#7 - Running a meeting - Part 4 (Practical phrases and scripts for non-native English speaker working in Tech)
Cheatsheets for synchronous and asynchronous communication
Welcome to the next part of this survival guide for non-native English speaker working in Tech. Native English speakers can also use this as a cheatsheet for synchronous and asynchronous communication as I believe the principles here are mostly language agnostic and are more about guiding the way we can think and approach certain situations in business settings.
In this fourth part I will share some scripts and phrases you can use to conclude meetings and make sure outcome you set out for, either informing, discussing, or deciding, and that the actions or next steps are clear. I'll also explain why I consider English language skill is really at the bottom among all the different skill sets to develop to thrive in these settings.
RUNNING A MEETING (CONT)
DURING (SYNCHRONOUS)
Concluding
Mindset: What did we get so far? Where do we go from here?
So, actions
To clarify actions on people
I'll take that as an action
We can keep this short and sweet if no one else has anything
I'm conscious of time
In the interest of time, shall we move on to [...]
Any other point anyone wants to bring up?
Let's schedule a separate session to [decide|explore|unpack|think that through] properly. It's an important point/topic and I want us to give it the attention it needs.
Here is what I’m taking away from this conversation
What I'm taking away from this is
What did you find most useful from today
(after giving a presentation) Alright, now what did you hear me say. // with a group of peers
If there's anything else you think could be helpful don't hesitate to reach out to me after this
Actions on our side is to document this flow from a visual perspective and if it matches their need then we price it up
THOUGHTS ON ENGLISH SKILLS BEING A NON NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKER
It takes a lot of hard work to make things look effortless
Non native English speakers need to put more effort to become more comfortable interacting with, working in, and even leading global teams. But it can be learned.
I am here to tell you that there is no magic to becoming fluent in social and professional settings where English is required. It takes a lot of preparation, practice, and bracing through awkward moments. There is no magic pill you can swallow, no amount of article you can read, and no simple course you can enroll in without taking actions.
Even with all of these tactics, mindsets, and principles at hand, running a meeting is still something I am actively practicing to try and get better at. So I try and throw myself into more opportunities. What's the worst thing that could happen?
It's a reinforcing cycle. Your confidence will grow as you become more articulate. You will have better flow in different settings. And the more confident you are, the more you are willing to jump in and practice even more.
Last but most important point: I consider English language skill is really at the bottom among all the different skill sets to develop to thrive in these settings.
There are three that I can identify right now:
Social intelligence and conversational quotient. There are many ways you can phrase and frame an ask, a question, a statement, an argument. And to know which one is the most appropriate and effective for particular takes some trial and error. You'll come to absorb and "get" social dynamics in time. It's normal.
Thinking in / into another language. Western education seem to put more emphasis on teaching students how to think, form opinions, and deliver arguments -- at least that's what I observed compared to the rote learning heavy education I had growing up in South East Asia in the early 90s. For me, learning English shapes the way I think more than anything. Picking up the style, the mindset, the metaphors, the expressions. Words shape people. We absorb culture through languages.
English / language skill. Good command of English language (grammar, vocab, syntax) is necessary but insufficient to become at navigating these social interactions.
My working outline for this series:
Managing Asynchronous Communication as a Non Native English Speaker & Running a meeting > Preparing > What and When
Running a meeting > During > Starting, Setting Context, and Presenting
Running a meeting > During > Moderating Discussions, Answering Questions, and Disagreeing
Running a meeting > During > Concluding & Thoughts on English Skills Being a Non Native English Speaker
Business Emails
Managing Up and Managing Down
Asking for Help, Delegating, Following up
Frames to Help You Think More Strategically, Critically, and Creatively
Misc (Consulting Mindset, Sharing Information, Coaching Your Team, Salary Negotiation, Sales Calls. Please suggest in the comment section any other topic you'd like me to share about.)
Make sure to check out the previous parts If you missed them and stay tuned for upcoming ones, but don't feel any FOMO for skipping around. I am proponent of more "Just in Time" and less "Just in Case" living, so you should be able to treat each part as a standalone piece.
Hope these conversational frameworks and reference phrases save you time, let you focus more on solving real problems for your teams instead of spending your brain CPU cycle worrying about what when and how to say certain things.
Originally published on Proses.ID
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