Being bold and brash in a workplace is not an easy skate.

That’s especially true if you grew up in a family where laying low, keeping to yourself, and becoming invisible was a way of survival, as it was for Jessica Chen, a global communications expert and author of the new book, “Smart, Not Loud: How to Get Noticed at Work for the Right Reasons.”

“When my parents emigrated from Taiwan to the US, they carried with them little to nothing,” Chen wrote. “From day one, they got to work quickly, quietly, and diligently. The promise was that as long as they worked hard and didn’t cause trouble, they would succeed in building a good life.”

Their values of stability over risk-taking, saving over indulgence, and safety over unpredictability governed everything they did, and they expected the same behavior from their children.

So, when Chen entered the workplace, she brought with her those “quiet culture traits.” But staying quiet doesn’t jive with how to get ahead and be a leader in most corporate cultures.

“If you don’t speak up, chances are you’re passed over for new assignments and promotions,” Chen told me. It’s “loud culture” traits that typically propel careers, in her view.

“Workers who might be on the more shy, timid, and quiet side need to be empowered,” she said. “And assertive, extroverted, charismatic co-workers need to better understand their quieter colleagues and the culture they were raised in. It's beyond just being an introvert and extrovert.”

Here's what Chen had to say about navigating cultural differences at work, edited for length and clarity:

Kerry Hannon: What is the “quiet culture?”

Jessica Chen: For those who grew up in a quiet culture, the types of traits and behaviors are putting your head down and working hard, not making waves, not seeking the spotlight, not putting yourself out there, and certainly avoiding conflict.

And the “loud culture?”

It’s the flip side. It is speaking first in meetings, showcasing yourself and the work that you're doing and not being afraid of conflict.

These are the workers who have a level of fluidity and ease, a sense of self-confidence when speaking, believing it’s better to share thoughts and add in two cents, rather than stay silent in meetings. Western workplaces value those who speak up so much that these people are generally perceived as having more leadership qualities.

In many global workplaces, there tends to be that emphasis on the loud culture and people getting noticed if you embody those traits. But there's a whole group of folks, including myself, who grew up with a quiet culture. And now that we're in this new context, we feel stuck.

Why is it so important to make ourselves visible in the workplace?

There are two sides to those of us in the quiet culture. First, our ability to work hard — things like getting things done, hitting your deadlines, hitting your goals, performance. But the other half is the one we don't talk about as much, communicating in the workplace by building visibility, advocating for ourselves, asking for what we want, and even things like public speaking.

For many of us, we were taught to do the first thing: study hard, work hard, get a good job. But when we enter the working world, for a lot of us, it’s culture shock. I have found it doesn't matter how smart you are or how hard-working you are, if people don't know what you're doing, you're not going to be top of mind for the biggest opportunities.

You write, "What is rewarded is time spent building rapport and strengthening relationships." Can you elaborate on that?

I wrote this book for my quiet culture folks and that line specifically because it's not easy for us to do. We tend to get assigned a project and work in a silo to get it done, but that’s not what gets you noticed and ahead at work. It's not just about doing the work. It’s how you work with other people and build more connections.

Being smart about managing conflict is huge in getting ahead in our careers. What's your advice here?

For many of us, especially in a quiet culture, we were taught to avoid conflict. Part of the reason why is because there's this emphasis on trying to maintain a harmonious environment. I hear a lot of folks say that they were raised to think and act that way, including myself. A more intentional way is to take a step back and go, wait a second, something happened here. Maybe there's a mistake. Maybe there's a miscommunication.

Instead of shying away, you have to push yourself to communicate what happened to someone and keep people in the loop. How you handle conflict can either help or hurt your credibility. The thing that can truly shatter someone's credibility is actually hiding behind problems.

Tell me about your acronym A.C.C.T.?

It's all about advocating for yourself. Here’s what the letters stand for. A — ask for what you want. C — circle back because oftentimes, you won't get what you want the first time. C — is for celebrating your wins because you can't assume people are going to know about it. T — is for turning down some requests because it's a way of protecting your time and being able to focus on the things that really matter.

Confidently speaking to a group is a big part of succeeding in the workplace, but that can be hard for someone who comes from the quiet culture. What are some of your favorite tips to help here?

Public seeking was terribly scary for me. I tend to be more introverted and shy. But it’s a skill and people absolutely can get better at it. It’s a mindset switch.

Don't think about it as this is a high-stakes presentation or the number of people there. Once your mind focuses on that, it takes away from you being that impactful and engaging communicator. Think about it as if you’re having a one-on-one conversation with every single person in that room and you’re sharing something you're excited about.

Why did you write this book now?

I never found a book that was written for the people who were raised with the quiet culture traits. A lot of the communication books that you read are things that are teaching you how to be more assertive, how to be more dominant, how to speak up. It's not about necessarily doing those things. It’s how you can hold on to the quiet cultural traits that you've been taught, and you've been raised with but expand who you are through better communication. That’s when it effectively becomes a superpower.

Kerry Hannon is a Senior Columnist at Yahoo Finance. She is a career and retirement strategist, and the author of 14 books, including "In Control at 50+: How to Succeed in The New World of Work" and "Never Too Old To Get Rich." Follow her on X @kerryhannon.

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