Bridging Divides

Introduction: The Growing Need for Cultural Intelligence

During a recent podcast, writer and INSEAD Business School professor Erin Meyer shared a story about traveling to Japan to promote her book. During one of her appearances, Erin asked the audience (through a translator) if anyone had any questions. No one raised their hand. The question was repeated. Still, no one raised a hand, but the Japanese translator silently scanned the audience. The translator soon gestured to a man in the crowd, who proceeded to stand up and ask Erin a very thoughtful question. Soon, more audience members were plucked from the crowd to ask questions, despite the fact that not one person raised their hand. This perplexed Erin, who later asked her translator how she had identified people in the audience. The translator explained, “It had to do with how bright their eyes were. In Japan, we generally don’t make direct eye contact, so look for the people who give you direct eye contact.” For the remainder of her book tour throughout Japan, Erin applied this lesson, successfully calling on audience members to speak up—all because she now understood to look for direct and “bright” eye contact.

This story highlights the increasing importance of understanding that not everyone communicates in similar ways, and there are a variety of behaviors that may not match our own. Also called “cultural intelligence,” the ability to effectively understand and adapt to diverse contexts has always been important—especially for those who work in multinational contexts. But cultural intelligence is becoming increasingly important domestically, throughout all levels of an organization and across all industries, including the credit union space. 

The U.S. Census shows the younger populations of this country are more culturally diverse than previous generations, and immigration drove population growth at the fastest rate in over two decades in 2024. Acquiring more cultural and communicative intelligence isn’t just an optional skill—it’s a necessity that’s needed both now and into the future. 

One of the first lessons in cultural intelligence is to become aware of our own communication skills—how we express our ideas, thoughts, and questions in ways that are befitting the situation. Cross-cultural communication is the process of recognizing both differences and similarities among groups to engage appropriately and effectively within a given context. It is a type of cultural intelligence that calls for more than an awareness of languages, nationalities, or cultural differences (e.g. Japanese vs. American differences in making eye contact, or knowledge of a foreign language). Cross-cultural communication also entails an awareness of how other identities such as gender, age group, class, or educational backgrounds have an influence on how we communicate.

Cross-cultural communication entails being consciously aware how we modify our communication styles (verbally and unspoken) throughout the day, according to our audience and what we’re trying to accomplish at the moment. Even if the only language we speak is English, there are a variety of ways we speak it—because our regional, class, educational, and other demographic factors have an influence over how we speak English. It’s also worth noting that the act of shifting from one dialect/language to another—code switching—is a normal part of our everyday lives. In fact, to be able to code-switch is a unique skill to be admired, as it requires us to do the quick “mental math” of evaluating our audience, our purpose, and the status/age/identity of whom we’re speaking to. 

As credit union professionals, we may find ourselves modifying our communicative styles when we:

• Use a tone of voice that we deem “friendly” to show that we’re happy to help our members.
• Modulate our voices to a lower register to give a sense of authority or sense of confidence when speaking during a formal staff meeting. 
• Code-switch and use a dialect that more explicitly reveals our regional, cultural, or class backgrounds when speaking to our most trusted friends and colleagues.
• If we are bilingual, switch to another language or dialect (Spanish, French, Cantonese, etc.) when serving a member who feels more comfortable speaking in their native tongue.   

Yet for each of the examples above, it’s worth bearing in mind that these communicative features are all relative and not necessarily universal. From a young age, our lessons in what is a “friendly” or “authoritative” tone of voice, what is considered an appropriate amount of eye contact, or how much direct criticism one should give to another person are just some of the many communications lessons we pick up from the communities we spend time in. 

For example, my Filipina immigrant mother often bristled at customer service reps who would take on a high-pitched voice when she interacted with them. My mother interpreted this modulation of voice as fake or disingenuous, while I, her American-born daughter, simply thought these employees were being friendly. Her preference was often for the “no-nonsense type” of staff members you might come across at the local DMV or post office; these clerks might be interpreted as “stern,” and engaging in small talk with them is rare.  This was one of the first instances in which I realized that not everyone interprets politeness in the same way. 

Dimensions of Diverse Communication Styles

What does this have to do with the credit union space? Whatever role you play in your organization—as a leader, manager, member-facing employee, or other member of the team—it’s important to be cognizant of how we may unconsciously reinforce a narrow type of communication style, positively reinforcing only specific styles of speech and expression over others. This can have serious implications:

1. Exclusion and Reduced Engagement of Members: Members who don't naturally align with the favored communication style may feel unheard, misunderstood, or even unwelcome. This can lead to decreased engagement with your services, reluctance to ask questions or voice concerns, and ultimately, potential loss of membership. 
2. Limited Understanding of Member Needs and Perspectives: Staff members who are aren’t actively attuned to the variety of communication styles may miss out on valuable information and diverse perspectives expressed in other ways. This can hinder their ability to fully understand members' needs, identify potential problems, and offer tailored solutions. 
3. Stifled Innovation and Problem-Solving: Internally, if this behavior is prevalent, it can discourage staff members with different communication styles from sharing their ideas and perspectives. This can stifle creativity and limit the range of solutions considered for challenges, ultimately hindering the credit union's ability to adapt and innovate effectively.
4. Reputational Damage and Perception of Bias: Over time, if members and/or employees consistently feel their communication styles are not valued, it can lead to negative word-of-mouth and damage the credit union's reputation. The credit union may be perceived as exclusive, out-of-touch, or even biased towards certain demographics or communication preferences. This can erode trust and make it harder to attract and retain members and staff from diverse backgrounds.

How can we be more expansive in our repertoire of communication? What are ways to ensure we stop this unconscious bias in its tracks so that we can begin to enhance our cultural intelligence?  

The first thing to know is that it’s unrealistic to study up on all the styles of communication that exist; even within certain cultural groups there’s a lot of variety. The key is acknowledging and being more open to a variety of speaking, listening, and responding. For example, an employee who tends to be quiet during staff meetings shouldn’t be discounted as a potential leader—seek ways to let them shine in non-verbal ways through written reports or by giving them a chance to share their ideas through shorter pre-scheduled presentations. 

Once we are aware that diverse communication styles exist, we have the ability to show genuine inclusion of a wider cross-section of our community. When we can accept a person’s mode of communication may not match our own (with the exception of blatant hostility and disrespect), we are putting our cultural intelligence into practice. 

Best Practices for Effective Cross-Cultural Communication

To enhance member interactions, try:

• Active listening and demonstrating empathy. Be aware of the ways you’re encouraging members to openly discuss their financial situations. Some members may be put off if you’re asking too many questions and prefer that you silently listen and affirm their statements with a simple head nod or smile. 
• Constant conversation is not always perceived as active listening. Be open to practicing a variety of ways of demonstrating that you understand and empathize with the member.  
• Provide information in accessible formats such as printed brochures or via a QR code with more detailed information they can review at home. 
• Provide translations in commonly used non-English languages (if/where feasible). This can be accomplished by hiring more bilingual staff or providing a 24-hour hotline where member service representatives can use translation services in a wider variety of languages.
• Be mindful of nonverbal cues and their cultural interpretations—just because it doesn’t match our preferred style doesn’t mean it’s a personal affront to you.

To embrace cross-cultural communication within our internal teams/staff:

• Make time to ask for ideas and input. This can be done during meetings, but be sure to invite others to express their ideas over email afterwards—sometimes people need time to process and gather their thoughts.
• Promote cultural sensitivity training for staff by scheduling regular and ongoing learning opportunities. Volunteer opportunities are also a great way to gain more exposure to the diversity of your community.
• Build diverse teams by actively seeking out people who can contribute different perspectives, lived experiences, and viewpoints to enhance your processes, products, and services in ways the credit union had not thought about before.

Embracing Diversity Through Communication

Cross-cultural communication is a vital skill for credit union professionals because the demographics of our communities showcase the wide array of lived experiences among the members we want to attract. In addition, credit unions that have a diverse staff from a variety of backgrounds are likely already developing their staff’s cultural intelligence without even realizing it. By embracing more diverse and inclusive communication styles, we’re building stronger and more sustainable credit unions and communities.

Dr. Jennifer Esperanza serves as Senior Director of Organizational Culture and Strategy at Coopera Consulting. Leveraging two decades of experience as a trained anthropologist researching and teaching about the relationship between culture and economics, her work is centered around improving the financial lives of consumers across a variety of backgrounds. She leads staff trainings, facilitates strategy sessions with organizational leaders, guides credit unions in innovating their products and services for today's market, and consults with those undergoing mergers and leadership transitions.

Prior to joining Coopera in 2021, Dr. Esperanza spent 17 years as a professor. An award-winning instructor, she taught courses in sociology, anthropology, linguistics, and economics. She has taught at NC State University (NC), Southwestern University (TX) and Beloit College (WI). Dr. Esperanza holds a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Linguistics at the University of Southern California, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology from UCLA. She serves on the board of the Wisconsin Humanities Council, on the United in Sustainability Network of credit unions, and is a co-founder of HAPICUP (Hawaiian, Asian, Pacific Islander CU Professionals). An avid storyteller, she has performed live at storytelling showcases such as The Moth and 80 Minutes Around the World, and gives workshops on the importance of storytelling to corporate and non-profit organizations.