Topic Understanding

Workplaces bring together people with different cultures, languages, religions, family structures, identities, traditions, communication styles, and life experiences. That diversity can be a strength, but it can also create misunderstandings when people assume that their own experiences are universal.

This is where cultural humility in the workplace becomes important.

Cultural humility is more than learning facts about different cultures. It involves continuing to examine your own assumptions, recognizing that you cannot know everything about another person's experience, and approaching differences with curiosity, respect, and a willingness to listen.

That mindset can influence everyday workplace interactions—from how managers communicate with employees to how coworkers handle differences in communication, holidays, family responsibilities, religious practices, and personal identity.

It also matters for mental health.

Work-related stress can affect emotional well-being, and research has linked workplace discrimination with psychological distress. At the same time, social connection, belonging, supportive relationships, and psychologically safer work environments can contribute to healthier workplace experiences.

This article explains what cultural humility means, how it differs from cultural competence, why it matters for workplace mental health, and what employees and organizations can do to practice it in realistic ways.

Key Highlights

• Cultural humility is an ongoing process, not a checklist of facts about different cultures.
• It encourages people to examine their own assumptions and remain open to learning from people whose experiences differ from their own.
• Workplace discrimination, exclusion, and poor social relationships can contribute to stress and psychological distress.
• Cultural humility can support more respectful communication and may contribute to environments where employees feel heard and valued, although research specifically measuring cultural humility and workplace mental-health outcomes is still developing.
• Individuals can practice cultural humility through listening, asking rather than assuming, reflecting on biases, and responding respectfully to differences.
• Organizations also have responsibilities: individual self-awareness cannot replace fair policies, supportive leadership, inclusive communication, and meaningful action.

What Is Cultural Humility?

Cultural humility is an approach to interacting with people whose cultural backgrounds or experiences may differ from your own.

The concept was introduced by health researchers Melanie Tervalon and Jann Murray-García, who distinguished cultural humility from the idea of simply becoming "competent" in another culture. Their framework emphasized ongoing self-evaluation, recognition of power differences, and institutional accountability rather than treating cultural knowledge as something a person can eventually master.

In practical terms, cultural humility involves asking:

• What assumptions am I making?
• Could my perspective be shaped by my own cultural background?
• What might I be missing about this person's experience?
• Have I actually listened to what they are telling me?
• Am I treating my own way of doing things as the "normal" way?
• What can I learn from this interaction?

The goal is not to become an expert on every culture.

That would not be realistic.

Instead, the goal is to develop the habit of approaching differences with curiosity rather than certainty.

Cultural Humility vs. Cultural Competence

The terms cultural humility and cultural competence are sometimes used interchangeably, but they describe different ideas.

Cultural competence generally emphasizes developing knowledge, skills, and awareness that can help someone work effectively across cultural differences.

Cultural humility places greater emphasis on ongoing learning and self-reflection. It recognizes that cultures are complex and that an individual cannot fully understand another person's experience simply by learning general information about their cultural group.

For example, imagine a manager learns that an employee's culture places a strong emphasis on family responsibilities.

Cultural competence might encourage the manager to learn about that cultural context.

Cultural humility takes the next step:

"I understand that this information may help me, but I should still ask this individual what their circumstances and preferences are rather than assuming I already know."

That distinction is important because people are not representatives of a stereotype.

Two employees who share a nationality, religion, language, or ethnic background can still have very different values, personalities, family structures, and experiences.

Why Does Cultural Humility Matter in the Workplace?

Work is not separate from mental health.

People spend substantial portions of their lives working, and workplace conditions can influence stress, relationships, psychological well-being, and life outside of work. NIOSH reports that chronic exposure to occupational stress can worsen mental health and that work-related psychosocial factors can contribute to psychological harm.

That makes the interpersonal environment at work important.

A workplace where employees regularly feel misunderstood, stereotyped, excluded, or unable to express concerns can become an additional source of stress.

By contrast, workplaces that encourage respectful communication and social connection can create conditions that support belonging and worker well-being. NIOSH specifically identifies inclusion, belonging, worker voice, supportive relationships, and equitable practices as relevant to social connection at work.

Cultural humility is one way individuals can contribute to those healthier interactions.

It is not, however, a substitute for organizational responsibility.

Cultural Humility Can Improve Everyday Communication

Cultural differences can affect how people approach:

• Direct versus indirect communication
• Eye contact
• Personal space
• Feedback
• Authority
• Conflict
• Time and scheduling
• Family responsibilities
• Religious observances
• Professional relationships
• Group decision-making

These differences do not automatically create problems.

Problems can arise when one person's communication style is treated as the only appropriate style.

For example, consider an employee who is quieter during meetings.

A manager could assume:

"They aren't engaged."

A culturally humble approach might be:

"I notice you haven't had much opportunity to speak. Is there a way I can make these meetings more comfortable or useful for you?"

The second approach does not assume that the manager already understands the reason for the behavior.

It creates space for the employee to explain.

CDC/NIOSH guidance on inclusive workplace communication similarly emphasizes respectful language, representation, trust, belonging, and psychological safety.

Cultural Humility and Mental Health

The connection between cultural humility and mental health is not simply about making people feel comfortable.

Workplace experiences can affect psychological well-being.

For example, a longitudinal U.S. study of 1,546 workers found that higher levels of reported workplace discrimination were associated with greater psychological distress at follow-up, even after adjustment for demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related factors.

This does not mean that every difficult workplace interaction causes a mental health condition.

It does show why workplace experiences deserve attention when discussing mental health.

Repeated experiences of being stereotyped, dismissed, excluded, or discriminated against may become an additional source of stress.

Psychological Safety Matters

Psychological safety refers broadly to whether people feel able to speak, ask questions, express concerns, or contribute without expecting interpersonal punishment or humiliation.

Research on humility in workplace relationships has found an association between coworker humility and relationship-specific psychological safety. In one study, psychological safety helped explain the relationship between humility and perceived performance.

This research is not specifically a study of cultural humility, so it should not be interpreted as proof that cultural humility directly causes better mental health.

However, it provides a useful workplace insight:

How people respond to one another can influence whether others feel safe enough to participate openly.

That matters when employees are discussing mistakes, asking for help, expressing concerns, or navigating differences.

What Does Cultural Humility Look Like at Work?

Cultural humility can sound like a complicated professional-development concept.

In practice, it can be very ordinary.

Instead of assuming, ask

Rather than assuming how someone celebrates a holiday, manages family responsibilities, or prefers to communicate, ask respectfully when the information is relevant.

Instead of defending yourself immediately, listen

If someone tells you that something you said felt dismissive or culturally insensitive, the first response does not have to be an argument.

You can listen, ask for clarification, and consider what happened.

Instead of saying "I don't see differences," recognize them

Treating everyone exactly the same does not always account for different circumstances or barriers.

Recognizing differences does not require stereotyping people.

It means being willing to understand individual needs.

Instead of expecting one person to educate everyone, take responsibility for learning

An employee should not be expected to repeatedly explain their entire culture or identity to coworkers.

Individuals and organizations can take responsibility for their own learning.

Instead of trying to be perfect, remain open to correction

Cultural humility does not require never making a mistake.

It requires being willing to recognize mistakes, learn from them, and adjust.

Practical Examples of Cultural Humility in the Workplace

Example 1: Religious Practices

An employee requests flexibility around a religious observance.

A culturally insensitive response might assume the request is unusual or inconvenient.

A culturally humble response might focus first on understanding the request and then exploring what workplace options are available within organizational policies.

The important distinction is between asking respectfully and making assumptions.

Example 2: Communication Style

A supervisor notices that an employee rarely interrupts during group discussions.

Instead of interpreting silence as a lack of confidence or interest, the supervisor could provide multiple ways to contribute, such as inviting comments after the meeting or allowing written feedback.

This does not assume that culture is the reason for the employee's communication style.

It simply avoids prematurely assigning a negative explanation.

Example 3: Family Responsibilities

An employee may have responsibilities involving children, parents, grandparents, or other family members.

Rather than assuming that every employee has the same family structure or availability, a manager can communicate expectations clearly and apply workplace policies consistently while remaining open to individual circumstances.

Example 4: Names and Pronunciation

Learning to pronounce someone's name correctly can be a small but meaningful act of respect.

If you are unsure, ask.

And if someone corrects you, try again.

You do not need to make the interaction awkward. A simple:

"Thank you for correcting me."

can be enough.

How Can Employees Practice Cultural Humility?

Cultural humility is not limited to managers or human resources departments.

Employees can practice it in everyday interactions.

1. Notice your assumptions

When you find yourself thinking:

• "People from that culture usually..."
• "They probably don't..."
• "I know what they mean."
• "That's just how they are."

Pause.

Ask whether you actually have enough information to make that conclusion.

2. Practice curiosity without turning someone into a cultural representative

It is appropriate to learn from colleagues who voluntarily share their experiences.

But avoid treating one person as the spokesperson for an entire culture.

One person's experience is their experience.

3. Listen to understand

Try to understand what someone is actually saying before preparing your response.

This is particularly important during disagreements.

4. Reflect on power and position

People do not necessarily enter workplace conversations with the same level of authority.

A manager, senior employee, new employee, contractor, or intern may experience the same interaction differently because their positions are different.

Cultural humility includes awareness of these dynamics.

5. Accept that learning is ongoing

Cultural humility is not a certification that you complete once.

A 2020 systematic review found that research on humility and diversity has identified potential relationships with reduced prejudice and other positive outcomes, while also noting that researchers have not reached complete agreement about how humility should be conceptualized and measured.

That uncertainty is another reason to view cultural humility as an ongoing practice rather than a finished achievement.

What Can Managers Do to Build Cultural Humility at Work?

Managers have a particularly important role because they influence workplace communication, expectations, relationships, and access to support.

CDC guidance notes that managers and supervisors can play a significant role in reducing and preventing job-related stress, while broader workplace policies and practices are important for addressing worker mental health.

Managers can begin by:

Create space for different perspectives

Do not allow the loudest voices in a meeting to become the only voices that matter.

Ask employees what support looks like

Rather than assuming what someone needs, ask appropriate and respectful questions.

Respond constructively to concerns

Employees may be less likely to raise problems if previous concerns have been dismissed.

Avoid stereotypes in assignments and expectations

Do not automatically assign someone a task because you assume they will understand a particular culture, language, community, or identity.

Make expectations clear

Cultural humility does not mean removing all workplace standards.

Clear expectations can coexist with respect for individual differences.

Address discrimination

Cultural humility should never be used as a substitute for responding to discriminatory behavior.

Research has found meaningful relationships between workplace discrimination and psychological distress, making prevention and organizational response important parts of worker well-being.

Cultural Humility Is More Than Diversity Training

One common misconception is that a single diversity training session can solve cultural misunderstandings at work.

Training can be useful, but it is only one possible part of a broader approach.

A 2025 systematic meta-review examining 37 reviews of organizational diversity and inclusion interventions found that diversity training had comparatively stronger evidence for awareness and learning outcomes, while evidence for broader organizational outcomes varied across intervention types and diversity dimensions.

This suggests an important distinction:

Learning about cultural differences is not the same as creating an inclusive workplace.

A workplace may offer excellent training while still having problems with:

• Unequal treatment
• Poor management
• Discrimination
• Lack of employee voice
• Inflexible policies
• Exclusion
• Unhealthy workloads
• Poor communication

Cultural humility works best as part of a larger culture of respect, accountability, inclusion, and healthy workplace practices.

What If Cultural Differences Are Already Affecting Your Mental Health?

Sometimes the issue is not simply that coworkers have different cultural backgrounds.

You may be experiencing:

• Persistent workplace stress
• Anxiety before going to work
• Feeling isolated from coworkers
• Conflict with a manager
• Repeated experiences of being stereotyped
• Difficulty speaking up
• Emotional exhaustion
• Difficulty separating work stress from home life
• Lower confidence after repeated negative interactions
• Feeling that you constantly have to explain or defend your identity

These experiences can be emotionally difficult.

They also do not necessarily mean that you have a mental health disorder.

A therapist can help you explore what you are experiencing without automatically assuming that the problem is either entirely within you or entirely caused by your workplace.

That distinction matters.

Therapy can provide a space to examine your reactions, identify patterns, develop communication or coping strategies where appropriate, and clarify what is within your control.

At the same time, some workplace problems require workplace solutions.

If discrimination, harassment, unsafe working conditions, or organizational practices are contributing to distress, therapy should not be presented as a replacement for addressing those conditions.

When Can Therapy Be Helpful?

You may consider speaking with a mental health professional if workplace experiences are consistently affecting your emotional well-being or daily functioning.

For example, consider professional support if you are:

• Feeling persistently anxious or overwhelmed
• Experiencing ongoing sadness or emotional exhaustion
• Having difficulty sleeping because of work-related stress
• Avoiding work or social situations because of anxiety
• Struggling with self-esteem after repeated workplace experiences
• Having difficulty setting boundaries
• Experiencing relationship problems because work stress follows you home
• Unsure how to process experiences of exclusion or discrimination
• Trying to navigate a major career or workplace transition

You do not need to have a formal diagnosis to discuss difficult experiences with a therapist.

A therapist can help you understand what you are experiencing and determine what kinds of support may be appropriate.

How Therapy Can Support Cultural and Workplace Concerns

Therapy is not about telling someone how they should respond to their culture or workplace.

A culturally responsive therapist should make room for the client's own understanding of their identity and experiences.

Depending on the person's needs, therapy may explore:

Identity

How do your cultural, racial, religious, family, or other identities influence your experience at work?

Stress

What situations are creating the most emotional pressure?

Boundaries

Are there expectations at work that are making it difficult to maintain healthy boundaries?

Communication

Would it be helpful to explore different ways of communicating concerns or setting limits?

Self-understanding

Have repeated workplace experiences changed how you see yourself?

Relationships

How are workplace experiences affecting relationships outside of work?

Coping

What strategies help you manage difficult situations without ignoring your own needs?

These conversations should be collaborative.

The purpose is not to tell you what your culture means or how you should behave. It is to understand your experience.

Cultural Humility and Mental Health: Questions to Ask Yourself

If you are thinking about how workplace culture is affecting you, consider these questions:

Do I feel comfortable being myself at work?

You do not have to disclose everything about yourself at work, but consider whether you feel that important parts of your identity must always be hidden.

Can I disagree respectfully?

Healthy workplaces should allow people to have different perspectives without every disagreement becoming personal.

Do I feel heard?

Being listened to does not mean that every request will be granted. It does mean that concerns can be taken seriously.

Am I constantly monitoring how I speak or behave?

Some awareness is normal in professional environments. Constantly feeling that you must carefully manage every aspect of yourself can be exhausting.

Do I feel supported by coworkers or supervisors?

Social support is one of the workplace factors connected with worker well-being.

Is the problem individual, organizational, or both?

This can be an especially useful question.

Sometimes a communication skill can help.

Sometimes a workplace policy needs to change.

Sometimes both are true.

How Riaz Counseling Can Help

Riaz Counseling provides individual therapy for people dealing with concerns such as anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, life transitions, and personal growth. Its current specializations also include Minority Issues and Self-Esteem & Identity, which may be relevant for people exploring the emotional impact of identity and workplace experiences.

Individual therapy is described by Riaz Counseling as a collaborative process between the client and therapist, with a focus on understanding concerns and establishing goals. The practice currently offers a free 15-minute consultation to help prospective clients determine whether the therapist and approach are a good fit.

For people seeking local counseling, Riaz Counseling has offices in Houston Galleria, Sugar Land, and The Woodlands, along with online therapy for people living throughout Texas.

If workplace experiences are affecting your mental health, therapy can provide a confidential place to explore what you are experiencing and consider appropriate ways forward.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is cultural humility in the workplace?

Cultural humility in the workplace is an ongoing approach to working across cultural differences that emphasizes self-reflection, awareness of assumptions, openness to learning, and respectful listening. It recognizes that no one can completely master another person's culture or experience.

How is cultural humility different from cultural competence at work?

Cultural competence often focuses on developing knowledge and skills for working effectively across cultural differences. Cultural humility emphasizes continuous self-reflection, recognizing one's limitations, and remaining open to learning from other people. The two approaches can complement one another.

Can cultural humility improve workplace mental health?

Cultural humility may contribute to more respectful communication, stronger interpersonal relationships, and greater openness to different perspectives. However, research specifically establishing a direct causal relationship between workplace cultural humility and mental-health outcomes is still developing. There is stronger evidence that workplace discrimination, chronic stress, social connection, and workplace relationships are relevant to worker well-being.

What are examples of cultural humility at work?

Examples include asking rather than assuming, listening when someone describes their experience, learning to pronounce someone's name correctly, recognizing your own biases, respecting differences in communication styles, and being willing to learn from mistakes.

Does cultural humility mean I have to agree with everyone?

No. Cultural humility does not require agreement with every belief or behavior. It involves approaching differences respectfully, recognizing your own assumptions, listening carefully, and avoiding unnecessary stereotypes or dismissiveness.

Can therapy help with workplace cultural stress?

Therapy can provide a confidential setting to explore workplace stress, identity concerns, anxiety, relationship difficulties, boundaries, and experiences of exclusion or discrimination. A therapist can help you understand your individual responses and explore coping or communication strategies when appropriate.

Should employees be responsible for creating a culturally inclusive workplace?

No. Employees can contribute to respectful interactions, but organizational responsibility matters too. Workplace policies, management practices, employee voice, inclusion, discrimination prevention, and working conditions can all influence worker well-being.

Can cultural humility be learned?

Yes, but it is better understood as an ongoing practice than a skill that is permanently completed. Learning, self-reflection, listening, and being open to correction are recurring parts of the process.

Conclusion

Cultural humility in the workplace is ultimately about recognizing that people bring different histories, identities, values, and experiences to work—and that no individual can fully understand someone else's experience simply by learning a few facts about their culture.

Practicing humility means asking instead of assuming, listening instead of immediately defending, reflecting on personal biases, and remaining willing to learn.

For mental health, this matters because workplace relationships and conditions can influence stress, belonging, psychological safety, and overall well-being. Research provides stronger evidence for the mental-health effects of workplace discrimination, chronic stress, social connection, and supportive relationships than it does for cultural humility itself, so cultural humility should be viewed as one part of a broader approach to healthy workplaces.

For individuals, cultural humility can begin with a simple question:

"What might I be assuming that I have not actually asked about?"

For organizations, the responsibility goes further: creating policies, leadership practices, communication norms, and working conditions that allow people from different backgrounds to participate and feel respected.

And if workplace experiences are affecting your emotional well-being, you do not have to figure everything out alone. Speaking with a qualified mental health professional can provide a confidential space to understand what you are experiencing and decide what support may be useful.

Mental Health Disclaimer

This article is for general educational purposes and is not a diagnosis or substitute for professional mental health, medical, legal, or employment advice. Workplace stress can have many causes, and the appropriate response depends on the individual's circumstances.

If you are experiencing persistent or severe emotional distress, consider speaking with a qualified mental health professional. If you are in immediate danger or experiencing a mental health crisis in the United States, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or call 911 for a life-threatening emergency.

Sources Used

• Tervalon M, Murray-García J. Cultural Humility Versus Cultural Competence: A Critical Distinction in Defining Physician Training Outcomes in Multicultural Education. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved.

• Redefining Cultural Competency: Practicing Cultural Humility. Peer-reviewed discussion of cultural humility, self-awareness, bias, and culturally sensitive care.

• Humility and Bridging Differences: A Systematic Literature Review of Humility in Relation to Diversity. International Journal of Intercultural Relations.

• Relationship-specific (dyadic) humility: How your humility predicts my psychological safety and performance. Peer-reviewed workplace study indexed by PubMed.

• CDC/NIOSH. Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace. Guidance on workplace stress, organizational conditions, management, and worker mental health.

• CDC/NIOSH. Social Connection and Worker Well-being. Guidance on belonging, social connection, worker voice, and inclusive workplace practices.

• CDC/NIOSH. Providing Support for Worker Mental Health. Current guidance on workplace stress and organizational approaches to worker mental health.

• CDC/NIOSH. Discrimination in the Workplace Linked to Psychological Distress: A Longitudinal Study in the United States.

• A Systematic Meta-Review of Organizational Diversity and Inclusion Interventions and Their Associated Outcomes. 2025 review of organizational D&I interventions.

• Riaz Counseling. Individual Therapy, current services and therapy process.

• Riaz Counseling. Our Specializations, including Minority Issues, Self-Esteem & Identity, Depression & Anxiety, and Life Transitions.

• Riaz Counseling. Therapy Locations, current Houston-area offices and statewide online therapy.

  If you feel that you or someone you know may benefit from therapy, please reach out to our office for a FREE 15-minute consultation: LINK.