u/Glum-Dark281

I moved from India to the US earlier this year, and one adjustment I didn't expect had nothing to do with the work itself. It was learning how to interpret workplace communication.

A few months ago, I shared a draft with my manager. She looked it over and said, "This is a good start. Maybe we can make it a little more customer focused."

I left the meeting thinking she liked it overall and just had one small suggestion.

A few days later, another teammate asked if I was planning to rewrite it. I was confused because I thought my manager had been pretty positive.

My teammate laughed and said, "When she says 'good start,' it usually means she wants a much bigger revision than it sounds like."

That surprised me because I understood every word she said. What I missed was how the feedback was being delivered.

Since then, I've realized that adapting to a new workplace isn't just about speaking English. It's also about learning how people give feedback, soften criticism, and communicate expectations.

I'm still learning, and I've definitely gotten better at asking follow-up questions instead of assuming I understood everything the first time.

For other immigrants working in the US, what workplace communication habit took you the longest to figure out?

I moved from India to the US earlier this year, and one adjustment I didn't expect had nothing to do with the work itself. It was learning how to interpret workplace communication.

A few months ago, I shared a draft with my manager. She looked it over and said, "This is a good start. Maybe we can make it a little more customer focused."

I left the meeting thinking she liked it overall and just had one small suggestion.

A few days later, another teammate asked if I was planning to rewrite it. I was confused because I thought my manager had been pretty positive.

My teammate laughed and said, "When she says 'good start,' it usually means she wants a much bigger revision than it sounds like."

That surprised me because I understood every word she said. What I missed was how the feedback was being delivered.

Since then, I've realized that adapting to a new workplace isn't just about speaking English. It's also about learning how people give feedback, soften criticism, and communicate expectations.

I'm still learning, and I've definitely gotten better at asking follow-up questions instead of assuming I understood everything the first time.

For other immigrants working in the US, what workplace communication habit took you the longest to figure out?

I won't go into every single detail because it'd be a wall of text, but my boss used to be in the same role as me before he started his own company 4 years ago. The way he speaks to me sometimes, the things he asks of me after hours and on my personal time... you'd think the guy never worked for anyone in his life.

Here's the thing. I know his character. I've known him a long time. If he were in my shoes right now, he would never accept this. Not in a million years. And yet here he is, demanding it from me. It's like owning a business just... corrupts people somehow.

Anyway, yesterday I stood my ground. Without any warning, I parked the company vehicle in front of his house, took a taxi home, and texted him: "I'll come pick it up once you're willing to speak to me properly and ready to see my side of things. Oh and you can cancel any future invitations for company parties or meetings. I have plans."

Heard nothing for 5+ hours. Then he sent me this huge text listing everything he's "done" for me since I started. Like that changes how he's allowed to treat me. Yeah great, you bought me some gear. That means you can treat me like shit? I don't think so.

His wall of text ended with "it's all a misunderstanding."

I haven't replied yet. Letting him soak a little.

I won't go into every single detail because it'd be a wall of text, but my boss used to be in the same role as me before he started his own company 4 years ago. The way he speaks to me sometimes, the things he asks of me after hours and on my personal time... you'd think the guy never worked for anyone in his life.

Here's the thing. I know his character. I've known him a long time. If he were in my shoes right now, he would never accept this. Not in a million years. And yet here he is, demanding it from me. It's like owning a business just... corrupts people somehow.

Anyway, yesterday I stood my ground. Without any warning, I parked the company vehicle in front of his house, took a taxi home, and texted him: "I'll come pick it up once you're willing to speak to me properly and ready to see my side of things. Oh and you can cancel any future invitations for company parties or meetings. I have plans."

Heard nothing for 5+ hours. Then he sent me this huge text listing everything he's "done" for me since I started. Like that changes how he's allowed to treat me. Yeah great, you bought me some gear. That means you can treat me like shit? I don't think so.

His wall of text ended with "it's all a misunderstanding."

I haven't replied yet. Letting him soak a little.