IAPCO
Understanding
‘cultural
intelligence’
When it comes to recruiting, the value of
emotional intelligence, or ‘EQ’, is well understood
in our industry. But the cultural equivalent, ‘CQ’,
is becoming just as important, writes Jan Tonkin,
president of the International Association of
Professional Congress Organisers.
Cultural intelligence (CQ) is the capability
to relate and work effectively in culturally
diverse situations. Characteristics of high
CQ include the curiosity to learn about other
cultures, keen observation of behaviours and
interactions, and mindfulness of one’s own
behaviour and its effect on others.
Cultural intelligence starts at home, with
awareness of our own culture’s nuances.
Thinking about how others see us is a great
basis for helping others navigate our culture
when they visit, and reminding us how
carefully we need to plan when it’s our turn
to work offshore.
need to take extra care to observe the correct
levels of formality, to make special effort to
supply a ‘no-surprises’ agenda, or to solve
problems with a greater level of tact. It
might be necessary to plan more face-to-face
meetings, because in-person attendance
carries far more social and cultural weight
than written or remote communication.
In some countries, segmenting marketing
campaigns for different audiences might
be vital due to the way decision-making
hierarchies are structured.
Even neighbours who seem similar on
the surface have their own subtle cultural
differences. Every Antipodean knows that
while Australia and New Zealand are close
cousins, they have different personalities –
and that comes out in the way they approach
business. The same is true for neighbouring
countries in other regions. Accommodating different daily rhythms and
customs also shows respect and forms a
great foundation for a co-operative approach
with local industry partners. There may
be different expectations regarding typical
schedules – later morning session starts and
dinner times, for example – or a more fluid
approach to timetabling. Planning around the
observance of religious rituals such as prayer
and fasting can make all the difference to
your participants’ experience.
Listening and building relationships at the
outset can save many a faux pas. We might Taking the time to understand why our
overseas colleagues behave a certain way
24 Convention & Incentive Marketing, Issue 6, 2017 www.cimmagazine.com
or expect certain things gives us a far better
basis for communication. We might want
every detail ticked off a month prior, and
worry that the offshore venue manager
doesn’t have the same sense of urgency. It
feels as though they don’t care, when it’s just
a different way of working: they’ll make us
their top priority when it’s our turn, closer to
our conference date.
We might think specifying ‘morning tea’ on
a run sheet is straightforward. But while in
Asia Pacific one might expect a variety of
teas, coffee and food items, in other regions
this might be interpreted as simply a cup
of tea – no more, no less. As always, clear
communication and careful planning at the
start are crucial.
Helping our clients embrace cultural
differences is all part of our fascinating role
as PCOs. That means cultural intelligence is
just as important a quality among meeting
professionals as EQ. How employers define
CQ – and how candidates demonstrate
it – will continue to change the face of
recruitment.