fi rm or company’s work ethos. “For example, is there shar- ing of information across departments, regions, offi ces? How are people rewarded? Are fi nancial compensation structures, titles, criteria for promotion, the same glob- ally?” She points out that, “While not ‘culture’ per se, the mechanisms of the fi rm may cloud the eff ectiveness of cultural competency training.”
“ CULTURAL COMPETENCY USED TO BE THOUGHT OF AS ESSENTIAL TO WIN, BUT TODAY IT NEEDS TO BE SEEN AS
AN ESSENTIAL JUST TO PLAY. PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING TO ADVANCE THEIR CAREERS, PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING TO BE RELEVANT, AND PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING TO BE ON A LEADERSHIP TRACK HAVE TO HAVE SOME LEVEL OF CULTURAL COMPETENCY.” – TANYA ODOM
Fortunately, Molinsky has observed that cultural
competency is a capability that can grow and improve over time. “I have worked with hundreds of foreign-born profes-
sionals over the past 10 years, teaching them to successfully adapt their behavior in foreign cultural situations,” he says. “Seeing and observing fi rst-hand the results of this training has been tremendously rewarding for me. Foreign- born professionals who [initially] struggled to promote themselves in informal networking situations and inter- views now shine in such key professional situations. Others who struggled to make small talk now do it smoothly and successfully … . My mission has been to provide people with the tools and the cour- age to successfully translate cross-cultural knowledge into eff ective cross-cultural behavior.” Ultimately, cultural
intelligence is a journey that starts with keeping an open mind. Odom believes that humility and lifelong learning are at the core of improving cultural compe-
tency. “Cross-cultural competency is about patience and willingness to learn. At a basic level, it is about realizing that my way is not the only way.” D&B
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