[00:00:00] Trisha: I would like to acknowledge the Dharawal people, the Aboriginal people of Australia, whose country I live and work on. I would like to pay my respects to their elders, past, present, and emerging, and thank them for sharing their cultural knowledge and awareness with us.

[00:00:39] Trisha: Hi there everyone. I'm Trisha Carter, an organizational psychologist and explorer of cultural intelligence. I'm on a quest to discover what enables us to see things from different perspectives, especially different cultural perspectives, and why sometimes it's easier than others to experience those moments of awareness.

[00:01:00] Trisha: The shifts in thinking. It is just me today, friends, and I want to explore something that's been weighing on my mind how we can operate with cultural intelligence in times of global chaos and uncertainty. Right now, at this point in March, 2025, we are witnessing a growing trade war with escalating tensions between major economic powers.

[00:01:25] Trisha: Alongside the devastating ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Also watching the USA, those of us from outside and seeing groups of people who are increasingly experiencing real pain, economic pain, social pain for many mental health challenges and exclusion. As language becomes increasingly combative and at times absolutely dehumanizing, those of us who value cultural intelligence face a unique challenge.

[00:01:58] Trisha: How do we maintain our ability to see different perspectives when public discourse seems to determine to eliminate nuance? And how can we prepare ourselves so that we are ready to act when we may need to show cultural intelligence? And value and support those who may represent some point of difference.

[00:02:19] Trisha: That's what we'll be exploring today on the shift. Before we dive in, let me briefly remind you of the four areas of cultural intelligence that form the foundation of our discussions. There's motivational, cq, the drive, our interest and confidence and functioning effectively in culturally diverse settings.

[00:02:41] Trisha: Cognitive cq, the knowledge about how cultures are similar and different, and metacognitive CQ strategy, how we make sense of culturally diverse experiences, how we think about our thinking about culture and behavioral cq. The CQ action, our capability to adapt to operate differently when relating and working in multicultural contexts.

[00:03:08] Trisha: Today. As always, we do especially focus on the metacognitive aspects, thinking about our thinking, and today we are focusing on times of polarization and conflict. The world we are navigating today is increasingly complex. We are witnessing trade tensions that threaten global supply chains and economic stability.

[00:03:30] Trisha: Political rhetoric is becoming more divisive. Language is used that frames international relations as zero sum competitions rather than opportunities for collaboration. Meanwhile, the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East continue to cause immense suffering while being reduced to simple narratives that fail to capture the human complexity involved.

[00:03:56] Trisha: Social media and news cycles make it worse. they amplify the most extreme voices, making it very challenging to maintain nuanced perspectives in this environment, cultural intelligence isn't just helpful. It's essential when we feel threatened either physically or socially. Our natural tendency is to retreat into in-group thinking.

[00:04:21] Trisha: Our brains are wired to categorize people as either us or them, and during times of conflict, this tendency intensifies. Some of you, dear listeners, will remember back to one of our earlier episodes, way back at episode eight with neuroscientist Dr. Mark Williams. When we looked at shifts in the brain.

[00:04:43] Trisha: Mark spoke about why our brains operate this way and the impact it has on us in our interactions. I've observed this in group thinking in organizational settings during crisis teams that previously collaborated effectively suddenly became siloed and defensive. The same thing happens on a global scale.

[00:05:06] Trisha: When national security or economic interests feel threatened, the sophisticated cultural awareness that might have been shown during most stable times can quickly erode. This presents us with a bit of a paradox. Cultural intelligence is most needed when it's hardest to access. So how do we respond? Let me share some approaches that help us maintain our cultural intelligence when the world seems increasingly chaotic.

[00:05:36] Trisha: The first is to recognize your emotional responses, acknowledge those reactions to global events.

[00:05:44] Trisha: When we hear dehumanizing rhetoric or witness suffering. We naturally experience strong emotions, anger, fear, grief, or helplessness. These emotions are valid, but they can cloud our ability to see beyond our immediate perspective. I recently caught myself feeling intensely frustrated after reading a particularly divisive statement from a political leader.

[00:06:10] Trisha: Before engaging in discussion, I did take time to name the emotion and understand how it was shaping my thinking. This metacognitive pause didn't eliminate my perspective, but it did create space to consider others and enabled me to think more clearly as I was speaking about the situation. The second thing we can do is seek multiple information sources.

[00:06:36] Trisha: In polarized environments, actively seeking diverse information sources becomes really crucial. That doesn't mean giving equal credibility to all viewpoints, but it does mean trying to understand how different cultural contexts can shape the interpretation of events. Consider following news sources from different countries involved in current tensions.

[00:07:00] Trisha: How does coverage of trade policies differ between American, European, and Chinese outlets? What perspectives on Middle Eastern conflicts come from regional versus western media? The goal isn't to determine what is right, but to understand how different cultural lenses shape the narrative.

[00:07:22] Trisha: Third, we can practice taking perspective without judgment. One of the most powerful CQ strategies is deliberate perspective Taking that means temporarily stepping into someone else's shoes, trying to see their cultural viewpoint without immediately judging it. For example, you might be trying to understand the different positions taken by more collectivist societies as opposed to more individualist societies during trade negotiations.

[00:07:53] Trisha: Ask yourself, how might prioritizing community welfare over individual opportunity lead to different economic policies and vice versa, depending on what you are leaning towards. What historical experiences might inform different side's approaches to international relations. This doesn't require agreeing with positions that conflict with your values, but it does mean acknowledging the nuance or the cultural logic that might inform them.

[00:08:26] Trisha: Fourth. Really importantly, maintain human connections across divides when language becomes dehumanizing, deliberately maintaining human connections becomes an act of resistance. This might mean sustaining professional relationships with colleagues from countries experiencing diplomatic tensions with your own, or engaging supportively and respectfully with diaspora communities connected to conflict zone. There's been a few times where I've sat with a newcomer to Australia as their country experienced a major challenge. The simple act of listening and sharing created a space where we could acknowledge the challenges within that country and the pain the individual was experiencing.

[00:09:12] Trisha: It didn't fix the problem, but acknowledging geopolitical realities and shared humanity can build resilience and strength to face challenges within both you and in others. And fifthly Know your values and what it is that you will not flex on. We often speak about recognizing values and recognizing when is time to flex and when things might be part of our core.

[00:09:43] Trisha: So this may mean thinking that you need to spend some time thinking about the what ifs. You might need to mentally rehearse a response to a challenge so that we are prepared if we come to a situation that we need to step into action. For those of us working in intercultural or global business settings, these times present specific challenges.

[00:10:07] Trisha: International teams may experience heightened tensions reflecting global conflicts. Supply chain disruptions might strain cross-cultural business relationships and diaspora employees may feel caught between multiple loyalties. As leaders and colleagues, cultural intelligence gives us the tools to navigate these challenges.

[00:10:31] Trisha: We can create psychological safety for team members to express their concerns without fear. We can acknowledge geopolitical realities while focusing on shared professional goals. We can develop protocols for respectful communication during contentious global events. Making sure that, that dehumanizing language doesn't creep into our environments at work. We can recognize that team members may be processing trauma related to conflicts in their countries of origin. We can step into support mode as an ally with them.

[00:11:10] Trisha: I want to share an experience that profoundly affected my understanding of allyship and speaking up across cultural divides. Late last year, I visited San Jose State University and stood before the remarkable monument honoring Tommie Smith and John Carlos.

[00:11:28] Trisha: For those who might not know, Smith and Carlos won gold and bronze in the 200 meter sprint at the 1968 Olympics. During the medal ceremony, they raised their black gloved fists in what became an iconic black power salute. It was a silent protest against racial injustice and inequity in America. What struck me most about this monument wasn't just the powerful image of Smith and Carlos with their fists raised.

[00:11:59] Trisha: It was the empty second place podium. That spot belonged to Peter Norman, an Australian athlete. Norman's time in that race set an Australian record that stood for 56 years. What many don't know about Peter Norman is that though he was white. And Australian. He was an ally in that protest. He wore an Olympic project for human rights badge on the podium to show solidarity with Smith and Carlos and like them, he paid a heavy price. Despite being Australia's fastest sprinter. He was never selected to represent Australia in the Olympics again. He was essentially sidelined by the Olympic athletic community in his home country. He isn't actually depicted in the monument. Why? The space is intentionally left empty so visitors can step onto the podium and imagine themselves in that moment of history.

[00:13:05] Trisha: Standing there at that monument on that podium in Peter Norman's space, I felt challenged to my core. The empty podium asks each of us, where will I stand in moments that matter? Will I step up as an ally if it will cost me something personally?

[00:13:30] Trisha: This experience reminds me that cultural intelligence isn't just about understanding different perspectives. It's about being prepared to act on that understanding. When critical moments arise in today's polarized world, we may find ourselves facing similar choices. Will we speak up when rhetoric dehumanizes others?

[00:13:52] Trisha: Will we stand in solidarity with those whose cultural experiences differ from our own? Even if there might be personal or professional consequences? That empty stand at San Jose State continues to challenge me to be clear in my values as Peter Norman was, and ready for the moments that will come when I need to be an ally or I need to speak up across cultural divides.

[00:14:22] Trisha: As we navigate these challenging times, I believe cultural intelligence offers not just professional advantages, but a path toward maintaining our shared humanity. By strengthening our metacognitive abilities to recognize multiple perspectives, we resist simplistic narratives that divide us into neat categories of us and them.

[00:14:44] Trisha: That doesn't mean abandoning our values or accepting harmful rhetoric. Rather, it means engaging with the complexity and recognizing most conflicts involve multiple valid perspectives, even when we strongly disagree with some positions and that there are times when we will need to speak up and make that disagreement public even when we recognize others' perspectives.

[00:15:09] Trisha: It's really complex. Hey. As you go about your week, I invite you to notice when you encounter dehumanizing language or oversimplified narratives about complex global situations, in those moments, pause and ask, what would it look like in this situation to maintain my values while expanding my understanding?

[00:15:34] Trisha: Is there another perspective I need to see here? Is this a situation where I need to be speaking up, taking action in line with the values of shared humanity? These metacognitive shifts won't resolve global conflicts, but they will help us maintain our humanity, increase our effectiveness in challenging times.

[00:15:56] Trisha: Please consider too, the allies who may be around you, reach out to others who can support you and stand with those who need your support. Please reach out and connect with me on LinkedIn if we aren't already, and message me if you would like to talk. Thank you for being part of the shift today. If our conversation sparked insights for you, consider sharing it with someone who might benefit, whether they're working globally or simply interested in expanding their cultural perspective during these challenging times.

[00:16:29] Trisha: Follow us to be part of more conversations about cultural intelligence and join us in a fortnight on the shift.