How Do You Rate Your Intercultural Skills? Take this Questionnaire!
In a globally connected world, it’s not unusual to have intercultural encounters, while organisations are bound to have an increasingly diverse workforce.
Diversity brings its blessings: flexibility in thinking, a dynamic mix of minds, an atmosphere of learning… but it also brings challenges, like miscommunication or different approaches to structures and ways of perceiving/doing.
If you live or work in an international environment, you probably know what we mean! Negotiating, and flourishing in, this kind of environment requires a high level of intercultural awareness…
How interculturally competent are you?
This handy tool from the Council of Europe, a joint initiative from the Intercultural Cities Programme and the Pestalozzi Programme, is one way to find out! It offers a set of questions to reflect on – alone, with your peers or colleagues, or even within your intercultural relationship.
The questionnaire comes in 19 languages and we encourage you to come back to it regularly. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes minutes to answer, and is based on the three main (and interconnected) components of intercultural competence: attitudes, skills and knowledge.
I’ve done it several times and it’s fascinating to see how my answers evolve over time.
To get the most out of the questions:
- It might help to think back to situations you’ve been in – perhaps when you were surrounded by people from different regional, linguistic or religious backgrounds or with a different socio-cultural or socio-economic status.
- Try to recall how you felt, what you knew and what you did in the situation.
- When you’re done, spend some time reflecting on the steps you could take to help your intercultural development.
Use this tool as an opportunity to gain insight. Because it’s through understanding ourselves and our perceptions that we can grow and move forward as individuals and global citizens…
[Please note that the updated tool no longer includes a scoring system.]
Did you enjoy the questionnaire? Were you surprised by your answers? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
If you like this article, subscribe to our newsletter and share the questionnaire with your colleagues and friends – because insights like these often lead to inspiration and action!
Photo: OpenClipart-Vectors / Pixabay
Predictably I got high scores in all 3 categories. I found the quiz interesting but the questions are a bit “leading” – for example, who is going to admit that they never listen to other people?! It’s good to think about it from the perspective of attitude, skills and knowledge though.
Hi Carol,
Thanks for your comment and glad that you find this quiz valuable- indeed the the ‘head, heart, hands’ approach is one of my favourites too. Great that you have high scores and as you said predictably!
Re the point on the leading questions etc, I think it all depends on our previous experiences, cultural background, the way we see things from multiple perspectives. You are a person with lots of intercultural attitudes, skills and knowledge and perhaps you could wonder who would admit that they never listen to others as this is something so much out of your way of approaching intercultural encounters. But indeed I have seen many people who admit this for themsleves ie because they feel that it is a waste of energy to be attentive all the time to other people’s feelings etc. However these people may have other strengths and I think this is what makes intercultural experiences so interesting; every time there is something new to learn from a person who sees the world with different glasses.
Once again thanks for your comment and many many thanks for being such a valuable member of the Expat Nest community,
Vivian
Hi Vivian, that’s really interesting actually and demonstrates that even though I got high scores it’s still possible to not understand. It didn’t even cross my mind that some cultures might happily admit to not listening for example because in my culture it’s considered socially unacceptable not to listen for politeness if nothing else! Well you live and learn. Thanks for your illuminating response Vivian.
Carol
Thanks Carol! It is such an important skill that you are open to other viewpoints and cultures.
It is an absolute pleasure to have you here. Many people visit our site every week for insights and inspiration and comments as yours serve this purpose.
Thanks for being such a valuable member of the Expat Nest community!
Vivian
Nice one Vivian
Thank you Abdelrahman!!!
Well above average 9 out 10 times. No surprise to me being a former road warrior and having lived in a multi cultural setting for over a decade here in The Netherlands. With reference to your comment Carol on “who is going to admit they never listen to other people”, it’s rare for me to happen that on the first occasion but on a second occasion and beyond that may well be the case at my end. If in my opinion the other person is merely communicating one way.
Hi Louis,
Thanks for your comment and glad that you have so high scores in this quiz, as a result of your many years living abroad and being open to other cultures.
Brave of you to admit the ‘who never listens’statement and explain the rationale behind it.
Best regards and thanks,
Vivian
I have to improve my critical thinking skills and social consciousness. If I learn to do more research and pull from various sources, I can learn to be more analytical and in turn will be able to put forth a stronger argument when challenged. My scores were higher than they would have been two years ago when we had our Skype sessions.
Hi Lori,
Great having you here! Thanks for your comment and sharing your insights with us. The whole point is to dig deeper and grow and it is great that you see an improvement compared to 2 years ago.
A question which is crucial in intercultural communication and when it comes to diversity is the following: ‘Can you see what I see and can I see what you see?’. I thought to share this with you in case it helps with your goals as described in your comment.
Many thanks and all the best,
Vivian
Dear Vivian,
thank you very much for sharing this valuable quiz. Have included it into my day-to-day work with first/second-time relocating adult clients. Multiple times relocaters are getting stronger and stronger in their skills. Even if my scores are high enough compared to average (if not it would be about time to change profession 😉 I know that there is always room for improvement eg with those exceptions (which get not captured în a quiz) improving mindfully our awareness, skills and behaviours, bit-by-bit, day-by-day.
– Michelangelo at age 87, “I’m still learning”
Hi Regina,
Thank you so much for your comment and glad that you find this quiz valuable!
How great that you added it in your workshop agenda! I use it as well and it is always successful as it gives food for thought and many questions for discussions.
I couldn’t agree with you more on ongoing thirst for learning! Always to dig deeper and grow…
Many thanks for your comment and it is great having you here,
Vivian
Anyone in the intercultural field should score very high in this. If not…???
It works as a good checklist for self-evaluation and in that respect is similar to eg Worldwork International Profiler, if less lengthy and detailed.
One of your commenters mentioned the leading nature of some of the questions: I wonder if there is a way to encourage people to be really honest with themselves – perhaps, by challenging those who go to 100% every time to re-think? “Are you REALLY 100%?” “Do you honestly never fail?” That sort of thing? Or maybe allow discrimination between 80%, 90% and 100%. I think I might have put 95 or 90, had I had the possibility.
Dear Bill,
Thanks for your comment! Interesting points on improving this tool!
Indeed I think if someone is scoring 100% in all questions perhaps this is something to wonder about! Our intercultural skills is a work in progress… Every time to dig deeper and grow!
Many thanks and best wishes,
Vivian