295. Disagree Without Disconnecting: Cross-Cultural Skills for International Managers (With Lindsay McMahon, All Ears English)

In this episode, I talk with Lindsay McMahon, CEO and co-host of All Ears English, about how senior managers can disagree more effectively and sensitively in global business settings. We explore cultural differences in communication, key concepts like context and power distance, and practical English phrases you can use to disagree without damaging relationships. Enjoy! Here are the timings:00:00 – Introduction & why disagreeing well matters for leaders01:00 – Meet Lindsay McMahon and her global communication insights02:30 – A real-life story about missing cultural cues04:30 – Key ideas: high vs. low context cultures and power distance07:00 – How culture and personality shape disagreement styles08:00 – Three approaches to disagree in English08:30 – Style 1: Direct disagreement10:00 – Style 2: Disagreeing while maintaining relationships12:00 – Style 3: Delaying or avoiding disagreement13:30 – Final takeaways: focus on connection, not perfection14:30 – Where to find All Ears English Come and Say HelloLinkedInQuestions, thoughts or just want to say hello? Come and find me on LinkedIn.The Friday NewsletterJoin Just One ThingOne useful thing to help you communicate more confidently at work. Every Friday.Episode TranscriptsRead the Episode TranscriptsGo back over the language, examples and ideas from each episode.Little ExtrasAnna’s Little Confidence Boost PlaylistMy favourite songs for when I need a little confidence boost. No guarantees, but you might like them too.Anna, What Books Should I Read?My tried-and-tested Confident Business English reading list.Work With MeInterested in Working Together?I only work with a small number of 1:1 clients at a time so I can keep the coaching highly personalised. Places are limited and often fully booked, but you can join the interest list to be the first to hear when a space opens up.Fancy Buying Me a Coffee?Buy Me a CoffeeIf Confident Business English is helping you communicate more confidently at work, you can buy me a coffee and support the time, work and caffeine that go into keeping the podcast going.