Meeting a kangaroo on the beach!

Of what little travels I have done so far in life, I was lucky enough to meet a diverse people, oh boy I love to say “a People”, and noted some of the big etiquette differences between international business cultures. So after the german, and the Chinese lets peep into the Australian brain! So here’s part three of the “meeting with” series. Australia!

A while ago I had to report to some clients hailing from the land down under. A bloody good chance for my000 research into cross-cultural communication. I noted the tendency of Australian managers to swear in meetings. It got me wondering about so many surprising elements of their business culture, so I simply asked some foreigners what takes them aback about working in Australia. Here’s a gist of what I found.

First, on the swearing.

Profanity has a natural place in the Australian vocabulary. It’s regularly used in workplaces to express frustration, used to exaggerate for effect, or just for humor. For example, “bastard” is frequently a term of friendliness or endearment and isn’t really considered swearing. But saying this, gauge the room and the people that you’re dealing with. Ermm …You wouldn’t drop the f-bomb in front of gran, or a conservative executive.

Australians often talk about race in a specific way.

Australians are proud of their Multi-Culti environment, but people are also proud of their own heritages. Playful ethnic references can be used by people to describe their background. For example, it is not unusual for a person whose parents are from Greek, Lebanese or central European backgrounds to refer to themselves or their family as “wog”. This can really shock visitors.

On the flip-side it’s never acceptable to address someone or refer to them by a racial name – it’s reserved for self-reference.

It’s rude to sit in the back of a taxi if you’re traveling on your own.

This comes down to “mate-ship”, the term for the culture of equality in Australia. You can have a chat with anyone, even a stranger, and therefore be courteous and sit next to the guy doing you favor. Someone I know from the UAE says: “Aussies are some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met. They’re happy to start up friendly conversations with total strangers”.

Australians might be laid back, but being late is uncool.

Tardiness won’t win you favors. But being too early can come across as annoying. Overall, just don’t waste people’s time. Know when you’re meeting, and be prepared and keep it short, sharp and simple. Just like our german friends.

Casual conversation is expected at the start of a lunch meeting.

While we like to keep office meetings short and sharp, getting straight to the point at a business lunch could be seen as being too aggressive. If a person is taking the time to leave the office, it’s expecting it to be a relaxed and genuine catch-up where you have the opportunity to talk about common interests or topical subjects.

Australians socialize after work a lot.

While a Friday night drink after work might be the norm in many countries, in Australia the day of the week doesn’t define when you socialize. A few beers after work at the local pub offering “tight-arse Tuesday” pizza or pastas is totally fine.

Australians get 20 days of annual leave a year.

This is a divisive issue, depending on where you’re from. Amis (our friends from the beloved US) are shocked at how many holidays people in Australia get, while the British are appalled (hehehe). One of our English colleagues said: “For a laid back country, 20 days of holiday is shocking! The supposedly ‘more uptight Brits’ get 25 as standard- and up to 30 in many places”.

They don’t cause a fuss…

The laid-back attitude of Australians flows through most aspects of life and, to outsiders, people can seem surprisingly relaxed in stressful situations. One English colleague was pleasantly surprised to find we will happily (and politely) queue for anything like a typical “Punekar”. Transport, food, at ATM’s, for tables in restaurants etc. For a country known for being ‘laid back’ the no-fuss order/structure is great.”

… but don’t confuse this with a lack of a work ethic.

Australians regularly feature in the lists of countries with the world’s longest working weeks. There’s even a well-worn saying for hard work – “hard yakka” – and it’s a badge of pride. Low levels of fuss are a way of keeping things on an even keel while getting things done.

Office romances are OK.

It’s not considered a big deal to be in a relationship with a colleague. This can freak out some foreigners, particularly Americans and Indians. As long as you’re professional during office hours and remain transparent, people don’t care whatever the hell it is that you do with your spare time.

Shoes are optional.

It’s perfectly acceptable to go to the shops or walking around your local area without them, which can freak people out. It’s also OK to wear thongs (sandals or flip-flops) while walking to work {I see what you did there ( wink wink, thongs to work? LOL) snap out of it}
. Whether it’s the warm climate or our lack of interest in being cramped up in heels or suit shoes, Australians often will bring their work shoes in a bag and put them on when they arrive at the office , I have literally seen them do this!

It’s likely you’ll sometimes see more of colleague than you bargained for.

Seeing your work colleagues or business contacts at the beach on the weekend, and in their bikinis or board-shorts, is pretty normal. The same can be said for Lycra, as riding to work is a popular mode of transport for those who work in the major CBDs or central business districts.

Care is needed with greetings involving kisses.

Most European countries kiss at least twice, once on each cheek when greeting or saying goodbye to someone. This is not on in Australia. In fact it is totally OK to simply offer a handshake, particularly in the case of a business meeting. You would not welcome a client with a kiss. In a social setting or once you get to know each other better, a peck on the cheek becomes acceptable between members of the opposite sex. (*note to self* JUST A PECK!)

Alcohol plays a big part in the culture.

Exhibit A: The Prime Minister is seen smashing in a few beers at a cricket match recently while chatting to a senior businessman. Yes, there’s work socializing mentioned above, but the open consumption of alcohol can rattle people from some cultures. Australians don’t binge drink, it’s just a thing that they do. Umm.. All the time.

The amount of rules and regulations can be intimidating.

I wonder why but there’s a lot of government in Australia. National workplace safety laws called Occupational Health and Safety, or OH&S, lead to important reporting rules on spills or the most minor of injuries sustained at work. It can be very difficult for companies to dismiss staff – sackings on the spot are practically unheard of. On the positive side there are firm rules governing discrimination and inter-office behavior to ensure everyone gets along and gets on with their jobs. There are all sorts of strictly enforced rules around outdoor cafe seating, smoking in public places, opening hours for restaurants and bars, and door policies.

Australians are exceptionally well-traveled.

If you’re visiting Australia, your complaints about your long-haul flight won’t receive much sympathy over here. Australians have to travel hours on a plane to get anywhere outside of the country. Even Australia’s favorite holiday destinations involve hours of air time – New Zealand is three hours away and Bali is six hours from Sydney.

I hope this helps in time of need mate!

The Waterman