My mother is the brightest person I know. She was a preschool teacher for 20 years. She is also a non-native English speaker.
Even though she was the most parent-requested teacher at her school, she still struggled to communicate her successful pedagogy to others during faculty meetings because she lacked the ability to communicate confidently in English.
Communication coaching transformed her career
However, after my mother received one-on-one English language communication coaching, everything changed. Her confidence increased and she was able to share ideas with greater clarity, conciseness and conviction. She deepened her relationships with other teachers and felt more included at work.
“I knew I had great ideas and the ability to coach my colleagues on improving their teaching practice, but I did not have the confidence or ability to share those ideas compellingly and clearly. I also struggled to confidently provide feedback to my peers, because there were cultural nuances that come with English language communication. My coach stoked my confidence, helped me deliver feedback in an empathetic way, and enabled me to bring my full self and voice to the workplace!”
The coaching my mother received unleashed her potential and then she stepped into an instructional coaching role for new teachers. Not only did the overall quality of teaching improve across the school, but more students made more academic gains.
Authentic voices heard all around the world
My mother’s story, and stories like hers, are why I serve on the business development team at Lingo Live, a company that connects multilingual employees to a personal language and communication coach. Coaches help learners discover their authentic voices and empower them to confidently contribute at their workplace. Lessons are task-based and situated to each individual’s specific professional goals from running an agile scrum to preparing an engaging presentation.
One can not underestimate the power of communication nor the relationship between confidence and one’s ability to bring their full selves to work. It proved to be powerful and transformative for my mother’s career.
At Lingo Live, we imagine a world where people everywhere have the tools to contribute their unique perspective and succeed at any company regardless of their current language and communication proficiency or cultural background. And imagine the impact non-native English speakers could have across their organizations and around the world if they were empowered to bring their authentic voices to work with language and communication coaching.
-Paymon Zarghami, Lingo Live, Head of Strategic Accounts
Interested in reading more? Check out Diversity and Inclusion in Practice: An Interview with Our CLO.