Preparing for a Cross Cultural Profession

In a world where cross-cultural interactions are a part of every day life, it is not unusual for an individual to work a cross-cultural profession. Before a person works in a cross-cultural profession, there are a few things that he can do to prepare. One of the greatest things that a person can do to prepare is to develop his cultural intelligence. It is also important for him to become familiar with the major beliefs, customs, world views, and religions of the specific culture he is entering. It is important to become acquainted with the culture as much as possible before being fully immersed in it so that the transition can be as easy as possible. Entering a new culture is not an easy thing to do, and there is no way to be fully prepared for what will be experienced. Since there is no way to be fully ready, it is important to have an attitude of humility.

Cultural intelligence is essential for people who are entering new cultures for long-term work. Cultural intelligence is best defined as . It is sometimes called Cultural Quotient (CQ). Cultural intelligence provides an individual with a method of understanding different cultures. This is not done by memorizing a list of taboos, facts, or words. Cultural intelligence is a skill that can be learned and developed. It is also not culture specific, and it is useful for understanding any culture (CITE: 25 - LIVERMORE SECRET TO SUCCESS). “Cultural intelligence helps us learn how to work effectively with people who come from different cultural orientations. It helps ensure leadership effectiveness across cultural borders” (32 CQ intelligence Livermore secret to success).

In David A. Livermore’s book, “Leading with Cultural Intelligence: The New Secret to Success,” he divides cultur...

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...is desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”(exodus 16:3). They did not actually have pots of meat, but since they had not come to terms with the reality of their past situation, they could not accept the good in their new situation. In the wilderness, they were free, had direct communication with God, and were fed well by God. In the same way, an individual entering a new culture may idolize his previous culture rather than adjusting to the new culture. This is why it is important to objectively analyze one’s own culture before entering a new one. Cultural intelligence is the tool that makes this possible.

The transition will not be perfect, so it is important for an individual to expect culture shock, which occurs when an individual is forced to accept that the familiar social interactions of his original culture are not present. (217 Livermore New Book).