In a world shaken by geopolitical tensions and identity questions, intercultural intelligence has become much more than just an asset — it is now a strategic necessity for any company with international ambitions. During a recent roundtable at U-Spring, four experts shared their experiences on this subject: Régis Mulot (Ipsen), Agnès Rémond (7Speaking & Learnation), Thibaut Issindou (Gapsmoov) and Hector-Daniel Hernandez (Thalès). Drawing on principles developed by Erin Meyer in her book “The Culture Map”, they demonstrated how developing intercultural competencies can transform into a genuine competitive advantage.
But what do we really mean by “intercultural”? Beyond simple differences in language or nationality, the concept goes much further in companies operating on the international stage. As Thibaut Issindou from Gapsmoov explains: “there are different cultural layers: national cultures, corporate cultures, professional cultures, and they all intersect. If we take the word ‘innovation’ for example: for a French person, it might evoke creativity and disruption, whilst a German might see methodical perfection and continuous improvement“.
This is why specialists prefer to speak of cultural “gaps” rather than “differences” — an important subtlety suggesting that these variations can become genuine performance levers when properly harnessed.
In the field, these cultural gaps become precious resources when well orchestrated. The example of Thalès is particularly enlightening, as Hector-Daniel Hernandez explains: “in our international projects, we’ve discovered that the true strength lies in cultural complementarity. Take the example of a cybersecurity initiative involving France, the United Kingdom and India: each culture brings a unique perspective — agile innovation, methodological rigour or strategic vision. Intercultural intelligence consists of recognising these different approaches not as obstacles but as complementary assets which, when harmonised, create more robust solutions than a single culture could develop“. This testimony perfectly illustrates how a fine understanding of cultural specificities can metamorphose into a tangible competitive advantage.
To achieve this intercultural intelligence, a progressive journey is necessary. Mastering another’s language certainly represents a first step, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg. As Agnès Rémond points out: “acquiring a language first makes us aware of our limitations, then becomes a gateway to understanding cultural gaps and building common ground“.
The real challenge for international companies lies in their ability to create this famous common foundation, this shared communication base. This is where corporate culture plays a decisive role. The example of Ipsen is particularly revealing: this French company, with its three nerve centres (Paris, London, Boston) and a Swiss-German CEO, has made corporate culture its priority. Régis Mulot explains: “our priority is to clearly define the culture we want to embody“. The objective: “to build a meeting point through the company’s identity, a community sharing values and language, which allows us to overcome national particularities“.
The talents needed to evolve comfortably in a multicultural environment are closely linked to those associated with contemporary leadership. Régis Mulot summarises them: “effective communication, active listening, capacity for cross-cultural collaboration“. Skills that take on capital importance in our hybrid working world, where virtual exchanges can easily become the theatre of cultural misunderstandings.
Ipsen, where half of the 1000 managers lead international teams, adopts a resolutely pragmatic approach: “in the context of work hybridisation, we prioritise physical interactions and actively encourage meetings to facilitate mutual understanding between colleagues from different cultures“. This vision concretely translates into the systematic integration of the intercultural dimension in all leadership training and diversity and inclusion programmes.
As for international mobility, it constitutes a chapter in its own right in this intercultural adventure, requiring tailor-made preparation. “We rigorously select employees destined for expatriation, he continues. Applications are notably evaluated on the basis of their capacity for cultural adaptation and establishing relationships of trust beyond linguistic barriers“. This meticulous approach ensures that employees who cross borders have the necessary assets to immerse themselves and flourish in their new cultural environment.
Pedagogical Approaches and Tools to Cultivate Intercultural Intelligence
Cultivating these intercultural competencies requires specific learning methods. Agnès Rémond identifies three stages: “the first consists of becoming aware of one’s own cultural filters and acquiring knowledge about the specificities of the target country. Then, one must develop the ability to collaborate, ideally through direct meetings. The third, finally, ideally involves immersing employees in the country concerned, possibly accompanied by a language coach to adapt their communication to local cultural codes“.
And when travel is impossible? Gapsmoov has taken up this challenge by developing innovative alternatives. “We offer training accessible remotely for employees who cannot travel“, explains Thibaut Issindou. “Our philosophy is based on the principle that intercultural intelligence concerns all employees“. The company has notably designed the “Culture Decoder”, a tool allowing everyone to discover their own cultural preferences and compare them with the codes of other countries.
Group learning also proves particularly effective in this field. 7Speaking has understood this well by offering thematic collective language courses, open to all regardless of mother tongue, thus creating “a neutral space conducive to common reflection, where the trainer assumes the role of cultural mediator“, as Agnès Rémond explains. A collective dimension that offers participants a benevolent training ground before launching into the deep end of real intercultural interactions.
A significant challenge persists: how to concretely evaluate the impact of intercultural training on the organisation’s performance? “As with most relational skills, objectively measuring progress presents considerable complexity, acknowledges Thibaut Issindou. Currently, we rely mainly on participants’ self-assessment. To obtain a more reliable measure, the involvement of managers in the evaluation process would be necessary.“
Echoing this observation, Hector-Daniel Hernandez shares the approach adopted at Thalès: “although we haven’t found the perfect measure to directly assess the impact of interculturality, we have implemented pragmatic solutions. Our annual opinion surveys integrate questions on collaboration, diversity and inclusion — indicators that indirectly reflect the quality of our intercultural interactions“. This indirect evaluation approach offers a concrete alternative for companies facing the same measurement challenges.
To maximise this impact, experts agree on one point: intercultural training should be accessible to all levels of the organisation. “Traditionally, intercultural training was reserved for expatriates“, observes Thibaut Issindou, who advocates for a more inclusive vision. Agnès Rémond agrees: “it is essential that all employees acquire at minimum a common linguistic base. But beyond language, these people interact in a multicultural context. This is why we recommend extending intercultural awareness to all staff“.
While mastering a foreign language remains the essential foundation for communicating internationally, intercultural intelligence takes us much further. It invites us to understand the implicit codes, deep values and modes of operation specific to each culture, while developing our ability to adapt our behaviour according to the context.
As Agnès Rémond aptly summarises, “the ability to share a moment of informal humour between colleagues constitutes a fundamental element of the richness of intercultural exchanges“. This remark highlights how daily interactions, often neglected in traditional training, can become the invisible but essential pillars of fulfilling cross-cultural professional relationships.
In a world where geopolitical issues are becoming increasingly complex — as illustrated by the striking contrast between the long-term visions of some leaders and the more immediate approaches of other international leaders — developing this intercultural intelligence is imposing itself as a major strategic asset.
The future will undoubtedly belong to organisations that know how to make this dimension a central element of their strategy, thus transforming cultural diversity into a formidable engine of innovation and performance. And in this quest, despite the most sophisticated technological advances, the human dimension will always remain the best asset for “reading between the lines” of cultures and metamorphosing differences into lasting competitive advantages.
The Multiple Facets of Interculturality in Business
But what do we really mean by “intercultural”? Beyond simple differences in language or nationality, the concept goes much further in companies operating on the international stage. As Thibaut Issindou from Gapsmoov explains: “there are different cultural layers: national cultures, corporate cultures, professional cultures, and they all intersect. If we take the word ‘innovation’ for example: for a French person, it might evoke creativity and disruption, whilst a German might see methodical perfection and continuous improvement“.
This is why specialists prefer to speak of cultural “gaps” rather than “differences” — an important subtlety suggesting that these variations can become genuine performance levers when properly harnessed.
In the field, these cultural gaps become precious resources when well orchestrated. The example of Thalès is particularly enlightening, as Hector-Daniel Hernandez explains: “in our international projects, we’ve discovered that the true strength lies in cultural complementarity. Take the example of a cybersecurity initiative involving France, the United Kingdom and India: each culture brings a unique perspective — agile innovation, methodological rigour or strategic vision. Intercultural intelligence consists of recognising these different approaches not as obstacles but as complementary assets which, when harmonised, create more robust solutions than a single culture could develop“. This testimony perfectly illustrates how a fine understanding of cultural specificities can metamorphose into a tangible competitive advantage.
To achieve this intercultural intelligence, a progressive journey is necessary. Mastering another’s language certainly represents a first step, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg. As Agnès Rémond points out: “acquiring a language first makes us aware of our limitations, then becomes a gateway to understanding cultural gaps and building common ground“.
The real challenge for international companies lies in their ability to create this famous common foundation, this shared communication base. This is where corporate culture plays a decisive role. The example of Ipsen is particularly revealing: this French company, with its three nerve centres (Paris, London, Boston) and a Swiss-German CEO, has made corporate culture its priority. Régis Mulot explains: “our priority is to clearly define the culture we want to embody“. The objective: “to build a meeting point through the company’s identity, a community sharing values and language, which allows us to overcome national particularities“.
Developing Intercultural Soft Skills: A Winning Strategy
The talents needed to evolve comfortably in a multicultural environment are closely linked to those associated with contemporary leadership. Régis Mulot summarises them: “effective communication, active listening, capacity for cross-cultural collaboration“. Skills that take on capital importance in our hybrid working world, where virtual exchanges can easily become the theatre of cultural misunderstandings.
Ipsen, where half of the 1000 managers lead international teams, adopts a resolutely pragmatic approach: “in the context of work hybridisation, we prioritise physical interactions and actively encourage meetings to facilitate mutual understanding between colleagues from different cultures“. This vision concretely translates into the systematic integration of the intercultural dimension in all leadership training and diversity and inclusion programmes.
As for international mobility, it constitutes a chapter in its own right in this intercultural adventure, requiring tailor-made preparation. “We rigorously select employees destined for expatriation, he continues. Applications are notably evaluated on the basis of their capacity for cultural adaptation and establishing relationships of trust beyond linguistic barriers“. This meticulous approach ensures that employees who cross borders have the necessary assets to immerse themselves and flourish in their new cultural environment.
Pedagogical Approaches and Tools to Cultivate Intercultural Intelligence
Cultivating these intercultural competencies requires specific learning methods. Agnès Rémond identifies three stages: “the first consists of becoming aware of one’s own cultural filters and acquiring knowledge about the specificities of the target country. Then, one must develop the ability to collaborate, ideally through direct meetings. The third, finally, ideally involves immersing employees in the country concerned, possibly accompanied by a language coach to adapt their communication to local cultural codes“.
And when travel is impossible? Gapsmoov has taken up this challenge by developing innovative alternatives. “We offer training accessible remotely for employees who cannot travel“, explains Thibaut Issindou. “Our philosophy is based on the principle that intercultural intelligence concerns all employees“. The company has notably designed the “Culture Decoder”, a tool allowing everyone to discover their own cultural preferences and compare them with the codes of other countries.
Group learning also proves particularly effective in this field. 7Speaking has understood this well by offering thematic collective language courses, open to all regardless of mother tongue, thus creating “a neutral space conducive to common reflection, where the trainer assumes the role of cultural mediator“, as Agnès Rémond explains. A collective dimension that offers participants a benevolent training ground before launching into the deep end of real intercultural interactions.
Measuring Impact and Anchoring Interculturality in HR Strategy
A significant challenge persists: how to concretely evaluate the impact of intercultural training on the organisation’s performance? “As with most relational skills, objectively measuring progress presents considerable complexity, acknowledges Thibaut Issindou. Currently, we rely mainly on participants’ self-assessment. To obtain a more reliable measure, the involvement of managers in the evaluation process would be necessary.“
Echoing this observation, Hector-Daniel Hernandez shares the approach adopted at Thalès: “although we haven’t found the perfect measure to directly assess the impact of interculturality, we have implemented pragmatic solutions. Our annual opinion surveys integrate questions on collaboration, diversity and inclusion — indicators that indirectly reflect the quality of our intercultural interactions“. This indirect evaluation approach offers a concrete alternative for companies facing the same measurement challenges.
To maximise this impact, experts agree on one point: intercultural training should be accessible to all levels of the organisation. “Traditionally, intercultural training was reserved for expatriates“, observes Thibaut Issindou, who advocates for a more inclusive vision. Agnès Rémond agrees: “it is essential that all employees acquire at minimum a common linguistic base. But beyond language, these people interact in a multicultural context. This is why we recommend extending intercultural awareness to all staff“.
The Human at the Heart of Intercultural Intelligence
While mastering a foreign language remains the essential foundation for communicating internationally, intercultural intelligence takes us much further. It invites us to understand the implicit codes, deep values and modes of operation specific to each culture, while developing our ability to adapt our behaviour according to the context.
As Agnès Rémond aptly summarises, “the ability to share a moment of informal humour between colleagues constitutes a fundamental element of the richness of intercultural exchanges“. This remark highlights how daily interactions, often neglected in traditional training, can become the invisible but essential pillars of fulfilling cross-cultural professional relationships.
In a world where geopolitical issues are becoming increasingly complex — as illustrated by the striking contrast between the long-term visions of some leaders and the more immediate approaches of other international leaders — developing this intercultural intelligence is imposing itself as a major strategic asset.
The future will undoubtedly belong to organisations that know how to make this dimension a central element of their strategy, thus transforming cultural diversity into a formidable engine of innovation and performance. And in this quest, despite the most sophisticated technological advances, the human dimension will always remain the best asset for “reading between the lines” of cultures and metamorphosing differences into lasting competitive advantages.
