A Brief Lecture on
Keys to Develop Cultural Intelligence by Dr. Tony Astro
- Curiosity, Capture and Conscious
People read, watch movies, travel and do
their obsession because we are fixated or fascinated about it. That is
curiosity. We are driven by our passion, our interest. We snoop into
something because we are curious about something until we become wary or
conscious about our own culture because there is someone out there that is
different than us.
We start to pry, snoop and become nosy about something so we
can reach and achieve them or at least get to know them. We start to capture some details every chance that we can on our
newfound curiosity and in this blog we will focus on culture, in this
case defined by Merriam Webster
as the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a
particular nation, people, or other social group including the attitudes
and behavior characteristic of a particular social group.
If we really enjoy our travel, we become curious on
certain culture or something unfamiliar to us. This sometimes develop into
inquisitiveness that motivates us to go further into the next
level: Collect and Click.
- Collect and Click
Now we start collecting ideas, read books about what we were
curious about. We surf the internet and social media and join certain
Facebook groups and comment on discussions, purchase gadget on Amazon to expand
our new curiosity or just binge on Netflix for a new series that
captured our imagination.
This not only applies to travel but our encounter with other
groups of people, a certain personality or a YouTube that we stumbled
upon. After we have seen them, we want to see it live, touch them, taste
them and meet them, so we go further: Connect and Create
- Connect and Create
As business owners, we learn that
networking is valuable to get our leads. So, we connect with organizations
like Chamber of Commerce, BNI, BizConnect, Marketing Associations in our
case. But it does not stop there. After two years of connecting, as
passionate as we are in our business, we even go further, not because we don’t
get our leads but as entrepreneurs, we like to experiment – create buzz or
create products or create a group.
In the span of two years we connected to
at least 5 local organizations as members and created new products and services
to sustain or increase our bottom line. After being exposed to many
diverse personality and multi-cultural group, we develop awareness then became
more sociable as we were exposed and immersed in different behaviors and
personalities with multiple “brand” or culture. But we can never be fully
developed or increase in our cultural intelligence or personal brand if we
don’t: cultivate and commit.
- Cultivate and Create
Being raised in certain culture does not
make us an expert unless we really know our culture and be aware of a different
one other than ours. I can attest to that as a Filipino who lived in
the Philippines for 25 years. Not until I went to live to another culture
that I became more aware that I was different, and I need to cultivate my new
American culture that I only see in movies.
We can connect with others but if we don’t nurture this new
connections or newfound relationship by being attentive to them, we cannot
create that deep affiliation or bond that is a much-needed quality in a
business or personal relationship. This rapport with others is the bond
needed to make a better negotiation, enhance communication and success in more
lasting connection that would rally into our goals and personal success in
our: career, commerce and chosen causes.
- Career, Commerce and Community
As a 20-year human resources supervisor
and career counselor and a 10-year entrepreneur who lead a promotional branding
company and two minority (Asian Business) group, I would like to focus on
personal branding (career), marketing or business (commerce) and our ultimate
cause, to serve others (community)– something that we would like to share as
our ultimate legacy – as a way of giving back to the community.
Our identity is shape by our parents, family, belief, groups
– that is our culture. Like a famous shoe who (or what) is known to have a
quality of comfort and design, it was develop through many research, marketing
analysis, presented in different platform of advertising until it becomes known
as Nike.
We have our own swoop, box or logo through how we dress or
present ourselves to the public. Our status or reputation was developed
through marriage, current position, education. Certain brands are only
sold in certain areas, that is branding. What company we worked for or
school we graduated or credentials we have tells about our personal
branding. What we share in Facebook or photos we post on Instagram and
videos we liked on YouTube give clues to “who we are” or what our brand is.
I was involved in many Filipino, Asian, military
organizations and events because of how I was shaped and / or how I look
like. I was invited to speak, join or attend those groups because of my
affiliations. But as we become more aware of other culture (nation,
country, military, millennial, LGBT, senior citizens, etc.) through
curiosity, collection, connection, cultivation and creation – we become a
stronger adherent to other groups, expanding our prospect for success in
business and further realization of our ultimate goals in life and more avenues
to share them to other culture other than ours.
- Culture and Class (our Brand)
Being mindful of our culture or brand is the very
first step in cultural intelligence. Deliberately knowing where we came
from and being expressive about it and discerning of others makes us more
mindful and the beginning of appreciating and understanding that we are
different. But then we become shrewd and perceptive of others. A
common phrase, “I treat everyone the same” is not an excuse to be unbiased and
fairness. It is an expression of disinterest and detachment to
reality. It is not an excuse to being open-minded or balance
but a show of unfamiliarity and obliviousness.
Dr. Tony Astro’s expertise is cultural
intelligence, career development and promotional branding. He has 2
decades of experience as human resources supervisor with Department of the Navy
as Chief Counselor providing administrative support and training to all
hierarchy and equipping organizations and their teams with skills to effectively
work, advance in their career and education within and across multi-cultural
diverse environment of military and civilian environment. He has over 10
years extensive entrepreneurial practice as marketing director of two Asian
Business association and owner of Mvoss Creation Promotional &
Marketing. Tony has traveled in over 50
major cities around the world during his 23 years in the Navy and every summer for
leisure with his family. He conducts keynote speaking to diverse community of
professional associations, university students, entrepreneurs and military
organizations.
He was born to a Spanish mother and Filipino father and
raised in the city of Manila, Philippines. He attended all his 12 years of
education in an all-exclusive Chinese school. He joined the Navy and lived
in Japan for 4 years and in the span of 23 years have been assigned and
deployed in Europe, Middle East, Australia, Asia.
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