5 ideas to help someone with poor English understand you
Maike presses the ‘leave meeting’ button and gets herself a cup of coffee. She needs it. She’s just had a meeting with Paulo whose English is pretty basic and she’s not sure that he understood what she explained about the project and his role in it. As soon as she noticed his confusion she […]
The Igel has landed
Picture the following situation: Maria walks up to the coffee machine where her colleague Gabi is standing with the new Italian Sales Manager, Stefano. Gabi makes the introductions. And Maria says “Yes, we met on the floor yesterday.” Stefano looks confused and a bit embarrassed. Gabi grins and says “I think you mean you […]
What your English boss or colleague is really thinking
When it comes to expressing criticism, the English don’t exactly have a reputation for telling it like it is. 😉 A pretty indirect style of communication with lots of downgraders (a little, slightly, sort of) and understatement helps to soften the blow … and can obscure the message completely. Here’s a light-hearted look at what you might […]
