She has excellent English. She barely speaks.

She has excellent English. Good grammar, clear pronunciation, the right words. In international meetings, she barely speaks.

In our first session, she was relaxed, fluent, completely herself. When I asked how she feels in meetings with colleagues from five or six countries, she paused for a long time.

So her task this week was simple: Observe the meeting. Write down anything she wanted to say – but didn’t. Just to see what’s already there.

Because the English is ready. The trust is the work.

If you recognise this, try it. One meeting, one notebook. Write down what you wanted to say.

You might surprise yourself.