field notes
Short pieces, 250 to 400 words. One thing our coaches see often, one technique, and one or two lines you can say tomorrow. Read one before a call, a talk or a hard conversation at home.
one phrase for disagreeing with a senior: can I push back on one point
Many capable people stay silent when a senior says something they disagree with. Not because they lack an opinion, but because they have no polite way in. One short phrase gives them that way in.
Leadership and presenceField noteswap "why did you" for "help me understand"
Some questions start arguments before the answer arrives. "Why did you do that?" is one of them. A small change of words can turn an accusation into a real conversation, at work and at home.
Voice and deliveryField notestop saying sorry before you speak
"Sorry, just a small doubt." "Sorry to disturb." "Sorry, this may be a silly question." Many capable people open with an apology before they have said anything. It feels polite. It tells the listener that what follows matters less.
Voice and deliveryField notekeep going: what to do in the second after you make a mistake while speaking
You say "he" instead of "she", or "last year" when you meant "next year", or the word simply vanishes. The mistake itself lasts half a second. What happens in the next second decides whether anyone remembers it.
Voice and deliveryField notethe three-second pause before you answer
A client asks a hard question. Your manager asks for a number. A team member asks why the plan changed. The instinct is to answer at once, to show you know. Often the most confident thing you can do is wait.
Careers and moneyField notethe most reliable sentence in business: let me check and confirm by tomorrow
A client asks, "Can you ship by the 15th?" and the answer leaves your mouth before your brain has checked. One short sentence protects you from that automatic yes.
English at work in IndiaField notetwelve ways to get round a word you can't find
You are mid-sentence on a client call and the word simply vanishes. The silence stretches. Fluent speakers lose words all the time. The difference is that they have ways round the gap.
Voice and deliveryField noteyour accent is not your problem: being understood first time
Many professionals ask us to "remove" their accent before a move abroad or a client role. We do not. Your accent is part of who you are. What usually causes the "sorry, come again?" is something smaller, and much easier to change.
Life and relationshipsField notethe first ten seconds of a phone call in a new country
People who have just moved abroad often tell us the phone is harder than anything at work. No faces, unfamiliar accents, a queue behind you. Most calls that go badly go badly in the first ten seconds.
Professional behaviour and etiquetteField noteemail and chat tone at work: what to write instead of kindly do the needful
"Kindly do the needful" is polite and perfectly clear in many Indian offices. To a colleague in London or Sydney, it can read as vague, or as an order dressed up as a request. The fix is not a fancier phrase. It is saying exactly what you need.
Communication in the age of AIField noterehearse with AI, then put it away
AI voice and chat tools make patient practice partners. They will play your manager, your client or your investor as many times as you like. The risk is that you rehearse a script so well that you cannot speak without it.
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practise this on your own situations
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