debbie - The Arab Culturalist

Cultural Intelligence for Kids?

September 13, 2018March 13, 2021debbieNo Comments

Cultural Intelligence (soft skills) or CQ has fast forwarded into mainstream teaching at many top colleges and universities including Harvard and Cambridge. Why? Because the education needs of this generation of students are rapidly changing, and Cultural Intelligence is no longer a “nice to have” but a “need to know”. And, it is something best developed at a young age along with other skills like critical thinking. So, how can we incorporate CQ into our classrooms? Firstly, for those out there who are unfamiliar with the terminology, CQ or Cultural Quotient is the measure of our ability to thrive in multi-cultural environments. It’s our ability in many ways to feel… Read More

Diversity & Inclusion Strategies Success = Changing Mindsets

July 13, 2018March 13, 2021debbieNo Comments

How can Emiratis, HR Departments, Managers and Stakeholders develop the mindset to achieve success with their Nationalization strategy? In the GCC the nationalization of the workforce is thought to be an integral part of every country’s growth strategy and sustainability goals. And in the UAE, the government has an ambitious plan to reach 20% Emiratization of the workforce as part of the its strategic sustainability plan 2021 (Dubai) and plan 2030 on the federal level. To put it simply, it is part of a plan to shift the mindset of its citizens away from dependence on government employment, to being fully vested in private sector enterprise. I mention mindset purposefully,… Read More

Ramadan Perspectivees

May 13, 2018March 13, 2021debbieNo Comments

Ramadan is the name of the ninth lunar calendar month. As the lunar year is 10 days shorter than the seasonal calendar, Ramadan falls at the same time every 33 years. What takes place during this month is a spiritual practice called fasting, prescribed by the Lord of humankind, and can be found mentioned in Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism.

Unconscious Bias

October 13, 2017March 13, 2021debbieNo Comments

But the fact remains that there is an underlying deeper type of bias called unconscious bias, that still pervades. Is it a part human nature to be biased towards something, someone or some group? If so, then how can we “go against” human nature, spotting unconscious bias so that we can work towards eliminating?

What Kind of Human Being Are You?

August 13, 2017March 13, 2021debbieNo Comments

A sincere effort to understand ourselves, our neighbors and communities is essential to intercultural coexisting and to eradicate prejudice. Culture is everything and everything is culture.

Building UAE Chinese Relations through Shared Culture

March 13, 2017March 13, 2021debbieNo Comments

Do great minds think alike? Not really. The best way to connect with someone is to get to know what we have in common. We often on a first meet look for commonalities in the small talk and social cues before we get down to any serious business. Companies may have a common purpose or goal to collaborate for a mutually beneficial outcome, but that’s not always enough. Getting to know one another, the stakeholders in an organization and mutual comfort zones, makes the difference in doing the deal. When it comes down to two competing equally skilled companies for the same bid or contract, the “people element is crucial”.… Read More

5 Ways to Spot Cultural Differences

April 12, 2016March 13, 2021debbieNo Comments

Frequent communication breakdowns
Gossipy and Suspicious workplace environment
Projects fail to meet deadlines or are completely off the mark
Frequent hiring and re hiring for the same position
Diversity strategies that are out of sync with your corporate culture

Who is the Arab Culturalist

April 2, 2016March 13, 2021debbieNo Comments

At the Arab Culturalist our aim is to educate about the basic facts that bring about a better understanding between cultures. We look for the similarities in all of us, we are human at the end of the day; same race, same species. It is a fact that we have become very technologically advance and reached a point of extreme ease in the way we can connect and work together across the globe. At the same time, we lack of true understanding of the basics about one another which divides us. Adding to this is the negativity in media vigorously promoted in the last decade. Peaceful societies are creeping backward… Read More