The Culturally Intelligent Safety Professional

CQSP S2EP13 From Chiang Mai to F1 & Inclusion with Marsha Ramroop

What a conversation, Marsha always manages to include seriousness, professionalism and fun into every conversation. Before we wrap this episode, let’s reflect on a few key takeaways from my conversation with the incredible Marsha Ramroop: 1. Inclusion Starts with Behavior, Not Identity Marsha emphasized that true inclusion isn't about categorizing others—it’s about examining our own behaviors. This teaches us to Start with introspection to build more inclusive environments. 2. Cultural Intelligence is the “How” of Inclusion Through the Cultural Intelligence (CQ) framework, Marsha showed us how behaviors can be intentionally shaped to drive better outcomes in diversity and safety. CQ really does bridge the gap between intent and impact. 3. Safety Without Inclusion Isn’t Really Safe From PPE fit to fire door accessibility, Marsha unpacked how exclusionary design can undermine safety efforts. In short If your safety practices aren’t inclusive, they’re not effective. 4. Storytelling as a Tool for Change Drawing from her journalism career, Marsha shared how telling unheard stories can shift perspectives and reshape organizational culture. Giving voice to the unheard is how empathy and change begin. 5. Designing for Inclusion = Designing for Everyone Whether in architecture or policy, inclusive design benefits more than just marginalized groups—it creates better systems for all. Inclusion is not a nice-to-have; it’s a design principle for progress.

CQSP S2E12 Beyond the Hijab: Creating Safe Workplaces for Muslims with Dr Hend Zaki

What a though provoking conversation with Dr Hend Zaki, we covered a lot of ground from hijab and handshakes to halal food and prayer rooms and how these realities impact Muslims at work every single day. What’s clear is that workplaces can’t just rely on general diversity policies. To ensure people feel seen and supported, organisations need to embed inclusion into their systems, their leadership, and their everyday interactions. What stood out most to me in this conversation was just how much inclusion depends on curiosity the kind that moves beyond surface-level gestures and into real cultural understanding. Hend’s experiences and research highlight that meaningful inclusion for Muslim professionals doesn’t just happen by accident it requires intention, humility, and structure. Here are five key lessons and actions for health and safety professionals and workplace leaders looking to build more inclusive environments for Muslim colleagues:  Five Key Lessons + Actions for Inclusive Workplaces 1. Belonging Doesn’t Come from Appearance — It Comes from Acceptance Action: Build real connection by getting to know your team personally. Inclusion is felt when people are treated as whole individuals, not stereotypes. 2. Visibility of Difference Must Not Lead to Isolation Action: Educate staff on the diversity within Islam and avoid assumptions. Foster curiosity over judgment — especially around topics like hijab, prayer, and gender dynamics. 3. Support Cultural Needs Through Systems, Not Just Goodwill Action: Formalize accommodations in onboarding kits and HR policies — e.g., prayer spaces, flexibility during Ramadan, halal food at events. Don't rely on employees having to ask. 4. Respect Goes Beyond Handshakes Action: Normalize alternative greetings. Teach teams that gestures like placing a hand on the heart are respectful and rooted in religious values — not a sign of disengagement. 5. Psychological Safety Requires Cultural Intelligence Action: Train leaders to recognize unconscious bias and ingroup/outgroup dynamics. Understand how stereotypes and media narratives may silently shape workplace behavior.

CQSP S2E11 The cultural mosaic of Aotearoa with Dr Dannie

In this episode, I sat down with Dr. Danielle Henry, an organizational leader and cultural intelligence expert, to explore how leadership psychology and empathetic practices shape workplace culture. We talked about the mosaic of cultural backgrounds present in every organization, and the need to build systems that support, not just demand our best efforts. From her reflections on global project work to her bold take on the “dark side” of cultural intelligence, Dannie brought deep insight and a grounded honesty to the table. Whether you’re in the boardroom or out on site, this one’s packed with truths worth holding onto.  Here are my 5 key takeaways  CQ Goes Beyond Culture Days Don’t let cultural awareness be a checkbox. Create real, immersive opportunities for people to engage with different worldviews, celebrating culture days is great, but go beyond that to help your workers truly understand the why behind their values and norms. 1. Wellbeing Requires Systems, Not Perks Massages and gym passes are nice, but what your people really need are integrated support systems: regular opportunities to give your brain a break, through mindfulness sessions or mental health breaks that aren’t guilt-ridden. 2. Middle Management is the Culture Bottleneck Senior leaders might “get it”, but culture lives and dies with middle managers. Train and empower them with CQ tools, not just policy handbooks. 3. Don’t Confuse Knowledge with Competency Knowing about a culture isn’t the same as leading effectively across difference. Competency means applying that knowledge with nuance, respect, and humility. 4. Burnout is a Leadership Issue, Not Just an HR One When your caregivers are exhausted, your system is failing. Make wellbeing for health and safety professionals a strategic priority, not just a wellness week initiative.

The CQSP S2E10 Work as Family, Safety as Learning: Cultural Intelligence in Action” with Moni Hogg

What a pleasure to speak with Moni, the conversation wasn't just about safety—it was about systems, culture, and the courage to do things differently. My key findings and lessons from this discussion include: 1. Work is Adaptive, and not Just about Compliance Moni shared how early career experiences taught her that safety of work isn't about ticking boxes, it’s about understanding the real-time complexity of work. → Lesson: If you want to improve safety, start by understanding how work actually happens, not just how it's written in procedures. 2. Learning Teams Unlock Real Performance Moni’s work with learning teams has shown that collaboration leads to better decisions, stronger controls, and more engaged teams. → Lesson: Safety professionals must become facilitators of learning, not enforcers of rules. 3. Cultural Intelligence Builds Real Trust In projects like the one with Pacific seasonal workers, Moni highlighted that meaningful engagement starts with cultural respect and humility. → Lesson: To truly engage people, you need to first understand—and value—their worldview, not just impose your own. 4. Power Means Responsibility to Adapt Moni emphasized that those in leadership or facilitation roles must recognize their influence and adapt to others—not the other way around. → Lesson: If you hold power—perceived or real—it’s your responsibility to create space for others, especially in multicultural settings. 5. Safety I and Safety II Are Not Opposites Using a powerful analogy, Moni likened Safety I and Safety II to Russian dolls—each layer adding value, not replacing the one before it. → Lesson: Don’t wait to “perfect” Safety I before trying new approaches—Safety II is not a replacement; it’s an evolution. Moni's message is a challenge and an invitation: to stop chasing perfection, and instead start learning—alongside your teams, within your systems, and across your cultures. If we want safer, smarter, and more connected workplaces, this is the path forward. For more of Moni's work see her book Discovering the New Vioew of Safety Using Learning Teams and the Horticulture NZ Case study using Learning Teams at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNmO_3nE4TQ

The CQSP S2E9 - Blind Spots, Brave Voices, and the Power of CQ Strategy with Trisha Carter

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 Awareness Description: 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 Strategy Description: 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 Workplaces Description: 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 Leadership Description: 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 Action Description: 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.