Why Do’s and Don’ts Lists Fail Without Cultural Context
Understanding why do’s and don’ts lists fail is often the first step professionals take when preparing to work across cultures. These lists feel reassuring—offering simple tips to avoid mistakes and fit in quickly. But as many discover, they fall short. They treat culture as a checklist rather than a living, shifting context, missing the nuances, […]
Idioms Used in Status Update Meetings
This idioms guide is part of our six‑part series on mastering cross‑cultural communication through understanding best practices for status updating. The series is designed for Indian professionals working with U.S. Americans — especially in tech and business contexts — to help bridge communication styles, expectations, and cultural norms. Use this guide to understand their meaning […]
Avoid Sounding Vague in Status Updates
You’ve just given your U.S. client a project update, and they respond with, “Can you clarify what you mean?” That’s a sign your message wasn’t as clear as it could be. Avoid sounding vague in status updates is about replacing uncertainty with precision — a skill that helps professionals in India working with U.S. colleagues […]
“At Your Earliest Convenience” Yay or Nay?
The use of “at your earliest convenience” is often used in professional emails in some business cultures, including in India. What type of response may you get while working with US Americans when using “at your earliest convenience?” Well, this phrase, while it can sound polite, is not specific, so it can also be read […]
10 Ways To Thank on Social Media
Are you managing your company’s social media page? Do you want different ways to thank on social media or show appreciation to your followers; those who like, view, comment, and share your posts without saying the overused thank you? Generally, readers of our blog have companies or teams in the US […]
CEFR: Self-Analyze Your English Language Skills
One of the ways we track your progress through our coaching and training programs is through the use of the CEFR self-assessment tool. Take a look at the video below to help you understand how to use this tool to assess your language skills. How can I use the CEFR to analyze my English […]
Making Small Talk with US Americans
Learn the dos and don’ts of making small talk with US Americans. While making small talk and getting to know your colleagues in India on a personal level before getting down to business is important, Americans may often be more transactional. Learn the dos and don’ts of small talk to build trusting and […]
Software Development Terms in Ordinary English
This glossary of Software Development Terms in Ordinary English is a work in progress. As I post this in September 2020, I have a list of over 130 words and phrases used by techies in daily conversations at work (with only about 1/3 defined). As I know there are plenty of people like me out there […]
Politely Say No to US Clients
Have you ever been in a situation where you were in a conversation with a US client and needed to say no, but instead did not say anything because you did not know how to politely say no or push back? Well, today I am going to teach you a few formulas and phrases you can […]
I Don’t Ask Others To Repeat Anymore!
“7 hours of your classes helped me improve my English much more than I have ever could have expected. I don’t ask others to repeat anymore!” Today when I asked the student I have been giving 1 to 1 English classes to for the last three weeks “How have you been progressing on the goals […]
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