Mar 11, 2026 · 14 min · 11 segments
Speaking English at a senior level often brings difficult experiences that aren't always talked about. You start questioning yourself: Did I say it wrong? Did I sound too direct? Did they understand…
You say something, the other person gives you this really weird facial expression, which is like, "I, I don't understand you." Or maybe you interpret it as, "Did I pronounce something incorrectly? Is my accent really bad?" I remember one of my clients telling me that they would always get the same reaction from one of their colleagues.
they would see this face which was disapproval or even, I think, what they were trying to tell me was, like, disgust.
Like, "Ugh, your accent's really bad," or, "What you said was not correct," or, you know, kind of a bit of disdain, which is unfortunate, but it can be interpreted like that.
The key point is you cannot control other people's facial expressions, unfortunately.
It does not mean, however, that you are incompetent, that you cannot speak English, and that you shouldn't continue to speak up.
I would say, as a recommendation, try not to build a story around a facial expression.
Often, I have this conversation with my clients where they'll be like, "Okay, well, I, I feel like my executive is, is not happy with the way I communicate.
I feel like they feel I'm not clear enough or I'm not saying things well enough.
I'm too direct." My next question then is, "Is this feedback that you've received specifically, or is this what you are interpreting from the situation?" Many times they're like, "Oh, no.
It's just how I see the situation." There is, of course, something to be said for that and your intuition and picking up on the signals about how people are feeling.
But it is also a useful question to ask yourself is, "Is this actual feedback that's been given to me, or am I interpreting the situation in a specific way?" Perhaps there's a conversation to be had.
"Do you feel that I'm not clear enough? Do you feel there are areas that I need to improve?" Again, you're the best judge of that, but perhaps it's something to think about.
You say something, the other person gives you this really weird facial expression, which is like, "I, I don't understand you." Or maybe you interpret it as, "Did I pronounce something incorrectly? Is my accent really bad?" I remember one of my clients telling me that they would always get the same reaction from one of their colleagues.
they would see this face which was disapproval or even, I think, what they were trying to tell me was, like, disgust.
Like, "Ugh, your accent's really bad," or, "What you said was not correct," or, you know, kind of a bit of disdain, which is unfortunate, but it can be interpreted like that.
The key point is you cannot control other people's facial expressions, unfortunately.
It does not mean, however, that you are incompetent, that you cannot speak English, and that you shouldn't continue to speak up.
I would say, as a recommendation, try not to build a story around a facial expression.
Often, I have this conversation with my clients where they'll be like, "Okay, well, I, I feel like my executive is, is not happy with the way I communicate.
I feel like they feel I'm not clear enough or I'm not saying things well enough.
I'm too direct." My next question then is, "Is this feedback that you've received specifically, or is this what you are interpreting from the situation?" Many times they're like, "Oh, no.
It's just how I see the situation." There is, of course, something to be said for that and your intuition and picking up on the signals about how people are feeling.
But it is also a useful question to ask yourself is, "Is this actual feedback that's been given to me, or am I interpreting the situation in a specific way?" Perhaps there's a conversation to be had.
"Do you feel that I'm not clear enough? Do you feel there are areas that I need to improve?" Again, you're the best judge of that, but perhaps it's something to think about.
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