Cross-Cultural competency

By Lerato Nxomani-Pakade

Lerato founded Regent Career Architects, an African millennial talent strategy firm that aims to be the premier destination for Africa’s most exceptional young talent.

Cross-cultural competency

The term ‘cross-cultural competency’ often brings to mind the clichéd scene of American business people preparing for a negotiation of some sort with a delegation from Japan – they learn key phrases, study business etiquette and end up having Sushi and Sake at a local Japanese restaurant when the deal is done.

While this timeworn image may seem harmless enough, it is important to update our understanding of this skill to reflect the nuance and dynamism of our times.

Appreciating cultural differences is no longer enough to win foreign business or drive geographical expansion. The workplace, globally and locally, is becoming increasingly diverse as leading employers aim to build truly inclusive work environments (often transforming from previously exclusionary practices).

Our teams, organisations and clientele are now more likely to be made up of people different from us, which means that we are communicating across differences all the time, and this is a good thing. True diversity improves problemsolving in an increasingly complex world and fosters deeper belonging. Cross-cultural competency refers to the ability to communicate and collaborate with people from backgrounds different from your own. Culture can be described as a way of thinking and behaving, according to commonly understood societal norms.

Cultural differences arise from a number of factors, including (but not limited to) nationality, gender, age,