As the world becomes more accessible and American society becomes more diverse, possession of cultural competence is becoming increasingly important. The chances of leading an organization or work team in which all members think like you, work like you, and have the same values as you are next to none, and ignoring these differences as a leader leads to dissatisfied employees, low productivity, and even lawsuits. Cultural competence is of utmost importance to anyone whose job brings them into contact with other people, whether coworkers or customers.
Cultural competence is broadly defined as having a certain set of values, beliefs, and attitudes that allow one to function and manage well in a cross-cultural setting (National Center for Cultural Competence [NCCC], n.d.). The details of what this looks like vary depending on the field in which one is working.…