Understanding Cultural Agility in Global Work Environments

"The most important competency for success in global assignments? Humility—being willing to learn how to succeed in a new cultural context."

* Paula Caligiuri

Paula is THE expert in this realm!

In this episode, I welcome Paula Caligiuri, a renowned expert in cross-cultural psychology and global leadership and author of many books about cross-cultural adaptation and career happiness, the latest ones being:

Build Your Cultural Agility: The Nine Competencies of Successful Global Professionals (2021)

Live for a Living: How to Create your Career Journey to Work Happier, Not Harder (2023, co-authored with Andrew Palmer)

I have known Paula for almost 30 years.  Her research played an essential role in my dissertation which was on cross-cultural adaptation in expatriate work assignments.  While I do not work in this area, Paula sure does!  She has dedicated her career to research and practice on the psychology of cross-cultural adaptation in both the personal and professional realms.

I really enjoyed the opportunity to speak with Paula about the intricacies of cultural agility, the challenges faced by individuals working internationally, and how organizations can better prepare their employees for success in diverse environments.

Cultural Agility is the name of the game.

Our conversation is anchored by the concept of “Cultural Agility”, a combination of awareness, competencies, and experiences that allow individuals to be effective in multicultural environments. 

Paula describes it as being made up of:

* Awareness: Understanding one's own values and how they compare to different cultural contexts.

* Competencies: The skills needed to enter a novel environment, learn it, and be effective. These include both relationship-oriented competencies (like perspective-taking, relationship-building, and humility) and personal self-oriented competencies.

* Experiences: Exposure to different cultural contexts, though Paula emphasizes that experiences alone are not enough.

Paula notes that cultural agility involves the ability to adapt and thrive in unfamiliar cultural settings. She emphasizes that it's not just about giving people experiences abroad, but also equipping them with the knowledge and skills to navigate cultural differences effectively.

Biology is a critical factor in adaptation

Probably the most interesting thing I learned from our conversation was the role hormones play in cultural agility because they can help individuals handle greater levels of novelty comfortably and effectively, and that those with higher cultural agility are often better able to adjust to more challenging cultural contexts.  

Did you know that- elevated cortisol levels in response to cultural unfamiliarity can impair cognitive functions, making it challenging to interpret social cues and adapt behaviors appropriately.

Or that 

The novelty of a new culture triggers the brain's reward system, releasing dopamine, which can enhance our motivation to engage and learn in the new environment.

I didn’t!

Adaptation begins with undertaking activities that put our chemicals in balance!

Assessment plays a central role in adaptation

I am not going to pass up the opportunity to talk about assessments.  Paula has taken what she has learned and created the myGiide assessment, which measures cultural value and cultural agility competencies providing users with insights into their cultural