Serving with Eyes Wide Open

by David A. Livermore

  An individual with high CQ Action is not necessarily someone who masters all the unique habits and behaviors of every culture visited. That’s next to impossible, especially during brief immersions such as short-term missions trips. Instead, flexibility and adjustment are the crucial components that accompany CQ Action. A person high in CQ Action will use nonverbal cues as a silent language to learn in various places and will be careful not to quickly assign meanings. The goal is to reduce misunderstanding and communicate respect more than it is to mimic others’ behavior.

  Behaving in a way that’s culturally intelligent is clearly easier said than done. For years I’ve understood theoretically that it’s not uncommon for men in many cultures to hold hands with other men without it meaning anything beyond a display of friendship. I’ve often explained this phenomenon to other people as a clear example of our need to beware of making quick judgments based on the same behavior in our culture. It was another thing, however, when I was walking down the streets of Chiang Rai, Thailand, and John, an Akha man, slipped his hand around my waist. He put his hand in my left rear pocket as a North American high school boy might do with his girlfriend. John left his hand there as we walked for several blocks. I desperately wanted to pull away. It was one thing to read about such behavior in a sterile environment back home; it was quite another to experience it while walking through the streets of Chiang Rai. So what does it look like for us to nurture CQ in the ways that we behave on our short-term missions experiences?

  Nurturing CQ Action

  Many resources are devoted to helping us act appropriately when we travel cross-culturally. Several authors give helpful information about the kinds of gifts to avoid giving. We’re told how to entertain, gestures to avoid, how to exchange business cards, and the kinds of greetings to use. “Don’t point. Never pay with your left hand. Kiss both cheeks. Don’t hug. Be sure to use her formal title.” The lists are endless. If we move to a culture for several years, we may be able to master many of these behaviors, but what does it look like when we move in and out of different cultures all the time? There are several things to consider in nurturing CQ Action.

  See CQ Action as the Outcome

  At the risk of being redundant, the most important way to nurture CQ Action is to nurture the other three CQ capabilities: drive, knowledge, and strategy. This is the irony. The success of our short-term projects is judged mostly by our behavior because actions demonstrate most clearly whether or not we’re culturally intelligent. However, trying to change our behavior itself is the least effective way of nurturing CQ. Our actions are so ingrained into our habits that it takes far more than a book or several training sessions to teach us CQ Action.

  However, as we nurture the other aspects of CQ, they have inevitable implications for how we behave. In a sense, CQ Action is the outcome of the other three CQ capabilities. For example, CQ Drive will help align our motivation with doing the hard work that comes with interacting as an outsider in a new place. We can use CQ Knowledge to understand the different ways cultures approach power distance; this will inform how we interact with people of different status. And CQ Strategy will help us tune in to the cues coming from our interactions and organize those cues within our growing sense of cultural intelligence as a whole. These work together toward helping us adjust our behavior.

  Some of our behaviors can be modified and manipulated, but most of our energy should be placed on the other three capabilities of CQ. CQ Action is perhaps the most helpful way to expose our need for cultural intelligence. As we seek to change our behavior, we don’t have access to each other’s thoughts, feelings, or motivation. We can rely only on what we see and hear in others’ verbal, vocal, facial, and other bodily expressions. Nurturing our CQ Drive, Knowledge, and Strategy is the best way to make behavior changes.

  Practice

  There is, however, value in practicing some basic habits used in various cultures to make them part of our behavioral repertoire. For example, because people in so many places where I travel consider it offensive to hand someone something with the left hand, even when I’m home, I often try to avoid using my left hand. Ninety-nine percent of the people with whom I interact in the United States don’t give a second thought to whether they receive my change at the cash register from my right hand or my left hand. However, I want it to be second nature for me to use my right hand to avoid offending an Arab acquaintance.

  I speak very fast, especially when I teach or preach. This is another area where I have to practice—slowing down. Frankly, many of my North American audiences would be happy if I’d slow down a bit when I speak. When I speak overseas, I often do so with people who speak English as a second language or where an interpreter is translating on my behalf. Because my rate of speech is so ingrained in how I communicate, I have to work hard to slow down. It takes a lot of effort and writing all over my notes “slow down.” But these are the kinds of things we can work on to improve the way we behave. Practice. Practice. Practice.

  Adaptability

  Some of us are naturals at interacting socially with people, even if they’re complete strangers. We find it easy to initiate conversations, listen to others, and bring other people into the conversation. Others struggle desperately to master a conversation. Having a natural ability socially can be a real help cross-culturally, but we must beware of thinking we can rely on those natural skills when interacting with someone from a different cultural background. The very thing that breaks the ice with someone in our own culture could be irrelevant or offensive in another. Appropriate topics for small talk, humor, and even if and how we should ask questions are all things deeply impacted by our cultural background. We often need to develop new social skills to interact effectively in new cultural contexts. This is one of many reasons why the most important characteristic to develop for CQ Action is adaptability.

  As we learn to become adaptable and flexible, we’ll gain the CQ Action needed to interact with unique individuals and in unique situations. The challenge lies in gaining some general skills of adaptability so that we can adapt instantly to specific people, cultures, and circumstances. “Cross-cultural skills are not fixed routines but flexible abilities that can—with the guidance of mindfulness—be modified to meet new or changing conditions.”[119] The challenge is to expand our repertoire of skilled behaviors needed in different places and knowing how to use them. The skilled routines we master in one culture may be counterproductive in another, to the extent that we have to “unlearn” them in a new situation. Again, this is why adaptability is crucial to CQ Action.

  As in several of these areas, some cultures program individuals to be better at this than others. For example, cultures that feel less threatened by uncertainty—such as Indians, Brits, and Jamaicans—typically achieve CQ Action more easily. In addition, learning to be adaptable is directly connected to our CQ Strategy. It’s a part of the interpretive process in which we learn to read cues and change our plans based on what seems to work and what doesn’t. Having a plan so we don’t fly by the seat of our pants is an integral part of interacting with CQ Action, but just as essential is the process of holding to those plans loosely and being willing to toss them in a split second when necessary.

  And once again, cross-cultural experiences themselves are one of the best ways to improve our adaptability. Cultural blunders are inevitable. That’s okay. Grace abounds. Just use the mistakes as a way to improve the way you interact in future cross-cultural encounters so that you don’t keep repeating the same mistakes. As we persevere through the continual challenges confronting us in cross-cultural communication and interaction and gain understanding about cultural values to reframe our assumptions, we begin to behave more appropriately and effectively.

  Behavioral Training

  Many of the short-term missions training tools that exist focus on building CQ Knowledge and Action. Continue to use the valuable techniques offered by many of these resources. The key challenge lies at the point of applying a
nd integrating the material to what you will actually do on your cross-cultural experience. Find ways to use role-playing or, better yet, real-life cross-cultural immersions closer to home rather than simply studying material theoretically in the fellowship hall of your church.

  One of the most effective ways to train yourself and your short-term team in CQ Action is through exposure to uncomfortable situations. For example, you could begin having a conversation about the challenges of CQ Action by walking up to a friend and purposely violating her personal space. Keep within two inches of her face, and as she backs away from you, keep moving with her. Have the whole group try this with each other. Or suddenly put your hand on your friend’s shoulder and leave it there as you talk. Or talk in a way that eliminates nonverbal expressions as much as possible. Or choose an unusual, unfamiliar food and insist that everyone eat it. These kinds of experiences help to train people in CQ Action. More than anything, they help reveal the need for CQ as a whole.

  It’s easy to speak confidently about our ability to act appropriately, but when we become uncomfortable, it’s another thing to act appropriately. As a result, one of the most significant times for developing CQ Action is when we first enter a new culture and when we first return home. These are our most pivotal learning times. The first impressions and the immediate dissonance experienced both in leaving home and coming back are filled with opportunities for learning adaptability. Be sure to check out the cross-cultural training resources listed in the appendix for more guidance on training for effective cross-cultural behavior.

  Back to Shanghai

  Jake is a natural conversationalist. He can talk to complete strangers on the street and put them at ease. The highly relational context of Mexico where he grew up has really helped him be a natural leader and networker most places he’s been. So far, however, he doesn’t seem to have connected with Jun. In particular, he violated the social practices of Chinese culture when he asked Jun for a direct evaluation and assessment in the midst of a very informal setting—riding in a taxi. Jun just wasn’t going to go there. He gave Jake a very indirect, seemingly ambiguous response. Jake knew what it would mean if he had been the one saying, “It’s okay” or “It’s fine.” That would be code language for “I’m not very impressed” or “It’s okay but . . .”

  Meanwhile, Mandy wants so hard to speak appropriately that she’s trying to use British-style pronunciation rather than just saying words as an American would. What she doesn’t realize, however, is that her attempts at acting appropriately may in fact have the opposite effect. The taxi driver could easily be insulted. Why does Mandy think he isn’t smart enough to figure out what she means when she pronounces words the way she typically would? Inevitably, the taxi driver has seen lots of American television and movies throughout his years in Hong Kong and now in Shanghai. Does he really need Mandy to force herself to pronounce words differently?

  Actions speak louder than words. This cliché, though overused, really applies here. Most of the short-term participants I studied said the right things before going to a new culture. They demonstrated a desire to learn, they realized they may come off as loud and brash, and they were well aware of their shortcomings when it came to cross-cultural work. Yet when they actually went on their trips, much of their behavior didn’t line up with what they had said.

  Our tendency is to use all our energy to change our behavior, but we can’t possibly anticipate the endless situations and encounters that will arise. Therefore, the full-orbed approach of CQ is essential to getting our actions to speak a message that reflects God’s glory through our postures, behaviors, and dispositions.

  Strategies to Improve Your CQ Action

  Anytime:

  Observe and record verbal and nonverbal behaviors you see in individuals from different cultures.

  Practice new behaviors that come from various cultures.

  Adapt how you ask for feedback, write an email, or give instructions based on how you would do so with people from different cultures.

  On Your Short-Term Trip:

  Create a list of taboos. Avoid them.

  Do a behavior as the locals would. Practice adapting. Just be careful not to be offensive.

  Go through a day and imagine what life would be like if you lived here. Empathize.

  13

  The Heart of the Matter

  Shema

  Perhaps you’re thinking, Cultural intelligence, CQ Strategy, power distance—does it have to be so complicated? I just want to love people in Romania! Or maybe you’re thinking, Forget it! You’ve convinced me that so many problems occur with short-term missions that I’m going to boycott the whole deal.

  I hope you don’t come to either conclusion. I understand the tension. Surely we don’t want to make missions so complicated that you need a PhD in intercultural studies to succeed, but neither do we want to explain away the many challenges of our past mistakes.

  At the end of the day, cultural intelligence helps us do what we were created to do: participate with God in making the world a better place. Missions is at the very core of our calling. In my mind, missions isn’t something that started after Adam and Eve sinned, and it’s not just about getting souls saved. It’s about living in light of our creation as image bearers of God. Missions—short-term, long-term, overseas, next-door—is about giving people a living picture of who God is, what God cares about, and how God acts. Acting on God’s behalf was Adam and Eve’s purpose long before sin entered the picture.

  Missions Began with Adam and Eve

  Paul is often described as being the first missionary. Others think of the disciples as the first missionaries, and still others go as far back as Abraham. My understanding of missions, however, is rooted all the way back in Adam and Eve. They were the first humans called by God to work as agents of God. Long before sin corrupted the earth, ages before churches painted Matthew 28 on banners for mission conferences, Adam and Eve were created to represent God in the world, and therefore, our ultimate identity lies in our missional calling.

  Missions is rooted in creation. It’s not simply a corrective to sin. It’s what God created us to do as human beings. Adam and Eve were created to care for the animals and the garden as God would. They were to creatively develop their surroundings. God told them to be fruitful and multiply and to show their children and grandchildren the cares and ways of God. Adam and Eve were to reflect God’s glory with every word and deed. God called them to be priests over all creation—to represent God to creation and creation to God.

  Though Adam and Eve failed at their mission, the invitation to God’s people continued. The nation of Israel was created by God to be a priestly nation to the other nations. They were to give the other nations a picture of what Yahweh’s nation looked like. Israel was created to be a nation that would bless the other nations. They were to act on God’s behalf among the Gentiles.

  Though Israel failed, God’s invitation to the people of God continued. He divided the priestly nation into twelve tribes, and the levitical tribe became the priestly tribe. Notice the narrowing impact to which God was calling the people of God. Adam and Eve were given a priestly role among all creation, Israel to the rest of the nations, and Aaron and his sons to the nation of Israel, to intercede on their behalf with God. As they failed in accurately reflecting who God is, the scope of impact they were invited to make kept getting smaller.[120] (See fig. 2 below.)

  Even the levitical priests failed in their priestly calling, but God’s redemptive plan continued. Jesus, the second Adam, came as the perfect priest and sacrifice all in one. God became one of us in part so that we could see how we were intended to live. Christ was the epitome of cultural intelligence by giving us the most accessible and understandable picture of how the first Adam was intended to live. It’s within that long history of missions that Jesus declares, “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19, emphasis added). Everything in the story changes. And we’re invited to extend God’s reign among pe
ople everywhere.

  Jesus’s disciples obeyed the Great Commission by establishing the church. Peter refers to the church as the “priesthood” of believers (1 Pet. 2:9). As part of the church, we’re to live out the priestly mission that has been upon the people of God throughout history. Just as Adam and Eve, Israel, and the disciples were called to extend God’s reign, so also are we. Short-term missions trips are a way for us to join with a long legacy of God’s people in making God known to all the world.[121]

  God has continually called us as a special people to be engaged in missions. We don’t have the prerogative of either extreme: “Who cares about all that CQ stuff; I just want to serve!” or “I’m going to boycott the whole missions thing. There’s too much baggage.” Missions is what we’re created to do—together. So we must figure out how to keep improving our obedience to God’s invitation and call.

  If missions is what we were created to do, and if we’re to be the physical presence of Christ in the world, then working on how to best embody Christ to the world should be of prime importance—that’s the essence of cultural intelligence. CQ is more than just an interesting model for talking about cross-cultural effectiveness. It’s a way to enhance how we live out our eternal mission as people—to reflect God’s glory to the world. It’s more than just a tool for short-term missions trips. It’s a pathway for helping us live out our mission as we encounter people from different cultures every day—at the airport, at school, at work, on the phone, in the grocery store, and online.