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Michigan Business Beat | Fathy Shetiah, 7C Lingo, Part 3 Mastering CQ Strategy & CQ Action

December 12, 2025

Michigan Business Beat

Chris Holman welcomes back Fathy Shetiah, Founder, President & CEO, 7C Lingo, Lansing, MI, to the MBN studio at the Capital Region International Airport, Lansing, MI. This is interview 3 of 3 leading into an upcoming MBN Miniseries that will be hosted by Fathy.

Watch Fathy and Chris discuss CQ Strategy and CQ Action, showing how planning, pausing, and intentional behaviors drive stronger cross-cultural communication in the YouTube video shared below:

Chris had several more questions for Fathy to lead into these topics over a series of interviews for which this is the third.

(Part 3) CQ Strategy & CQ Action (Planning + execution)

CQ Strategy focuses on planning and pausing before responding. How does this step help prevent misunderstandings in cross-cultural communication?

When people feel confident, they sometimes skip the planning stage. Why is CQ Strategy especially critical for leaders and customer-facing roles?

CQ Action is about putting awareness into practice. What does high-quality CQ Action look like in a real business or community interaction?

What are common mistakes people make when they try to “act culturally intelligent” without having a strategy in place?

As organizations prioritize diversity and global engagement, how can teams train or coach employees to move from awareness to consistent CQ Action?”

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Fathy is looking to start a conversation about Cultural Intelligence (besides what is it) would be:

-How is CQ different from just being culturally “aware” or “sensitive”?

-What are some common misunderstandings people have about what culture is?

-What happens when CQ is missing in a conversation or workplace setting?

-Can you share a real-life example where high or low CQ made a noticeable difference?

-What’s a common myth or misconception about who needs Cultural Intelligence?

-How does CQ show up in places we don’t always think about—like in schools, healthcare, or customer service?

-Can you think of a moment where you personally had to adjust your behavior or thinking because of cultural differences?
-What’s one simple way someone listening today could start building their Cultural Intelligence?
-If we could all grow in our CQ, what kind of changes do you think we’d see in our communities or workplaces?

You can pick and choose or throw your own questions in there! There are some in this list that are similar or could be combined.

These ones are specifically tailored to the CQ Knowledge and Drive section:

– Is CQ something people are born with—or can anyone develop it?

– How can someone deepen their understanding of another culture without falling into tokenism or assumptions?

-Why is it important to understand your own cultural lens—not just someone else’s?

-How does CQ Knowledge help in places like healthcare, education, or public service?

-What are some tools or ways people can expand their cultural knowledge without traveling?

– Why do some people lean into differences with curiosity while others avoid or resist them?

– What does it look like when someone has high CQ Drive but low CQ Knowledge? Or the other way around?

– How can organizations or teams help people stay motivated to learn about culture—not just check the box?

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