A Hebrew-language business opinion piece argues that many Israeli executives struggle abroad not because of weak English, but because they focus on performance instead of connection. The author, a Israeli-American communication coach and researcher, opens with the example of a gifted Israeli manager who bombed an interview with a famous CEO at a New York conference. The manager later blamed his English, but the author says the language was not the issue, the real problem was that he was too absorbed in formulating the next question to listen or engage naturally.
The central argument is that international business communication is not about speaking perfectly, but about building trust, relationships, and influence. Citing Stanford communication professor Matt Abrahams, she writes, “It’s about connection, not perfection.” She urges speakers to adopt the mindset, “It’s not a performance, it’s a conversation,” and to practice saying things another way when they get stuck, rather than clinging to the exact words they planned.
She then lays out three skills that can improve any conversation, in English or any language. First is deep listening, which she describes as a leadership skill, not a courtesy. She cites the “900/125” idea, that people think at roughly 900 words a minute but speak at about 125, so much goes unsaid if listeners rush to answer. Techniques such as paraphrasing can help surface what the other person has not yet expressed, and research on negotiations suggests paraphrasing improves outcomes for both sides.
Second is validation, drawn from dialectical behavioral therapy, meaning making the other person feel understood without necessarily agreeing. She says short validating phrases can increase willingness to pay, loyalty, and recommendations in customer interactions. Third is asking better follow-up questions, especially open-ended ones starting with what or how. She concludes that after coaching and practice, the same manager returned to the stage months later, stayed off his notes, and delivered an interview that felt authentic and compelling. A colleague told him, “I felt like it was just you, only in English.” In the AI era, she writes, human conversation skills, presence, and listening are becoming a real competitive advantage.
