Sometimes I wish I could gather everyone working on their English into one room and simply say this.

Your English doesn’t have to be perfect to make a good impression.

People aren’t sitting there counting your grammar mistakes.

They’re listening for your ideas. They’re deciding whether they trust you. They’re thinking, “Can we work together?“

That’s why clear beats perfect every time.

Of course, keep learning. Build your vocabulary. Improve your grammar.

Just don’t wait until your English feels “good enough” before you speak.

Quick win: Before your next conversation in English, change your goal.

Not “I must speak perfectly.“

Try “I want people to understand my message.”

That’s a goal you can achieve today.

“You always forget.” Three words in, and you’ve stopped talking about the problem.

“Always” rarely means always. It tells the other person they’re the problem, so they start defending themselves instead of listening.

Keep the focus on what happened. “We missed the deadline. How do we stop that happening again?” The issue stays the same, but the conversation moves forward instead of turning into an argument.

Quick tip: Before you say “you always” or “you never,” ask yourself what you want the other person to do next. Say that.

💬 What do you usually say when someone hits you with “you always…“?

You said, “Meet me on the first floor.” Your British colleague went up a flight of stairs. You meant the floor you’d just walked in on.

In British English, the floor at street level is the ground floor. The first floor is one flight up. In American English, the floor at street level is already the first floor. Same building, same staircase, two different starting points.

Nobody’s counting wrong. They’re just starting the count in a different place.

Quick win: When you’re arranging to meet someone in a building, skip “first floor” altogether. Say “the entrance level” or name the floor number alongside what’s on it (“reception, ground level“). Nothing left to climb by mistake.

💬 Ever waited on the wrong floor for someone?

PS The mix-up doesn’t come from the stairs. It comes from two countries agreeing to disagree about where zero is.

You said “but“. Everyone in the room stopped listening to what had come before.

“That’s a good idea, but…” The compliment is gone the moment “but” arrives. Whatever follows becomes the only part anyone remembers.

Try “and” instead. “That’s a good idea, and I’d add one thing.” Same content, same honesty. Nothing gets cancelled on the way there.

Quick win: Next time you’re about to say “but” in a meeting or email, swap it for “and” and see if the sentence still makes sense. It usually does (and it lands a lot softer).

💬 Which sentence would you try this on first?

PS You gave a compliment. Then you took it back with one word.

There’s always someone in the meeting whose English sounds smoother than yours. You hear them speak and immediately start judging yourself.

But here’s the problem.

You’re comparing your English from the inside, with all the effort, hesitation and searching for words, to someone else’s English from the outside.

That’s never a fair comparison.

And often you’re comparing yourself to the wrong person anyway. Someone who grew up with English. Someone who’s had years more practice. Someone who’s led this type of meeting countless times.

Their fluency isn’t your goal.

Being understood is.

Quick win: The next time you catch yourself comparing, ask yourself one question instead.

“Was I understood?“

If the answer is yes, your English did exactly what it needed to do.

“We can’t meet the deadline.” Five words, and the meeting is already over. Nobody asks what comes next, because “can’t” doesn’t leave room for a next.

The information underneath is usually fine. There’s a new date. There’s a shorter version. There’s a plan. It just gets buried under the word that shut the door first.

Try starting from what’s possible instead. “We can deliver by next week.” Same facts, same honesty, but now there’s something to work with.

Quick win: Next time you’re about to say “We can’t”, finish the sentence with what you can do instead, and lead with that part.

💬 What’s a “can’t” you could turn into a “can” this week?