team members to share personal insights, fostering a culture of curiosity rather than assumption. 📌Minimizing Problem #3: Encourages assimilation in overt or covert ways Tip: Shift the focus from “fitting in” to “belonging” by celebrating diverse contributions and encouraging unique approaches to problem-solving. Help develop and promote policies that allow flexibility, such as alternative communication styles and methods, dress codes, or cultural observances, to demonstrate that differences are respected, reflected, valued, and expected. 🫂Many of us, even those who consider ourselves progressive, may find ourselves in the “minimization” stage. This stage values fairness but often falls short on true inclusivity by overlooking cultural differences and encouraging assimilation. To genuinely embrace diversity, we must move beyond minimization. It's about more than just accepting differences—it's about adapting and evolving our practices to respect and leverage these differences. Intercultural competence is a journey, not a destination, and it’s essential to stay connected with others along the way. Let's commit to continuous learning and improving our ability to interact effectively across cultures. Comment ‘LEVEL UP’ if this resonates with you!