Cultural Intelligence or Cultural Ignorance
The first time I was faced with the need to have a cultural intelligence was my first international mission trip to Nis, Serbia. The person leading the trip was a former missionary who had just come back off the field so he and his wife could finish seminary. The first thing he did was give an hour long talk on the culture we were going to be working in. I felt as if I was hearing the same thing play over in my head from 2003 as I was reading Leading with Cultural Intelligence: The Real Secret to Success by David Livermore.
While Livermore does a good job of giving the reader a reason for developing Cultural Intelligence, which he calls CQ, to call it a “real secret to success” seems a bit disingenuous. There is no secret found in this book to success. What is found is what some would call basic common sense. There are different people and different cultures all over the world and if you are to be successful in any part of your life, you have to adapt to work effectively with all of them.
Livermore breaks CQ into four basic categories, first CQ Drive, what’s the motivation. Second CQ Knowledge, what are the cultural influences. Third, CQ Strategy, how do you plan around cultural differences and last CQ Action, how do you adapt.[1] So what do all of these CQs mean? Well for some it should be an eye opener. Take for example, Jeff, a U.S. sales manager. His complaint “Okay, no offense. But doesn’t tis whole cultural thing get a little overplayed? I mean, people are people and business is business. I’ll probably have to eat some weird food next week, but otherwise, I don’t see what the big differences are.” [2] This is a prevailing attitude in many people I worked with in the computer industry. If one cannot see the value in understanding culture and norms within a culture then you will fail. In reviewing this book, James Kohnen writes,
Heightening one’s awareness of another’s culture does not necessarily mean learning a second language, studying the history or political development of a country, or getting into an anthropological study of the culture, according to Livermore. It does mean that a serious attempt be made to become familiar with the cultural differences that might be encountered and develop a strategy to deal with them before they become an insurmountable issue. Improved cultural intelligence is a learned behavior based on an intrinsic individual desire to interact with others having a different cultural upbringing. [3]
So how does a book about secular management and how to do business in other cultures relate to the church. According to the U.S. Census bureau in 2016, the U.S. is 76.9% white, 13.3% black, 17.6% hispanic or latino and, 5.7% asian.[4] I have not included numbers under five percent. If you look at the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC for short), according to Pew Research from 2015 we are 85% white, 6% black, 5% asian, and 3% latino. In fact, none of the mainline Protestant denominations trend anywhere close to the trend of the U.S. population, Catholics are the only denomination that come close to the markers. [5] If the demographics of the people we are called to serve are trending one way, and the churches trend to the same old same old, then we have a problem. To say nothing of being called to the nations.
For years Southern Baptist missionaries planted churches in foreign lands that looked just like the churches that sent them out. They would sing the same hymns with a piano, the preaching was aimed at the same thing it was in the U.S. and they would make little churches that were clones of American churches. These churches seemed to be well established and so the missionary would move on, and in doing so left the churches dependent on the missionary. When the missionary left, the church would die. There was no thought given to Cultural Intelligence. Now, if you look at the International Mission Board website (www.imb.org) you see this as the base of their planting: Entry: We gain access to a people, begin to learn their language, and seek to understand their culture.[6] In essence what the first goal it to learn the culture of those we are going to.
In chapter four, Livermore discusses CQ Knowledge. He has a great line, “By growing your CQ Knowledge, you can better understand things you may otherwise miss when moving into a new cultural context. It involves understanding the rules, albeit often unspoken, that are behind the behavior and assumptions in a particular culture”.[7] If we do not understand the reasons behind the actions we will never connect with those we are sent to. A pastor cannot shepherd a church the same in an inner city the same way he would in a suburban setting. There would be abject failure. A church cannot reach out to its community if all it does is want things done the way they have always been done.
I think this dovetails into scripture when Paul, speaking to the Athenians, says “I have become all things to all people, that by all means, I might save some” (I Cor. 9:22 ESV).We have to become culturally intelligent if we are to reach the culture. To often we stick our heads in the sand, and say I wish it were like the good ol’ days. The good old days were not very good for a great many people groups. How about we look at the culture and show them Christ risen?
[1] Livermore, David A., Ang, Soon, and Dyne, Linn Van. Leading with Cultural Intelligence : The Real Secret to Success. 2nd ed. New York, New York: American Management Association, 2015. 4-5.
[2] Ibid. 72.
[3]Kohnen, James. “Leading with Cultural Intelligence: The New Secret to Success.” The Quality Management Journal 19, no. 3 (2012): 70-1, https://georgefox.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.georgefox.idm.oclc.org/docview/1028011021?accountid=11085.
[4] “U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: UNITED STATES.” U.S. Census Bureau. July 01, 2016. Accessed May 10, 2018. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045216.
[5] Lipka, Michael. “The Most and Least Racially Diverse U.S. Religious Groups.” Pew Research Center. July 27, 2015. Accessed May 10, 2018. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/27/the-most-and-least-racially-diverse-u-s-religious-groups/.
[6] Staff, Editorial. “Church Planting.” International Mission Board. Accessed May 10, 2018. https://www.imb.org/missions-church-planting/.
[7] Livermore, David A., Ang, Soon, and Dyne, Linn Van. Leading with Cultural Intelligence : The Real Secret to Success. 2nd ed. New York, New York: American Management Association, 2015. 70.
About the Author
Jason Turbeville
A pastor, husband and father who loves to be around others. These are the things that describe me. I was a youth minister for 15 years but God changed the calling on my life. I love to travel and see where God takes me in my life.15 responses to “Cultural Intelligence or Cultural Ignorance”
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Jason,
Excellent use of census statistics to give a broader perspective on the impact of Livermore’s CI to the U.S. I looked up the 2016 Census and the 76.9% includes White Hispanics and Latinos, otherwise the number is 61.3% White (non-Hispanic or Latino).
Nice job reviewing the mission history of CI and how they have adapted to advancing and improving CQ Knowledge. We just sent a family of 8 to Papua New Guinea with Wycliff Bible Translators and they spent 8 weeks in an intensive CQ Knowledge training event. The entire family, 2 missionaries and their 6 children spent 8 weeks with other new arrivals in an intensive cross-cultural training, language, and customs class before moving forward to their ministry assignments.
Livermore is a good guide for foreign missions and local missions to the refugee populations.
Stand firm,
M. Webb
Mike,
I think Livermore can be useful in helping to sort out how we reach across cultures indeed. I have be blessed enough to listen to lectures from two different Wycliff translators. They really have a great program getting to know a culture.
Jason
Hi Jason!
I was very interested to hear your statistics and perspective on the Baptist denomination, in particular. I have been concerned for years that my own denomination does not mirror society, but we must not be alone, as you so well pointed out. Good job to the Catholic church for mirroring our society better.
Makes me wonder, however, how our churches will grow if we do not adapt to our OWN culture. Didn’t read that in Livermore’s book! What thinks thee?
Jay,
I did not see Livermore address churches specifically but I agree, if we cannot even mirror our own culture, we will fail as churches as we move forward. Of all the churches I have served in only one could have been considered multiethnic and even then it was because of reaching out to the school across the highway, not because the leadership of the church wanted it. I was even reprimanded for spending to much time with lower income families. I left that church fairly soon after.
Jason
Jason
Jason,
I enjoyed how you brought statistics in as a comparison to the need. I remember moving to Oregon 8 years ago and realizing that I was no longer living in the “Bible-belt.” The attitude concerning church attendance to bible study were completely different than what I had been used to. Needless to say, the first year presented some great frustration for me as a minister, because the fire that people seemed to attack ministry with back in Oklahoma was more of a flickering flame here. I had start looking at the community more, asking the congregation questions more frequently, and even revamping my own study practices to accommodate the changes I was experiencing. My ministry was still aggressive, but it was not structured the same as it had been in the Midwest.
The cultural values you brought to light, said to me that we do not just have to consider that there are cultural differences between the US and Africa or Asia, but that it could also be different between Oklahoma and Oregon, or between Baptists and the Church of Christ. No matter who we are reaching out to, we must recognize the need to learn about those we hope to have an impact on.
Shawn,
You speak the truth brother, I know moving forward, even here in the bible belt the cultural make up will change, all you have to do is go to the bigger cities (Dallas, Austin, Houston) to see that fire is not as bright as it once was. We have to adjust or die plain and simple.
Jason
Jason I thought the same thing about CQ being common sense. I think it is good to have discussion on sensitivity and how we can overcome our own hinderances to culture. Good of you to relate to your own research. I have been in some of the foreign fellowships that modeled US churches. I have met both kind of SB overseas workers; those that are adaptable and those created their own version of the US SBC. Obviously you could guess which ones last longer than a few years. Thanks for your thoughts on this subject.
Greg,
I usually am not good at guessing games but I bet I can win at yours! Thanks for the insight.
Jason
Hey Jason,
Your post got me thinking. About 10 years ago (?) SB missionaries began to arrive in Toronto.
https://www.namb.net/send-cities/toronto
I found their website and dug around a bit, and it looks like there are about 25 church plants starting in my city. I am curious if they use CQ training.
Mark,
I have actually worked with some NAMB planters in the Vancouver area. They are working slow and deliberately. The family I have worked with most has been there 4 years and have completely immersed themselves into the culture. I think they do use CQ although not sure if they use specifically Livermore’s specifics.
Jason
Excellent critique of the book, Jason. I felt the same regarding the disingenuous claim of book title. My denomination, the PCUSA, is super-duper white, and are so far from being able to offer any kind of church experience that would be of value to black Christians. Presbyterians will march for Black Lives Matter, but our services are about as sterile as white bread. Rich in liturgy and academics, but lacking in the liberality of the Spirit. Until we change and open ourselves up to new ways of worship, we will never integrate.
Chris,
You win the day brother, SuperDuper White. I almost spit my coffee all over my keyboard. You can say the same about all the mainline protestant groups, there are many nondenoms that started with a certain affiliation but moved away quickly as they became part of the culture.
Jason
Great job Jason. I too found a lot of this familiar because of my missions experiences. Perhaps we were not the typical demographic! I wonder if to gain a higher CQ it is better to read about it, or to experience it with a loving mentor as you had in 2003.
Kyle,
For my it will always be hands on, but I am built that way. I know there are others but you learn a language best immersed in it not in a class room, my guess is culture is the same way.
Jason
Jason,
Thanks for the post! I think you are right on in your analysis of racial/ethnic makeup of denominations compared to trends for overall demographics in the US. I think this will be especially acute in urban and outer ring suburban areas.
I wonder about your claim that cultural interaction and CQ is really just “common sense”. I think for people (like you) who have spent time cross-culturally, these things become second-nature, or come to seem quite natural, but I think that common sense for many White Americans, would not be the kinds of things that Livermore is talking about. We’re in an “America First” period right now, and it brings to the fore, the kinds of “natural instincts” that people have just below the surface. So, I think it takes some real intentional practices for people to operate cross-culturally in ways that are positive. Anyway, that’s my thought on it!
peace,
dave