In the early part of the 20th century, Carlo Ponzi, stepped off a boat in New York harbor with no money and high hopes. He changed his name from Carlo to Charles and began to assimilate. He eventually settled in and started his quest of the American dream, eventually becoming a con man so successful that today his name is synonymous with white color crime.
How did he do it? How did this man who had otherwise no other knowledge of the American experience and limited language skills trick so many people in a country that was already suspicious of people from his homeland? Sure, he was a good thief, but he also likely had a very high level of Intercultural Competence. He understood people and could empathize with them.
Intercultural Competence is one of the most misused buzzwords in education today. The common assumption is that gaining Intercultural Competence is a process of increased cultural understanding in the form of embracing and celebrating cultural difference. It is thought of as a moral virtue - It’s not.
Putting Intercultural Competence in the box with the other character education traits that we hope our students adopt discounts the power of it as a skill - and one that can be measured, practiced and improved. Having high levels of I.C. means that you, as an individual, can understand and navigate situations of cultural difference effectively. In means that you can drop into new situations with people who are not like you and GET THINGS DONE. It is a transferable skill that makes you a more agile thinker and a smarter person in general.

So while ambassadors, mediators, psychotherapists and successful leaders of international corporations and organizations all tend to have high levels of I.C. and empathy, so do people like Carlo Ponzi who aren’t interested in understanding others for good, but to take advantage of them. It’s not the skill that has moral value, but what you do with it.
So just like any other skill, it needs to be practiced. Spending time with people who are not like you is an essential first step, but it is not enough. We know. We tested it. Consistent growth only comes from deliberate practice and critical reflection, the kind you engage with when working with a trained mentor.
So to all the future Carlo Ponzis out there, please don’t work on developing your intercultural competence. For everyone else, let’s get to work and making the world a better place.