Lead a Conference Call with Non Native Speakers
Conference calls may be one of the most excruciating experiences for non-native English speakers. A number of factors can make a conference call difficult, sound quality, subject matter, number of participants, and a lack effective leadership during the call.
Contents
Steps
- Articulate and speak slowly and comfortably. Don't overuse noises like "um" or "uh".
- When listening to another speaker, don't over- or under-use "fillers" (words like "uh-huh" that let the speaker know you are still listening). It's okay to use a filler if the speaker has paused, but it's not okay to interrupt with a continuer, or to have dead silence on the line for an uncomfortable period of time. Silence can be a powerful communication tool to allow for understanding of complex ideas and time to formulate questions.
- Slow down the communication process. Pause between ideas, every three to five sentences, to give non-native speakers an opportunity to understand before continuing.
- This is a great time to politely confirm that everyone participating understands what has been said up to this point. Most people will appreciate being given a chance to ask for clarification.
- Be proactive. During the call, regularly remind participants that they may ask for clarification. Tell them that it is important to you that they understand. Give them permission to ask for clarification.
- Check for understanding at the end of every topic, "Is that comprehensible?", "Was I comprehensible?", or "What questions do you have?" are all good ways to check for understanding.
- Do not rush into the next topic. Be sure to give at least 30 seconds between topics for questions and clarification. At the end of each topic, rephrase important details and actions, even if participants do not ask for clarification.
- Be an effective conference call leader. A leader ensures that comprehension is a priority. They concentrate on creating a communication friendly environment for everyone to appreciate and enjoy. How can a native English speaker expect a non-native speaker to participate or follow directives if they have trouble understanding? Of course, the minutes of the meeting often follows the call. However, productive and rewarding relationships are at stake. If there is little or no comprehension during a call, then non-native participants may as well not participate. They may feel alienated and understand more from the written minutes.
Tips
- An effective leader guarantees that participants understand by clarifying important details and actions at the end of each topic.
- An effective leader guarantees that every participant articulates and speaks slowly.
- An effective leader guarantees that participants actively ask for clarification, one way to achieve this is to previously know each attendee role at the conference and prepare some question for each one of the participants.
- An effective leader guarantees that if there is background noise, the call is put on hold until the noise is removed.
- An effective leader guarantees that there is feedback at the end of the call to see how communication could be improved during the next call.
Warnings
- Be careful not to offend the non-native speakers by clarifying too often or clarifying topics that are very simple. Mistakes will happen but you can minimize them by paying careful attention.
