The Pressure Test: 10 Moments Where Your English Quietly Costs You Authority
When someone books a first call with me, they almost always describe their English the same way. “It’s good. I’m fluent. But…” And then comes a moment. Never a grammar problem. A moment. The meeting where someone interrupted them and they never got the floor back. The question from the CEO they answered in half […]
Grinta, Focus & Knowing What You Need
My youngest son is currently abroad doing a working Erasmus, and I can see how much he is learning, not only about the job, but about what it actually means to work for someone who has built a business from scratch. His boss is a self-made entrepreneur. He started with an idea, worked hard, learned […]
The Two Stages of Language Proficiency That Most Professionals Don’t Understand
Most professionals think language proficiency is one long journey. It’s not. It’s actually two completely different ones. And confusing them creates years of unnecessary frustration. Over the last three decades, I’ve coached executives, managers, and specialists across industries. Many start with the same goal: “I want to improve my English.” But that’s rarely the real […]
Your team’s English problem is not a language problem.
Over the last six months, I’ve spoken with Learning & Development managers from four different multinational companies. Different industries. Different company cultures. Different organisational structures. Yet every conversation revealed the same challenge. Their professionals were technically excellent. High performers. Experienced specialists. Trusted managers. But in international environments, something changed. People became quieter in meetings.Senior managers […]
The Language Senior Leaders Listen To (and Why Proverbs Work)
You’ve made the argument. The room understood it. They still didn’t move. Sometimes the problem isn’t your idea. It’s the language carrying it. This is where proverbs come in — and most professionals leave them completely unused. Not idioms. Proverbs are different. An idiom like “move the goalposts” adds colour. A proverb like “you can’t […]
Saying “let me sleep on it” is not a weakness, it’s a strategy
You’re in a meeting. Someone asks for your opinion, a decision, a proposal, a direction. Everyone is looking at you. And something inside you immediately starts calculating: if I say yes, if I say no, if I ask a question, what will they think? So you give an answer. Not necessarily the right one. Just […]
Easter Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
Think you know your Easter expressions? Test your knowledge of 3 idioms used in everyday English.
When solving one problem creates five more
Rachel thought she had a simple problem. Two employees at her company had complained about unfair treatment. She arranged a meeting with HR, ready to listen and find a solution. What she did not expect was that one afternoon of conversations would uncover something much bigger: management problems across several departments, legal risks from former […]
“Tell me about yourself.” Four words. Infinite ways to mess up
Let’s be honest — no one is ready for this question. Not really. Even the most polished professionals suddenly forget their own name the moment an interviewer leans back, folds their hands, and says those four words like they’re asking for a coffee order. Here’s what most people do, especially in a second language setting: […]
This Is Not Going to Fly With Your Audience.
I was reviewing a keynote speech with someone, a CHRO preparing to address top talent from across the globe at a major internal company event. She’d worked hard on it. You could tell. Every slide considered, every word chosen carefully. And it was completely wrong for the room. The language was formal to the point […]
When Honesty Starts Closing Doors
A few weeks ago, during a coaching session, a senior manager told me something that stayed with me. “I’m known for being very honest,” he said, almost as if it were a professional badge. Then he paused and added, “But lately I’m starting to think people don’t open up to me anymore.” That moment immediately […]
I Was Afraid to Speak in Public. Now I Help Leaders Do It With Confidence.
For years, I could coach, teach, and explain complex ideas one-to-one without hesitation. Put me in front of a room, though, and something shifted. My heart would race, my voice would tighten, and I would suddenly become hyper-aware of every pair of eyes on me. I knew my material inside out, but that didn’t seem […]