My Taiwanese client has fallen in love with ChatGPT. For him, it's been such a game-changer. He can now communicate his thoughts at a leadership level in written English in-depth and fast.
What's not to love about that?
The speed and efficiency that ChatGPT brings to our communication is, for those who've long lived as 2nd language speakers in a world where English is the international language of education and business, a relief and welcome advantage. Even for native speakers of English, the ability to effectively use AI-generated content for professional use is increasingly valuable, if not necessary.
So, if the global playing field for written communication is leveled, where - if at all - do culturally intelligent communication skills factor in?
According to David Livermore and Okthalia Adams, "Managers who use AI with cultural intelligence will outperform everyone else."
Why?
According to the authors, AI defaults to the dominant cultural values embedded in its training data, which often results in generic responses aligned with Western norms.
For example, my Taiwanese client noticed in an AI-generated email to a Japanese client that his suggestions - during a negotiation process - were written directly as a list of options. While this may be polite and explicit in some cultures, for many in East Asia, it may be more effective to be a little less direct, and leave some space for the other party to share their suggestions without having to disagree with yours.
Through our coaching sessions, my client has developed greater cultural awareness of both Taiwanese and Japanese communication styles in English, so he was able to tell the bot how to adjust: what style to use, which tone was appropriate, as well as to avoid stereotypical cliches about 'Japanese negotiation'.
By spending the extra time doing this, he was able to get a much more nuanced, culturally appropriate version of an email that he could send to his client for better results.
"Managers who apply cultural intelligence when interacting with AI don’t just create more effective, inclusive content—they help shape the AI’s ability to generate more inclusive responses in the future. While AI won’t replace managers, those who wield it with cultural intelligence can lead more effectively, build deeper connections, and drive lasting success in an increasingly globalized world." - link to the full article here
How are you combining your Cultural Intelligence with your use of AI?
Contact me for leadership and teams' East-West communication performance coaching and training - 2025 slots are filling up fast!
Comments