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SUMMARY:

We’ve all heard that increased workplace diversity will lead to increased innovation. In this enlightening conversation, multicultural church pastor Dr. David Anderson talks with David Livermore, Ph.D., president at the Cultural Intelligence Center, about how diversity alone is not enough. Diverse teams also need to incorporate the skill of cultural intelligence. This candid conversation models the challenges inherent in a multicultural dialogue—encouraging teams to ask uncomfortable questions, listen well and wrestle with the implications of difference.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Cultural intelligence (CQ) is the ability to relate and work effectively with people who come from other backgrounds.

• When CQ levels are high, diverse teams outperformed homogenous teams 3:1 across the board—in productivity, employee engagement, cost savings and innovation.

• A culturally intelligent team needs a culturally intelligent leader.

• Cultural differences become intensified in moments of stress.

• Leaders need to create a safe environment where authentic conversations can happen.

• Culturally diverse teams must practice reciprocal grace and not immediately rush to judgment.

• What builds trust for one culture might not build trust for another.

• When building diverse teams, instead of following the Golden Rule (i.e. Treat others as you want to be treated), leaders should practice the Platinum Rule (i.e. Treat others as they want to be treated).

• People from the dominant culture have more responsibility to move toward diversity than those from non-dominant cultures.

• Code-switching is when a person changes the way they speak or act in order to gain respect from those from a different culture.

• In order to engage in meaningful and authentic relationships, leaders must find the zone of “productive dis-equilibrium.”

• If people are never made to feel uncomfortable, it is unlikely their organizations will ever tap the benefits of diversity that can lead to innovation.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

1. According to Livermore, organizations face several obstacles when trying to work well across a diverse team. Which of these barriers to you see most often in your team environment?

1. • The team is not diverse
   • The team leader is not culturally intelligent
   • The team does not engage in candid conversations about differences
   • Team members from the non-dominant culture live in “code-switching” mode
   • The team doesn’t want to make anyone feel uncomfortable so they avoid candid conversations

2. In the podcast, Livermore and Anderson engaged in an authentic conversation around their cultural differences. How did you feel when that conversation began? How does your reaction illuminate the challenges of conversations about difference?

3. Livermore says that leaders must create a safe environment to facilitate candid cultural dialogue. What specific things did Livermore and Anderson do in this podcast to create a safe environment that allowed for an authentic dialogue?

4. Based on what you heard, what is one cultural intelligence practice you can try this week?

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Monocultural Environment

Cultural Values Profile

Black Lives Matter

The Golden Rule

The Platinum Rule

Code Switching

RELATED LINKS:

David Livermore, Ph.D.

Driven by Difference: How Great Companies Fuel Innovation Through Diversity

Cultural Intelligence Center

Dr. David Anderson

Real Talk with Dr. David Anderson

Gracism: The Art of Inclusion

Bridgeway Community Church

The Global Leadership Summit