How can short-term assignees and business travellers build cultural intelligence?

Recently I attended a global mobility event focusing on short-term assignments. 

The range of issues that mobility and IHR professionals need to be watching for in this area is considerable.  The migration issues, the tax implications, the policy and package options are varied and do not necessarily align.  A short-term assignment, as defined by the tax office in Australia, may be quite different to the definitions in other tax jurisdictions, and different again to the migration law definition.  All are potential headaches for the global mobility function.

One of the powerful implications from the data presented by the guest speaker, Deborah de Cerff, was the increasing popularity of these assignments.  Short-term policies for the first time headed the list of the most commonly used policy types. 

This has been reflected in my work over the past year as I’ve delivered a growing number of cultural training sessions for people who are on short-term assignments or frequent business travellers. 

The challenges of learning about the culture, managing responses and adapting are often greater for these assignees.  The time span is short and often the workload while in-country is greater, leaving little opportunity for contact with the broader community and exploring of the country beyond the workplace and home-base.  Many probably receive little or no training as they may be determined not to need it due to the short length of the assignment.

We all know how wrong that can be.  Those in country for a short time are just as likely to miscommunicate, make incorrect assumptions and offend as those who arrive for a long-term assignment. 

So what can these travellers do to increase their skills? 

A key to increasing cultural intelligence is observation and reflection. We all know we need to switch on our observation skills and take a moment to consider what has been observed. 

• What did I notice in that meeting?
• What might that mean?
• What else might that mean?
• How did I respond?
• How effective was that response?
• What might have worked better?

These are reflection questions that lead to valuable insights in any situation but are even more critical in a cross-cultural situation where our assumptions about the events may be incorrect. 

In reality the process of reflection is easier said than done.  Or it's something that’s often overlooked in the busyness of day-to-day expat life. 

This need is what prompted the development of our guided journal “Finding Home Abroad” which encourages active, effective reflection in both work and social settings. 

One of our reviewers, David Livermore, (author of best–selling books on Cultural Intelligence) wrote about the book:

“The research is conclusive: When expats take the time to write down reflections in the midst of new cross-cultural experiences, it’s proven to enhance their cultural intelligence (CQ). But many don’t know where to begin. Trisha Carter and Rachel Yates have put together an excellent resource…. Rooted in research but written for practitioners, Finding Home Abroad will be a huge help to those who use it, as well as to their families and organizations.”

Coincidentally David has just this week written about the importance of reflection for business travellers using his own traveling experience as an example.

And we will explore this topic further in this month's webinar for members of www.cicollective.com

By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the most bitter.” Confucius