More Engaging Meetings with Cultural Intelligence

How to Increase Meeting Engagement with Cultural Intelligence

If you’re leading global teams or working across cultures, chances are you’ve sat in meetings where participation is low, cameras are off, and you’re left wondering – is anyone actually still there?

This is something I hear time and again from the global leaders and managers I work with. If you’re navigating cross-cultural team dynamics, one thing is clear: your communication skills need to stretch beyond clarity, they need cultural nuance.

In this episode, I explore how developing and applying Cultural Intelligence (CQ) to your meetings can dramatically improve engagement, contribution, and ultimately the meeting outcomes.

What’s Really Going on When People Don’t Speak Up?

It’s easy to assume silence equals disengagement. But that’s not always the case.

Often, the issue lies in culturally-driven behavioural preferences, the ‘unspoken rules’ that guide how people prefer to communicate, contribute, and interact at work. These preferences are shaped by cultural contexts, and unless we take them into account, we risk misinterpreting silence as a lack of interest.

In my work with global leaders, from early career professionals to senior executives, I’ve seen how understanding these behavioural preferences can unlock meaningful, inclusive discussion which encourages more people to join the conversation. 

Let’s explore three key behavioural preferences, as defined as part of the Cultural Intelligence Center’s ten behavioural preferences framework, that could be quietly affecting your meetings.

1. Individualism – Collectivism: Who Speaks Up 

This first dynamic is all about how people see themselves in relation to the team.

Those with an individualist preference tend to value autonomy, are comfortable expressing personal opinions, and often use “I” when they speak. They’re usually quick to unmute, speak up and share their view.

In contrast, those with a collectivist preference may prefer group discussion and consensus before offering their thoughts. They value team harmony and are more likely to use “we” language. They may not speak up unless they’ve had time to align with the group or process what others are saying through initial discussion.

As a leader, recognising this can help you create space for different types of contribution, not just the loudest, most confident or quickest to unmute.

2. Power Distance: Hierarchy Matters

Power distance refers to how someone relates to people who are more senior or junior than them.

In high power distance cultures or contexts, people may feel it’s inappropriate to challenge a leader or even speak up, before they have expressed their view. They might stay quiet in meetings until they have heard from the most senior person in the room, and may only provide an alternative or contrasting perspective in a 1:1 meeting. 

In low power distance environments, people are far more comfortable speaking up regardless of hierarchy. They expect to be involved in decision-making, even early in their career as a junior, and are comfortable disagreeing openly with those who are more senior to them.

If you’re leading a team with a mix of these preferences, it’s vital to consider how hierarchy might be affecting who speaks, when, and how. Are you unintentionally silencing voices by being the first to talk?

3. Monochronic – Polychronic: Time and Priorities

This dynamic is about how people structure their time and manage multiple priorities.

Monochronic individuals prefer structure. They like meetings to run on time, stick to an agenda, and focus on one topic at a time.

Polychronic individuals are more comfortable with flexibility. They may want to shift the agenda based on what’s relevant in the moment and don’t mind multitasking or changing direction, and even extending the meeting time to complete the discussion. 

In meetings, these preferences can create tension. One group may find the discussion frustratingly unstructured, while the other feels stifled by too much rigidity. Without acknowledging these differences, engagement can drop quickly.

Practical Ways to Boost Engagement Across Cultures

So, what can you do about all this? Here are some practical strategies I use with clients to improve meeting engagement:

• Design for contribution: Go beyond asking people to unmute. Use the chat function, polls, or anonymous tools like word clouds to invite input in different ways that feel comfortable.
  
  
• Create smaller spaces: Breakout rooms or small group discussions can help collectivist team members feel more comfortable contributing and creating consensus before a larger group discussion.
  
  
• Encourage asynchronous input: Allow for ideas to be shared before or after the meeting via a shared document or collaboration tool. This helps those who need more processing and reflective time.
  
  
• Clarify expectations: Develop a team communication charter that outlines how meetings will be run, how decisions are made, and how everyone is expected to contribute.
  
  
• Vary who speaks first: If you’re the most senior person in the room, consider holding back. Let others lead or speak first to reduce the impact of power distance.
  

These strategies aren’t about lowering the bar, they’re about raising the quality of your team’s communication, discussion and engagement.

Reflection Questions

• Which behavioural preferences do you recognise in your own communication style?
• What dynamics are you seeing in your team’s meetings, in who’s speaking, and who’s staying silent?
  
  
• What’s one action you could take to create more inclusive and engaging meetings?
  

Build Your Communication Skills for the Future of Leadership

Cultural Intelligence is just one part of the broader skillset every global leader needs to develop for long-term career growth and impact.

If you’re ready to explore how to lead with more clarity, confidence, and cultural agility, download my free resource: Global Leader Impact. It’s a practical guide to developing the communication skills that drive results, whether you’re leading globally, working cross-functionally, or planning your next leadership move.