Handshake fails
I honestly think the way we say hello is one of the biggest sources of awkward moments at work. I live in Spain but I’m from Scotland, so I often struggle with knowing when to shake hands or go for a cheek kiss—and I get it wrong a lot. So what can I say when I go in for a cold Scottish handshake, but the other person goes for the two kisses, and we end up bumping into each other.
My tactic is to just laugh and say, ‘Oops, we almost had it!’
This phrase means that you nearly succeeded perfectly, but you made a small mistake. It lets you take control of an awkward moment by injecting a little humour. And now you can easily move on.
“What do you think about (a topic)? ”
The Name Game
You’ve met this person a few times in the past. You meet them again today. And now…you can’t remember their name. What do you do? Well, ideally you can survive the meeting without needing to use their name. But in case a moment appears where you really need to mention them, here is an easy phrase you can use:
So sorry, your name has slipped my mind.
When I forget something, I’m always a big fan of saying something “slipped my mind”. It gives the impression it’s just a temporary blank because you just have so many things in your brain. Nothing personal.
Now let’s flip the situation. What happens if you’re in a conversation, or a meeting, and someone keeps calling you by the WRONG name. My name is Susie, but I get called Sukie a lot. If I find myself in a situation where I need to correct that person, but I don’t want them to feel embarrassed, I’ll say this:
Oh, just to clarify, I’m Susie.
Use that phrase (with your own name), and the message is casual and clear. Not a big deal.
What about if someone mispronounces your name? Someone’s calling me Sushi instead of Susie. I can say this:
Quick thing: it’s actually pronounced Susie.
You might notice the way these phrases are starting “oh”, or “quick thing”. These are gentle signals that you are about to share a quick point. Useful tools for politely catching people’s attention in English conversations at work.
Quick thing – haha – please like this video if it’s useful!
The Office Trap
Finally, what about that awkward moment when you get trapped in a room with someone—like the lift or the break room. You say hello, hello, how are you, fine thank you, you… and then the silence starts. Neither of you knows what to say? It’s a little uncomfortable, right?
I find that asking the other person their opinion on something is usually a great way to get them talking. Like this:
What do you think about (a topic)?
The easiest topic is probably something related to work, like “what do you think about the new schedule?”, but it can be anything: the weather, a TV show, a global event, holidays…it doesn’t matter. The point is that you are setting up the other person to share their views and talk – you’re conquering that uncomfortable silence.
It’s not you, it’s them
Many people think their awkward social interactions are due to their English skills, but that’s not always true! Sometimes, the other person is just naturally awkward with everyone.
That being said, having strong English can help you handle these situations with more control and confidence. I encourage you to keep improving your skills, and you’ll have a better time using English at work and in life in general.
It’s my job to help you do exactly that —so follow my channel for more tips!
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