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Cultural Curriculum Chat with Jebeh Edmunds
Welcome to the Cultural Curriculum Chat Podcast—an inclusive space for educators, DEI practitioners, and all individuals eager to foster diversity and understanding! If you're seeking a vibrant, authentic podcast to guide you in implementing Multicultural Education, look no further. Are you yearning for inspiration to cultivate a truly inclusive classroom community? Join us on a journey filled with insightful resources, practical tips, and a touch of humor, all led by the knowledgeable educator, Jebeh Edmunds.
Our podcast is designed to uplift and empower you, offering a blend of expertise and laughter to spark creativity and engagement in your educational endeavors. Tune in to discover a wealth of valuable insights and strategies that will ignite your passion for inclusive teaching practices and multicultural learning.
Embark on this enriching experience with us, and together we'll champion diversity, inspire change, and create welcoming spaces for all. Subscribe now to stay connected, join the conversation, and access more empowering content. Let's make a difference, one episode at a time! Thank you for being a part of our mission.
Cultural Curriculum Chat with Jebeh Edmunds
Season 6 Episode # 23 Cultural Intelligence
Have you ever found yourself struggling to connect with someone from a different culture? You're not alone, and that's where cultural intelligence (CQ) steps in as an essential skill in today’s interconnected world. In this enlightening episode, we unpack the concept of CQ, from its four key components—Drive, Knowledge, Strategy, and Action—to the practical ways you can enhance it in your daily life.
Through engaging stories and relatable examples, we demonstrate how high CQ leads not only to better relationships but can also enhance your professional trajectory. With anecdotes featuring figures like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Jacinda Ardern, we illustrate how cultural intelligence manifests in real-world scenarios and why it’s vital for everyone, not just leaders.
Are you ready to embark on a journey of continuous learning and improvement in cultural intelligence? Tune in to discover actionable strategies that encourage stepping out of your comfort zones, partaking in cross-cultural dialogues, and cultivating a genuine curiosity for the diverse tapestry of humanity.
Get ready to upgrade your interpersonal skills and navigate the world with newfound confidence! Remember, enhancing your CQ isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have in our global society. Join us in this episode, and let’s expand our cultural horizons together!
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Hello everyone, welcome back to the Culture Curriculum chat. Today we're diving into something that might just change your life. No exaggeration, we're talking about cultural intelligence, or CQ. Now, before you change the podcast episode to something else, thinking ugh, another boring business skill let me tell you just hear me out for a second. Okay, just hear a sister out.
Speaker 1:This isn't just some corporate buzzword, it is a superpower that can transform the way you interact with the world. But first let me hit you with a scenario. Picture this Sicily 1929. I'm just kidding, I was just putting in my Sophia Petrillo. But picture this you're at an international conference, surrounded by people from all over the globe. You're feeling pretty good about yourself, armed with your high IQ and stellar EQ, but then you accidentally offend a potential client with a gesture that's totally normal back home but super rude in their culture. Ouch, right, that's where CQ comes in, my friend.
Speaker 1:So what exactly is CQ? In a nutshell? It's your ability to function effectively in culturally diverse situations. It's like having a Swiss army knife for navigating different cultures. But here's the kicker it's not just about knowing facts about other cultures, it's about being adaptable, open-minded and genuinely curious about people who are different from you.
Speaker 1:Cq has four main components. The first component is CQ Drive your motivation to learn about and adapt to new cultures. The second component is called CQ Knowledge, and that means understanding cultural differences and similarities. The third is CQ strategy your ability to plan for multicultural interactions. And the fourth component is called CQ action actually changing your behavior in different cultural contexts. Let's see CQ in action. Shall we Remember Dwayne the Rock Johnson? Yeah, well, he's actually a heel right now in WWE world. Yeah, my son is a huge WWE fan, so he and the Rock got beat, but that's a different episode for a different day. But let's picture Dwayne the Rock Johnson. He is the master of CQ. Whether he's in Hollywood, polynesia or anywhere in between, he seamlessly adapts his communication style and behavior to connect with people from all walks of life. Now, that is CQ, my dear. Or take Jacinda Ardern, the former prime minister of New Zealand. After the Christchurch mosque shootings, she demonstrated incredible CQ by wearing a hijab while meeting with Muslim community members and leaders. It was a powerful gesture of respect and solidarity that resonated worldwide. But CQ isn't just for world leaders and celebrities. It's a game changer in our everyday lives too.
Speaker 1:Here's another CQ adaptability example for you my husband. God bless him. He has been immersed in the Liberian culture and experience by being married to me. We've been married almost 20 years 20 years is August 27th and here's some examples of what he did to get to that heightened cultural intelligence.
Speaker 1:He wanted to learn more about the Liberian culture and experience with C1. He was motivated to understand greetings, how to know each other. He did his research by going and listening to conversations within my relatives and myself. He got to see how our body language changed, how we greeted each other. That was one thing. The second thing was understanding the differences and similarities. He saw that with my family the differences were one, our skin tone and two, our inflections of our words and our linguistics and our language. You know Liberian English per se, but then he also saw the similarities of how we raised our families, how we would go to church and celebrate holidays. He saw that similarities with American culture. He also saw the similarities with English being our main language in Liberia as well as the United States. He saw that our similarities in our rule of law is very similar. So that was another thing that he thought. That was understanding that knowledge of what was the same and what was different, the ability to plan for multicultural interactions. That was a really big strategy for him.
Speaker 1:You know he learned to not be so rigid when it came to schedule and events. When it came to my side of the family, when we were going to family reunions and weddings, he knew that sometimes the start time is very fluid. When things happen, he knows that the main people that is celebrated will be there when it is their time. So if we have a time that says it's okay, it's a three o'clock event, we might just hang out in the hotel a little longer and maybe mosey there about 4, 430, but it won't start, you know, getting really excited till maybe six or seven because the main person of that event that we are celebrating will get there on their own time. But not just saying we're waiting idly by folks. We are still enjoying ourselves, still in fellowship with our fellow family members. And when the party starts to really rock is when the person that we are celebrating shows up. And that's something that he learned over time to just let it go and not to be so rigid when it came to plans and events.
Speaker 1:And then action, actually changing your behavior in different cultural contexts. He knew how to address people formally. He learned how to eat food that was given to him and not complain and not say, oh, I don't know about this situation. He really got out of his comfort zone when it came to understanding that you are in the presence of people of a different way of life and a different perspective. So you need to be coming into those situations as a learner and not a person that's going to say my way is better than your way. That's not how we have diplomacy. Your way, that's not how we have diplomacy. That's not how we understand each other. That's not how we value people as well. So just another example. That is not a celebrity or a leader of a nation, but anybody can do this. He just happens to be my favorite human being. He just happens to be my favorite human being.
Speaker 1:Shout out to you, honey, high CQ can lead to better relationships, more innovative thinking and, yeah, even a bigger paycheck for you, my friend. Studies show that people with high CQ are more likely to get promoted and succeed in global roles. So if you're aiming for that corner office or dreaming of a jet-setting career, cq is your ticket to the top. Now I know what you're thinking. This sounds great Jeb, but how do I actually develop my CQ? Don't worry, I've got you covered.
Speaker 1:Here's some practical tips. First and foremost, get out of your comfort zone. You know, I've been saying this for years Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Travel if you can, but even exploring different neighborhoods in your city can boost your CQ, too, by learning a new language. It's not just about communication, it's also about understanding a different way of thinking.
Speaker 1:Three, I want you to consume diverse media. Watch those foreign films, read books by authors from different cultures, listen to global podcasts, all right. And four, that action piece practice mindfulness. Pay attention to your own cultural biases and assumptions. And a fifth bonus strategy for you is seek out different perspectives. Engage in conversations with people from different backgrounds. Remember, developing CQ is a journey, it's not a destination. It's about continuous learning and growth and, trust me, it's a journey worth taking.
Speaker 1:So here's my challenge to you this week do one thing to step out of your cultural comfort zone. Try a new cuisine, strike up a conversation with someone from a different cultural background or watch a foreign film. Then come back and respond to me in the comments of this episode and share with me what you learned, and let's build our CQ together. I hope you found this podcast episode helpful. Don't forget to share this episode with another leader in building their cultural intelligence muscle. Until next time, keep exploring, keep learning and remember in today's world, keep learning and remember in today's world. Cq is not just nice to have, it's a must-have. I will see you next week, same time, same place. Bye-bye.