We often talk about company culture, but do we ever pause to ask who gets to shape it, or how we can take meaningful steps forward without tripping over legal fears or falling into silence?

I was invited to speak at Race Equality Matters, where I addressed the often-overlooked experiences of the East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) community.  What stayed with me was how much of our conversation applies to more than one cultural group.  The nuances of ESEA culture—encompassing respect for hierarchy, silence, and collectivism—are also deeply ingrained in our understanding of our role and responsibilities within the company, emphasising the importance of not rocking the boat and maintaining a sense of unity.

It was a balancing act: being respectful to the ESEA voices I was representing, while also being mindful of how my words might resonate with other racialised groups.  Because this wasn’t just a neat Q&A, it was the beginning of a much-needed conversation.

And that is the point.

So many ESEA employees suffer in silence— because they’ve never been invited to speak.  Because their silence is often misunderstood as contentment, it is assumed that if we are happy, we would make a fuss in Western culture to share our thoughts and views.  This perspective is still viewed through one lens and an unconscious cultural misunderstanding.

If we are serious about achieving racial equality and improving mental health in the workplace, we must go beyond token gestures.  Senior leadership, including the Head of People and Employee Experience Manager, needs to make the first move—to create space, ask questions, and listen.  Not in a one-off meeting, but in the continuous culture commitment to make changes for the company’s business growth and progression, and that needs to take place in the office, the breakroom, and the factory floor.

Because the company’s culture isn’t what we write in handbooks – it needs to be experienced.  The company’s culture is dynamic and evolving, allowing us to stay ahead of our employees, as we experience when we venture out of our all-inclusive resort.