Communication technologies and globalized commerce have made the world a smaller place, and cultural skills are now more important than ever. At work and in your personal life, you are likely to interact with people from diverse backgrounds and who speak different languages. Being able to do so effectively is an in-demand soft skill in virtually every industry.

Below, we’ll discuss what cultural skills entail and why they are important. Then we’ll explore simple ways you can increase those skills.

What Are Cultural Skills?

Cultural skills fall into several broad categories, but there is a lot of overlap between them.

Why Are Cultural Skills Important?

As mentioned above, globalization makes it more likely that you will come into contact with individuals whose background is different from yours. Sometimes, this can lead to friction or conflict—but cultural skills help you avoid that outcome.

Cultural skills can be just as important for your career development. Whether or not businesses operate internationally, most have vendors or suppliers located abroad. Others operate in diverse areas and have an intercultural workforce.

Are intercultural skills more important in certain industries? Really, these skills are highly transferable. Ask a resource like ResumeCoach’s AI skills generator about your preferred field, and you’ll likely find cultural skills are a must.

Next, we’ll dive into ways you can increase your cultural competency, intelligence, and intercultural communication skills. Most are very simple and accessible.

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Learn the Language

The expressions, metaphors, and ways of describing everyday concepts differ from language to language. These ideas, in turn, affect the way that speakers of that language see the world.

For example, in the creole language Tok Pisin, the lingua franca of Papua New Guinea, you would say “Hamas krismas?” to ask a person “How old are you?” Literally, hamas krismas translates to “How many Christmases do you have?” Counting your age by the Christmas holidays is a different mindset than most English speakers have—they usually focus on birthdays instead.

Some languages have many words to describe ideas like love or colors, while others have few. There are typically more descriptive words for the things most important to that culture. You can learn a lot about what people value or what dominates the lives of many by understanding these aspects of language.

Of course, you may not have the time or circumstances to become fluent in the languages of everyone you meet. But learning even a little can be very enlightening. It can also unlock a veritable superpower: greeting someone in their own language.

The city I live in is diverse; I’ve encountered over 40 different languages there so far. I try to learn how to say “hello,” “How are you?” or something similar in each language. When I greet a person in their mother tongue, they invariably break into a wide smile. Often, they ask if my husband is from their country—they want to know why I know a few words in their language, and this opens opportunities for conversation and learning more about each other.

Entertain and Immerse Yourself

Every culture has differences in its sense of humor. What is innocent, funny, and cute in one culture might not be humorous in other—or it might be downright offensive in yet another.

You can come to an understanding of these and other nuances by engaging with entertainment media created within that culture. This could include movies, TV shows, books, music, stage plays, and more.

Maybe you’re wondering how you can do this if you don’t speak the language. Look for shows that are subtitled or dubbed in English, and translations of books. For songs, you can use translation software to understand the lyrics.

While you’re listening to music or watching a show, why not order food from that culture? Exploring flavors of cultural favorites has been described as “one of the most intimate ways to connect with another culture.”

Get to Know the People

The strategies described so far have been hands-off—you could accomplish them from the comfort of your home. But no matter how much you try to prepare yourself, actually interacting with people from another culture is critical.

If you have family, workmates, or other acquaintances from your target culture, it is easy to spend time with them. If not, you may have to put in a bit of work. Try one or more of the following.

Find People from Another Culture

• Restaurants: Look for local restaurants or businesses owned by individuals from another culture. Try out your language skills—they’ll likely be delighted to help you learn. Once you’ve developed a rapport, you might ask polite questions.

• Cultural Festivals: Most cities support at least one international or culture-specific festival, fair, or event each year. There, you can try new foods, explore their clothing styles, and get to know people.

• Conversation Platforms: Many language learning platforms allow you to connect with tutors. For adult learners, this often means engaging in conversation about relevant topics, including culture and current events.

• Go there! You’ll gain the greatest understanding of a region and its culture by experiencing it first-hand. Be sure to not just visit tourist areas - find a guide who will help you experience the area like a local. Short trips are valuable, but living there for a time is even more poignant.

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Key Takeaways

Today, we often interact with people from other cultures. Gaining cultural competency, intelligence, and communication skills can enrich your life. You can also use the skills you learn to bridge cultural gaps at work.

You can improve your cultural skills by:

• Learning about the language

• Immersing in the entertainment, food, and other aspects of the culture

• Spending time with people from diverse backgrounds

• Traveling or living abroad

Cultural skills help us tear down the walls of bias and prejudice and build bridges between ourselves and other people. You’ll always be grateful that you put forth the effort to become a global citizen.

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