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 […]

12 March

Standing up for yourself and your ideas

  In November, I wrote about the disadvantages of not playing a full role in meetings. After reading the article one of my clients said: ‘I know I need to play an active role. And I try to. But sometimes the others just ignore me. What can I do and say then?’ Good question. And a […]

13 November

What happens if you don’t make your voice heard

Posted in staying on track
What happens if you don’t make your voice heard

The monthly project meeting is about to start and Anna expects to be contributing quite a lot this time. She’s a little nervous about having to do it in English, but she’s well prepared and feeling quietly confident that she’ll manage. Yet as the meeting unfolds Anna feels less and less satisfied with the way […]