Diagnose Before You Improve: A Smarter Approach to Effective Communication

Working hard to improve your communication but not getting the results you want? You may be missing the first and most productive step to becoming more effective.

Plenty of Advice – But Is it Right for You?

There is no shortage of communication tips. You can find them online and in print, in the form of podcasts, videos, articles, book chapters, and practice exercises. Most of it makes sense: Write shorter sentences. Ask open questions. Tell compelling stories. Practice pronunciation. Work on your body language.

But does it address your particular challenge? Do you even know what exactly is holding you back?

For many professionals with good English skills, the key to becoming more effective isn’t more general advice. It requires identifying which aspects of your communication are limiting your success. That can be your language skills, but it can be something different entirely.

Look at these three examples, which are based on clients I’ve worked with.

Thomas: Struggling to Get US Dealers to Promote His Product

Thomas is a sales manager at a European company that makes industrial equipment. He’s responsible for growing the US market and developing relationships with dealers and distributors there. He knows his product inside out and has no problems explaining its technical aspects in English. In fact, he truly enjoys talking about the advantages and quality of his equipment.

So why can’t he get his American partners to actively promote his company’s product?

Thomas invests a lot of effort into refining his product presentations, making sure that the innovative features are highlighted well with polished visuals and precise wording. Still, the results remain disappointing. His American partners seem interested, even enthusiastic, during the meetings. That interest, however, doesn’t translate into action – or more sales.

Haruka: Struggling to Get Her Point Across in Meetings

Haruka is a technical project manager from Japan. She works in an international technology company and regularly presents project updates to colleagues across different departments. She spends a lot of time preparing for these updates to ensure that everyone knows the status and the necessary next steps or decisions.

And yet, she often leaves meetings frustrated. Haruka doesn’t understand why her colleagues keep asking questions she had already explained or why the decisions she hoped to secure are often postponed, leaving her with unresolved issues.

Even though she speaks English well, she feels increasingly insecure and has started to work with a language tutor to practice more advanced-level vocabulary and grammar skills. So far, there’s been little impact. She feels that her expertise isn’t being fully recognized.

Michael: Struggling to Get Responses to His Emails

Michael, who originally hails from Brazil, is a cyber security professional in the US. He relies on email to coordinate projects, follow up on tasks, and get decisions from colleagues. His English is solid, and he takes care to write professionally.

Yet, he often has to send a second or even a third email to get a response. He's frustrated that people don't seem to take his requests seriously.

As a result, Michael spends way too much time revising his wording, double-checking his grammar, and experimenting with different ways of phrasing his requests. He explains his requests in great detail to make sure nobody misunderstands him. But despite his efforts, the response rate doesn't improve.

All three, Thomas, Haruka, and Michael speak English well. They put effort into their communication – and they’re working hard to improve their skills to achieve their goals.

Why Aren't They Getting Better Results?

Someone who struggles to persuade clients may think they need to explain their product in more detail. Someone who can’t get buy-in from their team may think it’s because their English is not strong enough. Someone whose emails don’t get read may think it’s because their style isn’t polished enough.

But the visible symptom and the underlying problem aren’t always the same.

Thomas has invested heavily in improving his presentations but hasn’t yet identified what would motivate his dealers to promote his product.

Haruka has worked on her vocabulary, but her difficulties in meetings persist. She’s still not sure what to change.

And Michael keeps refining his emails — and not getting the responses he wants. He doesn't know why his colleagues ghost him.

Start With Understanding the Challenge

For professionals who already speak English well, improvement doesn't always mean learning more vocabulary or mastering more techniques. The first step is understanding which aspects of their communication are affecting their results.

If you struggle with issues similar to the one described above, ask yourself:

• What outcomes am I trying to achieve?

• What happens instead?

• Do I know why?  

The third question is the hardest one to answer. We are not the best judges of our own communication. It's difficult for us to see our communication the way others experience it.

The Value of an Outside Perspective

While we usually know what we’re trying to accomplish –  for example, improve sales or get decisions approved — we don't always recognize how our words, structure, tone, or behavior affect the outcomes. And we usually are not aware of our own communication patterns.

An experienced observer can help you identify the patterns and weaknesses that are difficult to see for you, the person communicating. A diagnosis doesn't have to mean an elaborate assessment. It can start with a focused conversation, an observation of a real communication situation, or feedback on a presentation or sales pitch.

An outside perspective can help you understand:

• Patterns you don't notice yourself.

• Strengths you could use more effectively.

• Weaknesses that have the greatest impact on your results.

• Priorities that will make improvement more focused and manageable.

The value lies in identifying the right things to work on.

Why More is Not the Answer

Many of the professionals I work with don’t need more general advice. They need help determining what advice works for them. That’s why the most productive first step isn’t more – more vocabulary, more grammar, more techniques, etc. It’s getting a clearer picture of what’s happening when you communicate in English and focusing your efforts there.

That’s what I do. My work starts with understanding what you’re trying to achieve and what’s happening when you speak or write. From there, we can identify the communication changes most likely to improve your results.

Reach out if this sounds right for you.

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