10 International Competencies

International Competencies

Openness

New Thinking

Open to new ideas and ways of understanding

‘In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few.’Shunryn Suzuki

Welcoming Strangers

Proactive in getting to know different people

‘A man's feet may be planted in his own country, but his eyes should survey the world and its people.’ George Santayana

Acceptance

Readily accepts people and behaviours that are different

‘We must have strong minds ready to accept facts as they are; rather than how we would like them to be.’Harry S. Truman

International Competencies

Flexibility

Flexible Behaviour

Changes behaviour to fit in

‘We cannot change anything unless we are flexible enough to accept it.’Carl Gustav Jung

Flexible Judgment

Keeps an open mind

‘Minds are like parachutes - they only function when they are open.’Sir James Dewar

Learning Languages

Puts effort into learning and practising languages

‘The limits of my language should not be the limits of my world.’Ludwig Wittgenstein

International Competencies

Personal Autonomy

Inner Purpose

Guided by clear values and sense of direction

‘Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve. He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind.’

Leonardo da Vinci

Focus On Goals

Concentrates on achieving objectives despite distractions

‘You've got to be careful Eeyore; if you don't know where you are going you might get lost.’A. A. Milne 'Winnie the Pooh’

International Competencies

Emotional Strength

Resilience

Bounces back after failure

‘Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again.’Jerome Kern

Coping

Equipped with effective ways of dealing with pressure and stress

‘If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it;and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.’

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

Spirit of Adventure

Eager to try new experiences

‘Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.’T. S. Elliot

International Competencies

Perceptiveness

Attuned

Sensitive to non verbal means of communication

‘The most important thing in communicating is to listen and hear what’s not being said.’Peter Drucker

Reflected Awareness

Aware of the impression he/she makes on other people

‘Mirror Mirror on the wall, am I the fairest of them all?’Prussian nursery rhyme

International Competencies

Listening Orientation

Active Listening

Ensures proper understanding

‘He who does not understand your silence will not understand your words’Elbert Hubbard

International Competencies

Transparancy

Clarity of Communication

Uses clear and straightforward language

‘Crystal is like language because the best glass is transparent and crystal clear; so it is with language’Beatrice Ward

Exposing Intentions

Clarifies the what, how and why of intended actions

‘When you present your own ideas clearly and specifically - you significantly increase their credibility.’Stephen Covey

International Competencies

Cultural Knowledge

Information Gathering

Takes time to find out about other cultures

‘To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.’Chinese Proverb

Valuing Differences

Openly expresses appreciation of differences

‘Greetings. I am pleased to see we are different. May we together become greater than the sum of both of us’

Traditional Vulcan Greeting, Star Trek

International Competencies

Influencing

Rapport

Sets people at ease and builds trust

‘You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.’Golda Meir

Range of Styles

Adopts influencing style to suit the audience

‘Among giants be a dwarf; among dwarfs be a giant, but among equals aim to be an equal.’Stanislaw Jilec

Sensitivity to Context

Seeks out the real decision makers

‘To know the pains of power, we must go to those who have it; to know its pleasures,we must go to those who are seeking it.’

Charles Caleb Colton

International Competencies

Synergy

Creating New Alternatives

Uses cultural differences to synthesise new options

‘The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time,and still retain the ability to function.’

F. Scott Fitzgerald