Uniting Cultures with Culture Helix
Culture Helix is a tool for leaders of organizations operating in an international environment. Culture is a strong but abstract force that, when handled wisely, turns into cutting-edge skills and practices. The Culture Helix tool offers vital support for managing culture in any process by pinpointing the essential steps, skills, and aspects required.
MINDSET
Adopt an open and curious mindset! The first step in the Culture Helix model focuses on a global mindset, which is essential for any fruitful intercultural interaction. We are self-aware, curiosity-driven, mentally agile, aware of cultural differences, and empathetic towards others with this mindset. Some people naturally have a high degree of these social skills. The good news is that it is possible to develop a global mindset, and many of us can still improve some skills.
INSIGHTS
In the second step of the model, we map and analyze cultural aspects. Using a broad definition of culture, we examine what factors influence the situation or what perspectives we can use for more productive and creative collaboration. We also identify our common ground that will serve as the foundation for our cooperation. We can map the cultural context through dialogue and using different sources of information. These can be psychometric tools, research-based or empirical.
LEAVE THE BOX
The third step of the model is to scrutinize the sources of information from the Insight phase. We also need to question our cultural lens. In this process step, we apply critical thinking on both these points. Do we interpret the information correctly, or do we make faulty assumptions? Are there misconceptions that will affect how we use the information we gained in the Insight step? We need to ask ourselves these questions but also consider our sources. Are they reliable, or do they contain biases or other weaknesses? After evaluating our perceptions and sources, we might need some additional input before proceeding to the next step.
BRIDGING
The fourth step is where the magic happens! Bridging is the action of co-creating a third way or culture. Bringing their different perspectives to the table, the team creates the solutions together. This practice leads to people feeling included and fosters creativity and innovation. Not every situation calls for co-creating new ways of working; sometimes, we only need to be aware of and respect differences. Other times, we need to support someone to be fully understood and in their full capacity as a team member.
APPLY SOLUTIONS
In the fifth step, we implement the solutions we co-created in the bridging effort. It is paramount to evaluate the outcome. We must ask ourselves: Did it turn out the way we wanted? Was everyone’s contribution valued equally in the process? Did we have enough accurate information? We might need to go back to previous steps in the process, which may not be a linear experience.
TRUST
In the epicenter, we find Trust. Trust should be present throughout the whole process, as it is the prerequisite for a successful operation. Building trust in a team takes conscious effort, and it needs to be monitored and revisited.
There are three levels of trust to consider.
- The human connection is achieved by building relationships, exercising empathy, and identifying common ground.
- There are cultural differences in what we value while building trust. We need to identify those and bring them to the surface.
- We all have personal requirements for feeling trust. These need to be articulated and shared.
If you want to know more about the Culture Helix, click this link to read the full article about the model.
FUNDAMENTALS AND ACTION STEPS
Some of the tool's steps are fundamentals, others are action steps, and a couple are part of both. Mindset, Insights, and Leave the box are Fundamental steps; those are cognitive steps, thus requiring thinking power. Mindset has an Action part as we need to work on and develop our mindset through conscious actions. Bridging and Apply Solutions are Action steps where practices are crafted. Trust is also part of both Fundamentals and Action as it has emotional and cognitive components but requires actions to maintain.
It is essential to underline that the steps do not need to be strictly linear. We might need to hone our social skills or gather more information once we reach the Action section and go back to previous steps. Here, we completed the Culture Helix journey. I hope you found it a helpful tool in your own intercultural interactions.
Thank you Charlotta Brynger, for sharing your model in this article. Each month, we feature one of our Jonathan Warner community members on Linked-In and on our website, giving them the opportunity to write about their expertise. Follow our LinkedIn company page to stay updated.
