In the last 2 years, I trained over 400 international managers and executives from organisations as diverse as NGOs, engineering manufacturers and global entertainment businesses. What did these people have in common? English is not their first language.
The main challenge international managers face is confidence. Senior managers and executives usually have a confidence based on a total understanding of their local culture, a confidence in their business knowledge & skills and a confidence in being able to communicate perfectly. But when they start working in English that confidence can quickly disappear. They can become hesitant and uncertain. They start becoming concerned about understanding the situation correctly, concerned about whether they can say what they want and concerned about how they appear to their international business colleagues. And while they are worrying about all these communication challenges, they are getting distracted from actually doing business.
I would go further and say that their ability to do business is seriously undermined.
This is a strong statement but let me justify it with a little help from the field of neuroscience. In Nobel Prize winning author Daniel Kahneman’s book “Thinking, Fast and Slow” he talks about two styles of thinking – intuitive, fast and seemingly effortless thinking (system 1) and conscious reasoned thinking that requires effort (system 2). What does this mean in reality? Well look at the following image.
What emotion is this woman showing and is she going to say something nice or unpleasant? As soon as you looked at this picture you knew she was angry and when she speaks it is likely to be something nasty and unpleasant. How did you reach this conclusion? You probably just ‘felt’ it rather than consciously worked through the options and coming to a logical solution. Now look at the following problem:
17 x 24 = ?
What is the answer? Well unless you are an extraordinary person, you probably won’t be able to answer instantly. You could work it out with a pen and paper (or a calculator) but it will take some conscious effort.
The picture is an example of thinking fast and the maths problem is an example of thinking slow.
Do you speak ‘fast’ or ‘slow’ English?
What type of thinking do you use when speaking your native language? Your intuitive, unconscious fast thinking (system 1) of course. Speaking your native language seems effortless. What about speaking English? What type of thinking do you use? A lot of people have to use ‘slow’ thinking (system 2), carefully considering the vocabulary and sentences before speaking. The problem is not just that you think or talk slower. ‘Slow’ thinking requires more effort and this has an impact on your overall ability to think clearly as you become mentally tired. Tired people make poor decisions. So speaking ‘slow’ English impacts your ability to do business.
How can you improve this situation?
The best way to speak ‘fast’ intuitive natural English is to practice using your business English in a real life situation. This is the best way to develop the language skills needed to succeed in business. So instead of going to a language school where you will be drilled in vocabulary and sentence structures, take a business course instead.
The business courses I have developed are the perfect solution to this challenge. Whether you want to develop your leadership skills, improve your negotiation or take a business masterclass covering key strategic business tools, we have courses tailored specifically to help you. Get in touch today to find out more.
C+S Management Development & Training 