From Knowing to Doing: the Head, Heart, Hands Model in International Business

My friend @joecarella introduced me to a great book over the holidays – Intercultural Communication by Dr Mai Nguyen-Phuong-Mai. It’s packed full of great insights and yet one model really jumps out. Here are 3 things you can focus on to improve your business outcomes when working in cultures very different from your own:

CQ Head – Cognitive and Metacognitive
• What do I know about the personal preferences, culture and norms of the person I am speaking to?
• Have I done my homework on how business is done in this culture?
• AND am I following the practice of stop, watch and think as a mechanism to help me decode the cultural messages I am getting? (this process helps me stop defaulting to stereotypes or making rash assumptions based on observations I make)

CQ Heart – Motivational
• Am I motivated and energised to learn about cultures and business environments different from my own?

CQ Hands – Behaviours
• Do I understand and am I able to practice the appropriate verbal and non-verbal outward expressions in this business environment?

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