Understanding the Australian workplace as a person of colour

Growing up, I didn’t always notice the ways I differed from my environment. In my first primary school, nearly 80% of my classmates were Vietnamese, so I didn’t feel particularly out of place. Even while studying psychology at university, I was aware of the lack of diversity, but it really wasn’t until I entered the workforce that I truly started to feel the cultural differences to my colleagues.

These differences first showed up in casual conversations about our weekends, where I realised our lifestyles and family dynamics varied significantly… But as I delved further into my professional life, I began to notice these cultural contrasts playing out in deeper ways – through our communication styles, views on authority, and approaches to emotional expression. Learning to identify and name these differences helped me understand that these experiences weren’t simply a “me” problem. Here are a few insights I’ve gathered on this journey:

1. Communication Styles

In my Vietnamese-Australian household, communication was often indirect and required reading between the lines – a hallmark of many collectivist cultures. For example, if my dad decided to make food such as bánh bao, getting out the steamer was an unspoken signal that he expected help. If we didn’t pick up on this, he’d be frustrated - even though he hadn’t explicitly asked for assistance.

In the Australian workplace, however, direct communication is the norm. Speaking up in meetings, clearly stating your accomplishments, or even asking for a pay rise are all seen as essential skills. In Western cultures, particularly those with more individualist tendencies, being vocal and direct is valued and encouraged. I initially found it quite foreign and met some internal resistance when trying out this different communication style.

2. Power Distance

Power distance describes how different cultures perceive and interact with authority. Growing up, I was taught to respect and defer to elders and authority figures, a common value in high power distance cultures. For example, when visiting family, it was respectful to greet the eldest person first and work your way down the room.

In Australia, a low power distance culture, it’s more common – even expected – to be casual and friendly with superiors. I once received interview advice that to succeed, I’d need to pass the “airport test,” - i.e. would a senior leader feel comfortable spending extended time with you without losing interest?. In other words, casual rapport with superiors was essential to success. And this felt very different from my ingrained habit of reverence towards authority figures.

3. Emotional Expression

Australian and other Western-dominant cultures tend to be emotionally expressive, which often means displaying emotions openly on one’s face. In contrast, some Asian cultures are less likely to express emotions outwardly. Research even shows that individuals from some East Asian cultures, while less expressive externally, may experience the same or heightened levels of physiological arousal (like increased blood pressure) when feeling emotions.

This cultural difference once showed up in feedback I received at work, where I was told to “be less robotic.” My natural expression was interpreted as flat or disengaged in a setting where more overt emotion was the norm.  As a sensitive person, it was quite difficult hearing all this feedback at first (I didn’t express it, but felt it all internally!!)

Finding Balance Between Cultures

Navigating the balance between being true to my own identity and meeting the unspoken expectations of a Western workplace hasn’t been easy… but doing this deep dive into understanding myself has been worthwhile. For anyone else on this path, remember you’re not alone and we can work together to find a way forward!