21 September

First time running a meeting? The language you need to do it well.

Posted in staying on track
First time running a meeting? The language you need to do it well.

  There’s nothing more frustrating than an unstructured meeting – one which meanders from point to point without a clear decision being made, one where a couple of people dominate and everyone else zones out or one which ignores the agenda and overruns the allotted time. Of course, everyone has a role to play in […]

28 June

3 effective ways to make sure everyone is heard

3 effective ways to make sure everyone is heard

  One thing the last year has shown me is just how difficult it can be to find an opening to say something in online meetings. Waiting in vain for a pause, taking the plunge only to find that the person speaking hasn’t finished after all or that another member of the group has had […]

12 April

3 things you can still do in the 48 hours before a conference call

Posted in getting ahead
3 things you can still do in the 48 hours before a conference call

As far as their stressfulness for non-native speakers goes, there’s not much that beats conference calls. Unfamiliar accents, incredibly rapid speakers, mumbling, unknown vocabulary – these factors can make any meeting a challenge. If on top of that you can’t see the other participants, things become much more difficult. There are no facial expressions or […]