SILENCE CAN BE A KILLER for you in an English meeting.

If you are silent, your fellow participants are wondering if you have understood and are wondering what you think. Silence really confuses and frustrates them and it can kill the conversation. 

Silence can also leave you deeply frustrated about having missed an opportunity.

If you really want to make an impact and perform well in English, FIND THE COURAGE to start giving honest FEEDBACK about what you do and need help understanding.

There is absolutely no shame in doing this. 

You don’t need to have a fully-formed opinion to engage with your partners in the meeting. Some simple questions are enough.

Tip 1: Asking for repetition

In a discussion, If you have NOT understood anything, find the courage to give feedback by asking the person to repeat what they’ve said.

“Hey, Emma, could you say that again?”

Tip 2: Asking for clarification

If you have not understood everything, find the courage to give feedback by asking them to clarify.

“Hey, Emma, could you clarify the point about the xxx?”

Tip 3: Paraphrase

If you think you have understood everything, find the courage to give feedback by paraphrasing what they’ve said.

“So Emma, if I’ve understood you correctly what you’re saying is…. ?”

When you find the courage to regularly ENGAGE and give FEEDBACK about what you do and do not understand during English discussions, your global partners, especially the native speakers of English, will start to learn about your true English communication ability. 

Then they will start to…

… speak more slowly,

… speak more simply,

… really try to help you because they can see you are really trying to help them too.

Being silent when you do not understand has ZERO benefits to you and ZERO impact on the discussion and the relationship with your colleagues. 

If you want better support from your global partners and to showcase your professionalism, find the courage to give more feedback and speak up more consistently in discussions 

Speaking up when you do not understand is where CONNECTION really begins, and where real communication starts to happen.

Speaking up when you don’t understand also shows respect towards the speaker because your hidden message is this: “What you’ve just said is important to me and I want to be absolutely sure I have understood.” 

Everyone wants to be heard and seen but if you stay silent, they won’t know if you have.

If you want me to help you find the courage to create better connections, and improve your communication with your global partners, book an exploratory call with me.