Do you hesitate before speaking in meetings?
4 days ago
2 min read
If you are a professional working in the United States, and English is not your first language, you might hesitate before speaking up in meetings. Why? Is it because of a lack of confidence?
You understood the conversation and had something to contribute. Because you hesitate for just a few seconds someone else said exactly what you were thinking. As a result, they are invited to participate in exciting opportunities and you sit on the sidelines.
This hesitation could happen to anybody, even professionals who are native English speakers. For many international professionals working in U.S. companies, this happens more often than people realize. Not because they lack expertise. And not because they don’t understand the discussion. But because they lack confidence speaking English.
The hesitation happens in the moment before speaking. When it does, they might be checking their wording, thinking about pronunciation, and translating the idea in their head. All of that happens in seconds. And while they are processing it, the meeting moves on. Someone else speaks. They get the recognition. They get the follow-up questions. They get the opportunity.
Over time, this can quietly affect visibility at work. Those who hesitate may be doing excellent work behind the scenes. But if their ideas aren’t heard during the discussion, people assume they have less to contribute. But that may not be true. It might simply the challenge of communicating in a second language under pressure.
If you’re an international professional working in the U.S., have you ever had someone say exactly what you were about to say in a meeting? If your hesitation was due to a lack of confidence in your English, watch the short video.
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