As international recruitment ramps up post-COVID, forward-thinking HR professionals are focusing on how to build effective cross-cultural teams. Harnessing the skills and knowledge of expats and migrants relocating to New Zealand depends on it. In our latest Mobile Expert Interview, intercultural expert, Shireen Chua, shares the factors that shape an employer’s ability to develop and grow cultural intelligence in their organisation.
What is intercultural intelligence?
Intercultural intelligence is the ability to create a new space that facilitates win-win situations in culturally diverse settings. This requires us to develop our cultural agility to anticipate, correctly interpret and adjust in culturally diverse settings.
Why is it important for New Zealand businesses and what tangible value does intercultural intelligence provide?
With my own experience working in government, education, business and not-for-profit settings, I have seen how Auckland and New Zealand have changed. The cultural diversity in the communities and organizations made me curious to explore how everyone could work together in spite of all the differences.
Cultural diversity describes all the ways difference exists within a group of people. What’s more - everyone is multi-dimensional. This goes beyond nationality, ethnicity, age, and gender to the hidden values, beliefs and worldviews. Every interaction is an intercultural encounter.
I navigated some complex cultural challenges in the projects I managed and wanted to move into this space after completing my MBA. I founded Third Culture Solutions to equip leaders, teams and organizations to learn to work in the “purple space”- where people of the “blue culture” work with people of the “red culture” they need to learn to work in the “purple space”.
Globalisation has increased the complexity of culture. It’s important for New Zealand businesses to equip their leaders and staff with intercultural intelligence so that they can understand each other better, work together better, and also bring their diverse experiences and thinking into the business.
This is an ongoing process that will reap benefits of increased creativity, innovation and employee engagement and wellbeing.
Is intercultural intelligence more important for expats and immigrants coming into NZ, or for the teams who are receiving them here?
It is important for everyone that needs to work together.
Expats who move here often are prepared for differences in culture, whilst the teams who receive expats are often less equipped.
For teams to become high-performing, everyone needs to develop intercultural intelligence to understand each other more, and work well together.
How is intercultural intelligence training typically delivered?
I deliver talks, mini-learning sessions, leadership training, and coach expats, leaders and emerging leaders to develop cultural agility.
Training ranges. . . workshops only offer the knowledge, but for awareness and behaviour change to occur, an ongoing learning journey over time with reflection and coaching is key for the training or learning to be transformational. High-performance learning journeys increase learning, application and transformation over time.
What's your story, and how did you end up working in this area?
I’m a Malaysian Born Chinese Kiwi who has spent her childhood in Malaysia before migrating to Aotearoa New Zealand as a 12-year-old. I was educated in New Zealand, with degrees in Masters of Science (Nutrition), MBA and I’m now completing a PhD in Strategic Management, where I’m looking at how leaders approach managing a culturally diverse workforce.
My hope is that everyone who works in New Zealand organizations experiences the opportunity to work in a high-performing intercultural team and organisation, where they navigate both the highs and lows to experience belonging.
Mobile Relocation delivers resettlement and relocation programmes for businesses employing offshore talent. Our goal is to get your expat and migrant talent up and running in NZ as quickly as possible - reducing their time to effectiveness in their new role, and enabling them to deliver their skills and expertise to your the benefit of your business.
Bridget is a New Zealander who has lived and worked as a diplomat in Singapore and India. After experiencing all facets of the relocation experience, she founded Mobile to work with private individuals moving to NZ and leading local and international businesses bringing in offshore talent. bridget@mobile-relocation.com
Ready to move to New Zealand? Get our FREE Move to NZ Checklist here.