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Cultural Intelligence. What you assume is normal is not universal.

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Skills for LifeGL-00100

Cultural Intelligence

What you assume is normal is not universal

Recognising that other places have different norms, and adjusting.

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Greeting styles, personal space, eye contact, and notions of time vary across cultures. None is correct. Assuming your own norms are universal is the fastest way to miscommunicate when you cross a border. Cultural intelligence is the ability to recognise these differences and adjust without judging.

  • In some cultures, direct eye contact signals confidence. In others, it signals disrespect. Both systems are internally consistent.
  • When you meet someone from a different background, observe before judging. The behaviour that looks strange may be the norm where they come from.
SourceEarley and Ang, Cultural Intelligence (2003)
Hofstede's cultural dimensions research

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