Polly Collingridge, UK General Manager, Cultural Intelligence Centre
Shared from: https://hrnews.co.uk/how-cultural-intelligence-can-help-solve-hrs-toughest-problems/
HR is facing a culture crisis. Engagement is falling, burnout is spreading, and polarisation is at an all-time high. And these issues aren’t performance issues; they’re cultural.
As teams become more global, hybrid, and diverse in thought, even the best people leaders are finding it challenging to connect and communicate effectively. So what tools do we have to navigate this new reality?
Enter Cultural Intelligence (CQ), a practical and measurable skill that helps people connect, communicate, and collaborate in an increasingly complex world. And it could be just what the HR world needs right now.
The Current State of Play:
Let’s take a closer look at some of the cultural forces creating friction in today’s workplaces. According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2025 report, only 10% of UK employees feel engaged at work, placing the UK well below the European average. This disengagement can manifest as low motivation, or what’s become the buzzword of the decade: quiet quitting.
At the same time, HR leaders are navigating increasingly complex team dynamics. Many organisations now span multiple generations, geographies, and nationalities, each bringing different expectations around communication, hierarchy, and collaboration. Without the right skills, these cultural gaps can quickly erode trust and connection.
Layer onto that the polarisation emerging inside workplaces — from differing views on religion or identity to debates over what it really means to “bring your whole self to work.” The results can be tense, with 21% of Brits reporting they feel anger at work each day.
CQ as a Leadership and Teamwork Skill
This is where Cultural Intelligence (CQ) becomes invaluable. CQ isn’t another HR framework or buzzword, but a practical leadership and teamwork skill that helps truly tackle these cultural challenges head-on.
In simple terms, CQ is the ability to adapt, communicate, and make effective decisions across different cultural contexts, whether those differences stem from nationality, geography, or generation. It adds that extra layer of depth and nuance needed for other training initiatives, like allyship and psychological safety.
The benefits are tangible and meaningful, too. Research consistently shows that CQ:
- Boosts engagement and innovation: Teams with higher levels of CQ report greater employee engagement and what researchers call ‘constructive deviation’ (meaning when employees choose to challenge norms or take initiative in ways that ultimately benefit the business). Essentially, CQ creates the conditions where people feel confident enough to speak up and offer better solutions.
- Lead diverse teams more effectively: Leaders who develop CQ are better equipped to motivate and manage culturally diverse teams. Research shows that as teams build CQ over time, there is a positive relationship between their motivational facet and academic performance.
- Reduces conflict and builds stronger teams: CQ has been shown to increase emotional intelligence, which reduces conflict in teams.
- Reinforces inclusion and combats bias: CQ also supports DEI goals by helping individuals recognise and manage bias in decision-making. It encourages fairer, more culturally aware practices that strengthen trust across the business.
Together, these outcomes show that CQ isn’t just a ‘nice to have’, it’s a performance driver that underpins the effectiveness of modern organisations.
Practical Steps for HR Leaders
So, where can HR leaders focus their efforts to bring Cultural Intelligence into their strategies? The goal here isn’t to launch another standalone training program, but to make Cultural Intelligence part of the everyday language, something that shapes how people connect, collaborate, and make decisions across the entire organisation.
- Start by embedding CQ in all employee development initiatives – not just leadership. While leadership buy-in is vital, CQ shouldn’t be limited to those at the top of the business. It’s most powerful when it’s shared across the workforce. At Barts Health NHS Trust, for example, more than 1,400 employees (including 325 senior leaders) have completed CQ training, part of a broader ambition to make Cultural Intelligence a standard across the organisation.
- Use CQ to address today’s pressing problems:
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- Preventing Burnout: Build empathy and understanding into day-to-day work discussions. For example, a culturally intelligent manager might spot that some team members see long hours as a sign of commitment, while others view it as a sign of poor planning. By discussing these perspectives openly, teams can prevent burnout before it takes hold.
- Addressing Disengagement: Strengthen connection through cultural understanding. For example, encouraging team check-ins that explore how people prefer to receive feedback can reveal subtle differences and create a stronger sense of inclusion and motivation for employees.
- Polarisation: Rather than being reactive, a culturally intelligent leader might start a potentially divisive discussion by asking, “Can you tell me more about what that means for you?”
- Measure outcomes: Focus on behaviors and team dynamics, how well teams collaborate across differences, resolve conflicts, and build trust. The most meaningful CQ outcomes are behavioural changes.
A Call to Rethink
As HR leaders continue to navigate increasingly complex and challenging work environments, perhaps it’s time for a rebrand, a shift in how we think about culture and engagement, viewed through the lens of Cultural Intelligence. When embedded thoughtfully, CQ doesn’t just develop better leaders; it helps build more connected, resilient, and culturally fluent organisations.
Learn more about the Cultural Intelligence Centre at culturalq.co.uk
Polly Collingridge, UK General Manager, Cultural Intelligence Centre
December 2025