After three months of studying, working, and commuting in London, one aspect of the culture that I noticed was different from the US was the openness in conversations surrounding what I typically see as “sensitive” topics in the US. Politics, religion, and money are three main areas that I usually see avoided, especially in the workplace, in the United States, whereas in London, my coworkers and even my supervisor were more than happy to share their opinions and ask mine on these subjects. As the UK has seen the death of Queen Elizabeth and a series of revolving prime ministers in the past couple of months, coupled with an extreme cost of living crisis and growing numbers of those experiencing homelessness, there was certainly a wide range of conversations surrounding the current political climate.
When I first started my internship, with a nonprofit focusing on providing aid to those experiencing homelessness, my coworkers and supervisors shocked me with their openness when talking about decisions made by the government, on both a local and national level. They did not filter their comments as I would expect people in a US workplace to do, and it was something that caught me off guard, even having learned that this type of conversation is more common in the UK. They also asked me my opinions on US politics and government, which is something frowned upon at home, and something that I wasn’t expecting. This being said, after my initial reluctance to share my own thoughts or join in on these conversations, I realized it was entirely normal for my coworkers and a practice that could help me build a better relationship with them. Though I wouldn’t bring this type of conversation home to the US workplace, I enjoyed the honesty and openness while working in London.
If someone from the UK were to look at my experience and thoughts on this topic, I believe they might be a bit confused about what the big deal is. The US is known for free speech, and citizens are known to be up-front, not shying from sharing their thoughts and opinions, so it might seem counterintuitive that in the workplace, we do not tend to share these opinions so openly (of course, it depends on the workplace, situation, and existing relationship with coworkers, but as a general rule, politics are avoided). Even my coworkers seemed a bit confused when I initially held back from sharing my thoughts during conversations about government policies, decisions, and even the state of their existing systems, such as universal healthcare.
In future scenarios, I feel like this cultural difference, as well as many others I experienced when living in London and traveling to several different countries throughout my time in Europe, have prepared me well. When initially leaving for London, I honestly wasn’t expecting many differences in the UK which left me a little unprepared for the differences I did experience. After three months, however, and having experienced life in a different country, as well as visiting three other countries while in Europe, I feel much better prepared for future experiences in cultures different from my own. Even if they catch me a bit by surprise, I have learned to be more adaptable and flexible to these types of new experiences.