Why do Australians feel so comfortable challenging their boss?

I had a very interesting conversation this week, about workplace culture in Australia. We were talking about the 'return to the office' campaigning that is being lead by the government - with (anecdotally at least) many workers being highly reluctant to return to the office. Even though bosses were asking them to.

Which brings us on to the phenomenon of Australian culture, and our hatred of hierarchy. In most other cultures, hierarchy is respected, revered, or at a minimum, adhered to. You would never challenge or disagree with your boss in Japan. In fact I've heard from friends working in ad agencies in Asian markets that this lack of being able to do anything other than accept the opinion of your boss has lead to projects progressing to near completion, only to be undone by someone higher and having to start again. So it has its flaws.

But what about Aussies? Our boss says come back to office after working from home, we don't see it as an order, we see it as a starting point for negotiation. We feel entirely comfortable in saying 'no', 'maybe' or 'why not' to virtually any direction we're given, and I have a theory on this.

I actually think it's tied up to our tall poppy syndrome. Which in itself is arguably a legacy from when our convict forefathers who, once they served their terms, were given land grants and roles in government. Fellow convicts were quick to remind them - you're no better than us mate, pull your head in. And so, the Australian culture of giving stick to the people in charge was born.

It's something that people who come from international markets can struggle to adjust to. Certainly, doing a secondment in Australia can be a culture shock! But I personally love that we have this dialogue, that all people are held accountable by their peers, seniors and subordinates, and that we have a constant reminder that indeed, Australian culture as we know it is largely due to our convict and prostitute forbearers. Oi, oi, oi.

Contact me for ideas on running a 'How to Challenge Appropriately' workshop in your office.