Cultural Competence
As workforces become more global and diverse, it is helpful for mindful leaders to develop an understanding of different cultures in order to navigate cultural differences. Trompenaar and Hampden-Turner interviewed managers from around the world. They identified seven dilemmas, which demonstrate the most common tensions between cultures.
A universal culture, common in the UK and US, is driven by consistency, clarity, impartiality, and fairness. A particular culture is pragmatic, flexible, and comfortable with ambiguity, and can be found in Korea and Russia.
When the belief is that a good society is built by taking care of each other, that is known as communitarian and is found in Japan and France. Freedom and opportunity to advance oneself defines a good society in an individual culture- like in the US and Canada.
A neutral society disapproves of public displays of emotion and is found in India and China. Countries like Spain and Russia are affective cultures where individuals express themselves freely.
Individuals in diffuse cultures allow for access into one’s personal life only when certain obligations have been fulfilled, as opposed to specific cultures which distinguish firmly between public and private lives. This can be seen by comparing cultures in China versus Sweden.
An ascribed culture values social factors such as position and wealth- also thought of as “who they are” such as in Egypt and Poland, Achieved cultures value accomplishment- “what someone does”- and is found in cultures in Australia and the US.
Sequential cultures prioritize planning and use of time, such as in the US and Japan. Synchronic cultures see time as large enough for multiple activities at the same time- such as in France and Spain.
Externally focused cultures view humans having the ability to adapt rather than create. Internally focused cultures are where individuals create and follow their own paths. This would be comparing Venezuela and Singapore to Norway and Israel.
When an organization or leader tries to use practices based on their own values instead of being open to other points of view, there is a chance of conflict. The role of a mindful leader is to be cognisant of the diversity that exists within your ranks and be willing to learn from each other. The way to cultural harmony is for leaders to think about the world as a whole. They understand that everyone has a culture that affects how they think and what they value. These leaders want to learn more about their own cultures and the cultures of the people with whom they work. Both the differences and the similarities are noticed and valued.