What a great honour to speak with Trisha a real early adopter of CQ, our conversation explored the pivotal moments that shaped Trisha’s career, including her early insights into organizational dysfunction, her transformative experiences living in China, and her work helping individuals and organizations build cultural intelligence (CQ). We discussed the real-world applications of CQ in workplace safety, leadership, and organizational effectiveness, highlighting how metacognition and awareness of cultural dynamics can help professionals navigate complex multicultural environments more effectively. Here are some of my takeaways.1. Shifting From Assumptions to AwarenessDescription: Trisha shares how living in China revealed the limits of her Western-centric organizational psychology training, sparking her journey into cultural intelligence.Lesson: We need to recognize that our existing frameworks may not apply universally. Building CQ starts with acknowledging and addressing those blind spots.2. The Power of Metacognition in Cultural StrategyDescription: Trisha emphasizes the importance of helping people reflect on their thought processes (metacognition), especially in navigating cultural differences consciously rather than reactively.Lesson: This teaches us that Leaders can improve cross-cultural interactions by teaching teams to pause, reflect, and plan their communication strategies rather than relying on instinct alone.3. Navigating Power Distance and Voice in Diverse WorkplacesDescription: The discussion highlights how employees from high power distance cultures often struggle to speak up in flatter, low power distance environments like Australia or New Zealand.Lesson: What the learning?, Organizations should create psychologically safe spaces where contributions from all team members are expected, valued, and supported, helping them build the confidence to participate fully. 4. Bridging Cultural Dynamics in Safety LeadershipDescription: The episode explored how safety protocols often clash with cultural expectations, such as the assumption that leaders will ensure safety on behalf of the team.Lesson: Safety professionals must balance procedural compliance with cultural sensitivity by adapting their communication and leadership styles to different cultural mindsets.5. Moving From Diversity Statements to Culturally Intelligent ActionDescription: While organizations often promote diversity publicly, true impact happens when cultural intelligence is developed at every level—from executives to frontline supervisors.Lesson: Our final lesson, It’s not enough to "tick the diversity box." Building an inclusive culture requires investing in CQ capabilities across all levels of the organization, ensuring everyday behaviors match the stated values.The discussion with Trisha unpacks how recognizing blind spots, practicing metacognition, navigating power dynamics, blending safety with cultural sensitivity, and turning diversity talk into daily action can transform how professionals thrive in multicultural environments.

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