Arcadia Australia

Structure is an imperative concept within human life. Humans wake up after sleeping, typically attend work, or partake in hobbies or activities that interest them. That is a form of structured life. Every day, there is structure to our thoughts and actions. There are even structural aspects within our already structured days. But can there be too much structure? Structure can limit creativity. Creativity can be the freedom necessary to unveil what you are truly passionate about. Do we need to nuance our structure in order to maintain a balance between a structured life and one of immense creativity and freedom? My internship in Australia, while it has taught me many things, has most importantly shown me that structure is good, but with minor tweaks and freedom within that structure, there is no ceiling to your potential. 

Every Tuesday and Wednesday, I wake up at around 7:30, shower, get dressed, and make something to eat. I go to my favorite spot, Milk and Steam, and grab a coffee by 8:30. I walk down Broadway to Central Station by 9:00. You never know who you’re going to see in that long, echoing tunnel to Platform 16, maybe hundreds of people flowing through corporate life. If it’s early enough, there’s a fleet of construction workers ready to begin their backbreaking work for the day. Sometimes, you’re even lucky enough to catch a musically gifted man serenading all who are mindlessly walking through the underpass. Moral of the story: people-watch. You learn something new just by walking to work. As I board the train, preparing for the six-minute ride, I finally begin to think about what my day is going to look like. I have a vague idea, but that’s the beauty of the Australian workplace, it’s usually a little bit of a surprise. If it’s a Tuesday, I know we have a meeting upon arrival to discuss where we stand as a company, where employees and interns are allocating their time, and what we should expect in the coming days or weeks.

To backtrack slightly: I intern at Smart Mango, an import-export consulting agency that assists foreign companies in entering the Australian market. We also help Australian companies enter foreign markets. That being said, I work with many international people. My boss, Doris, has lived and worked all over the world, as have most of my coworkers, including Rishi, Idris, Sev, and Chloe. So, whenever I’m working alongside them, I get to learn something new about places I’ve never been to, and how what we do applies to that country, culture, or economy.

Back to my structured (but not-so-structured) routine: Smart Mango employees work out of the NSW Startup Hub. It’s an open floor plan with many different startups and small, established companies working there every day. We can also work at Fishburners, which is a facility upstairs. There are many leisurely activities to give yourself a break and bond with coworkers, such as pool, ping pong, podcast creation booths, and most importantly, an espresso machine. Our open floor plans and the ability to move around and work wherever and with whomever we choose is a kind of freedom that I believe makes everyone in the office exponentially more productive. That freedom—and the lack of rigid structure, means your everyday office life can be different. It helps you learn your own work ethic while seeing those around you working hard as well. The variety of tasks and versatility required in my internship is also what removes the rigidity from my work. While we maintain organization and a schedule, anything can change, and it’s good to be prepared for that. I think the lack of intense structure can actually be interpreted as a new version of structure, one that encourages adaptation and creativity in the workplace.

I know I’m only three months into my Australian internship, so a generalization of the Australian working experience might be hasty, but I’m going to share my impression anyway. Australians seem to care about the mental state of their workers. Australian capitalism allows people to work hard, while still nurturing the freedom that is innately theirs as humans. They are not slaves to their professions; they are passionate about what they do and have the ability to creatively build on their progress due to the circumstances they’re given. In New York, my home, I notice the workforce is generally unhappy. Coming here made me realize the issue: there is too much structure. Without the freedom to maintain a work-life balance and infuse creativity into your work, you become unhappy, and with that, unmotivated. The little things in your job can help promote that creativity. But remember, it must be nuanced, because a complete lack of structure can lead to disorganization.

Smart Mango has struck the perfect balance, and I give Doris so much credit. She knows how to give not just her interns but also the project managers the right level of independence. This allows them to engage in their tasks, trust their own skills, and think critically and independently, while still receiving guidance when needed.