Cultural Intelligence— The Skill That Includes Everyone

Last semester, I watched a talented graduate student lose a research assistant position she deserved. She had the qualifications. She’d done the work. But in the interview, when the professor asked for her thoughts on the project, she paused. Five seconds. Ten seconds. The professor interpreted her silence as uncertainty and moved on to the next candidate.
The student wasn’t uncertain. In her culture, pausing before responding to someone in authority shows respect and thoughtfulness. Speaking immediately would have been presumptuous. The professor, from a culture where quick responses signal confidence and engagement, read her silence as lack of preparation. Neither person did anything...