Getting out of our comfort zone is uncomfortable. When interacting with people from different backgrounds, our implicit biases, previous experiences, and upbringing challenge us and make us anxious when faced with the unknown. We feel disoriented and sometimes frustrated when we need to immerse ourselves in an unfamiliar culture, challenge stereotypes, embrace differences, and make an effort to truly understand and connect with others.

Since arriving in Pakistan a few months ago I have had to get used to being woken up by the early morning call for prayer at 5:00 am; not being able to order alcohol in restaurants; not being able to hold my husband’s hand or hug him in public because public displays of affection are not acceptable; not being able to eat pork or any pork products like bacon; not wearing tight-fitting clothes; squat toilets; learning how to drive on the right side of the road; businesses not opening until 11:00 am; power outages multiple times a day… and that a cup of tea is very important.

Some things are easier to get used to. Others will take a little more time…

However, having traveled and lived in countless countries around the globe has given me an intrinsic motivation and curiosity to learn from these unique experiences. I enjoy exploring my neighborhood, discovering the local food, and interacting with local families to learn more about their daily lives. Other foreigners find this more difficult and experience culture shock. They fail to understand and adjust to the new environment.

Intercultural situations sometimes can be challenging because they are unfamiliar to us. They trigger emotions and require a certain level of self-awareness, motivation, persistence, and energy to be able to manage and address these challenges effectively. This is called CQ Drive or Motivational CQ and is an important capability of Cultural Intelligence (CQ).

Those with high CQ Drive seek, value, and enjoy opportunities to learn about new and diverse cultural settings. They have the ability to persist when a multicultural setting or interaction is frustrating, stressful or disorienting, and have the confidence to be effective in culturally diverse situations.

One way to improve your CQ Drive is to learn about the cultural values and norms of the culture or group of people you are interacting with. Think about ways that understanding their way of doing business, family life, leadership and communication styles increases your confidence in working with and relating to different sorts of people.

The more we understand how culture influences how people think and behave, the better we are able to interact with them. Training, coaching and self-learning are useful when done within the broader framework of cultural intelligence. Whether you are working with a small startup or a multinational corporation, developing a culturally intelligent workforce is essential to help minimize conflict and maximize the broad perspectives of a diverse workforce.