Using Emotional Intelligence as a Bridge Across Cultures

Culture can be viewed as a body of shared knowledge and the knowledge of what is appropriate behavior. Culture shapes our lives, values, language, customs and even the way we define success. So, it’s no wonder culture has such a powerful effect on performance management.

Sometimes, although not as frequently as when we started working with EQ some 15 years ago, clients are worried that EQ might not fit their culture. They might say that ” This sounds important but this is a very technical company or our organization is very result oriented or people here are more concerned with career moves than with feelings”. It might work in the US or in Sweden or in Germany but will this really work for our audience?

The assumption here is that people in a particular group are very different and that people in different cultures have different emotions. And certainly, the interpretations of emotion, and the perception of what’s appropriate varies. One needs to respect and be humble to the fact that norms and languages vary widely – even within the same country or within the same company –  but human emotions are much the same. Human neurobiology is the same and physiological reactions to neural transmittors are the same.

I have assessed and trained people from some 30 different countries and it never cease to astonish me how, at an emotional level, people are fundamentally the same.  Knowing oneself,  having good relationships with people around us, managing stress and making good decisions is important to all of us whether we live on Manhattan, in Singapore, in Jakarta or in Helsinki.

To assess and train your EQ becomes a way to cut across cultural differences and understand one another at a human level. If you know how to connect with people on a ”human level” you will be successful. This holds up  whether  you are a salesman, a manager, a teacher, a husband or a wife.

In coming blogs some of our clients from different countries will share this experience of working with EQ in different contexts. And please don´t be shy -share your own experience on our Facebook page or on info@kandidataasia.com. We love to hear from you.