Cassone, Marco Draft CQ Self-Assessment March 22, 2013.

COMPARED OR RELATIVE TO YOUR PEERS....

Id never begin a reflection paper with, Since this isnt graded. The value of the feedback to me was a function of the honesty and clarity I used in answering the questions. Whether a person likes highly structured work vs playing it by ear, or working alone vs with others, has nothing to with personality type. Neutral may not be a good substitute for OD students answering context-dependent questions that leave them thinking, It depends. I believe it is important to support the ideas of those who have more authority than I have (well, excluding the time Russian military police stopped me and a group of Americans to demand all our cash). Since assessment questions were heavily based on peer comparison, my above average scores tell me that relative to the rest of the world, I compare myself to my peers more effectively than they do. I shouldnt discriminate against my culturally-unintelligent peers, because judging is wrong. And bad. I just need better peers. Before taking this assessment, I was curious and open-minded about whether an online survey could objectively escape its own biases. After taking this assessment, Im still curious and open-minded about whether an online survey can objectively escape its own biases. Voicing my uneasy reaction to this assessment in a sarcastic manner is a form of denial. As is denying denial. Yep, there I go again. At least this assessment got me fired up about cultural perspectivism.

Strongly Moderately Slightly Slightly Moderately Strongly Neutral Disagree Disagree Disagree Agree Agree Agree

Cassone, Marco Draft CQ Self-Assessment March 22, 2013.

I have to admit, I was in a scrappy mood when I took this

You wouldnt know from my luke-warm assessment

assessment; Id just gotten a parking ticket, which colored my attitude. Honestly, I do value and appreciate the subject of intercultural sensitivity, but this assessment annoyed me. ! Not to brag, but Im no stranger to the world. I speak two,

scores that I LOVE exploring the world and have earned an education that has included art, music, romance languages, philosophy, the behavioral sciences, ancient history, and world religions, including Christianity, Catholicism, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Shamanism. And Im proud to be in the LG that has the most diversity to have to accommodate. ! So why then does an assessment like this make my skin

write four, and have introduced and concluded concerts in six languages. I have traveled ve continents and lived on two; toured through Europe, SE Asia, and N Africa many times (almost 30 countries in total). Before my life in performing arts education, I facilitated corporate and institutional diversity trainings. SO I GET IT. And personally speaking, Ive been discriminated against for many isms based on sexual orientation, skin color, age, status, physical attributes, career, who I hang out with, and most recently, how I think. As a kid on the playground, I got beat up for being ethnic and smart, yet later passed up by the UC School System for not being ethnic during the days of afrmative action in California university admissions.

crawl? Maybe its the same thing that doesnt feel right when people of privilege and entitlement trouble themselves with political correctness Remind me what is it you people like to be called? but unconsciously excuse themselves from remembering to care at a basic human level. ! I remember a story of an Asian boy who grew up in a

wheel chair. Life wasnt easy before, but when he immigrated to the US, he felt like he disappeared. In Asia, everyone had always expressed natural, politically-incorrect yet authentic curiosity, staring at and approaching him to see if hes okay.

Cassone, Marco Draft CQ Self-Assessment March 22, 2013.

In the US, however, nobody looked at or talked to him for fear of cultural insensitivity, or rather, cultural unintelligence. In the US, THE BOY DID NOT MATTER as a human being. ! I suppose what doesnt sit right with me is the inauthentic

world peace. Its his heart that connects more powerfully than any cultural intelligence quotient could ever predict. ! As our report states, Cultural Intelligence (CQ) is the

capability to be effective across a variety of cultural contexts (e.g. national, ethnic, organizational, generational, etc.). Since Western academic culture values intelligence, this is a normative perspective unaware of its own bias, as if theres one best way to be culturally sensitive and effective. What does a high CQ person do traveling through backwater, low CQ lands like the Ozarks, where displaying advanced CQ characteristics is the heighth of insincerity and insensitivity given local norms, attitudes, and social mores? ! What we are talking about here is Cultural Perspectivism:

and presumptuous nature of those who edit themselves on my behalf so as not to offend as if they know me and my preferences; as if their high CQ score is more important than my voice in the matter or than engaging in healthy dialogue about their lack of comfort with our differences. ! Its weird to imagine a continuum of human behavior

measured through context-dependent questions and peer comparison (as if my peers are homogenous and easy to generalize). Its even weirder to think this continuum predicts effectiveness. Case in point years ago I volunteered for His Holiness, The Dalai Lama. I can tell you this guy doesnt change diet, mannerisms, speach pattern, orange Tibetan monk attire, or what he stands for to accommodate anyone. Yet hes one of the most effective human beings alive considering his accomplishments over a lifetime dedicated to

a lens for assessing and evaluating human behavior that happens to be contemporary and politically correct enough that it cant see its own lack of objectivity. And, to me, its got all the hallmark self-importance of a model with a big ego. ! This reection is humbly submitted with all due respect to

those fostering greater cultural sensitivity in the world.

Cassone, Marco Draft CQ Self-Assessment March 22, 2013.

Addendum ! So this is a rst a peer-requested rewrite of a non-

in my position. This is the true place for me to mine to learn about my cultural intelligence or ignorance, as it may be. ! Half of my years in school included study of a romance

graded assignment; testament to the quality of our cohort. Having a weekend to reect on both what I wrote as well as on the amazing urry of dialogue, Ive gained perspective. Incidentally, this is exactly how I work I reect and write from a self-as-instrument point of view. Not with instrument dened as a delicate measuring device offering data about the outside world, but more from the perspective of instrument as source or muse channeling new music or statement to be shared and tested. ! For me to fully understand myself against any backdrop, I

language; a signicant part of my life was spent traveling or living abroad. If Im not careful, these can create in me overcondence; I must remember to come to culturally diverse situations with beginners mind accessing my ignorance (Schein). I can stand to improve my working knowledge of negotiation and conict management abroad, as well as of local socio-political factors and business practices. ! Core to who I am as a performer, I have room to grow in

making sure to actively listen before I engage and to inquire before advocating. There is so much more of the world to explore if let go of assumptions and pre-judgments about myself and about how much I presume to know. So I am grateful for the CQ assessment, as it has reawakened me to what I have been taking for granted and to how much more there is ahead for me to learn and grow.

must fully listen to and restate for myself whats stirred up with me, for we live life forward, but understand it backwards, as Kierkegaard wrote. I certainly have a lot to glean from my writing earlier and from the reaction to it: I can identify resistance, I can see deection and avoidance of doing the requested assignment, I can feel a certain level of suffering