EUROPE, RAISE YOUR VOICE
The year is 2002. At the time, I am a board member’s technical assistant at KPMG Germany. A global leadership team is meeting in Frankfurt, hosted by my boss, Mr. Wesner. For two days, nine heavyweight partners from the UK, France, The Netherlands, Germany, and the US gather at a five-star hotel.
The US representative, the head of Forensic (fraud detection), can’t make it. Instead, his right-hand man—a young partner, maybe 35 years old—steps in.
I vividly remember the first meeting on day one. A creative partner from Berlin, let’s call him Mr. D., presents the current projects of an innovation hub sponsored by the global organization. Mr. D. starts with the typical courtesy: thanking everyone for their support of this “important initiative.” Soon, he transitions to the first project his team is working on—a team of highly motivated and highly paid young professionals from the world’s top business schools.
But then, just three minutes into the presentation, the young American interrupts with a firm and loud voice:
“That’s all nice, but where’s the beef? What’s the return? What’s in it for me?”
The room goes silent. Ice-cold.
Caught off guard, Mr. D., clearly unused to this kind of aggressive interruption, switches to defensive mode. Bad idea. The young American fires one question after another, each one landing like a nail in the coffin of Mr. D.’s self-confidence.
In the end, a couple of months later, the innovation hub is shut down.
The year is 2024. Today.
Europe, raise your voice!
Yes, Americans are kind and smiling and friendly with their neighbors. Yes, Americans are outgoing and fun to hang out with. And they love Tequila shots! But one thing is certain: as soon as the doors close and you’re sitting in a business meeting with them, they transform into powerhouses of communication—eloquent, energetic, and sometimes even aggressive.
If you don’t invest in your communication skills, you will always lose against those tornados of public speaking.
So, join Toastmasters International, or contact me, and we’ll discuss your options to raise your voice as a European.
#fminsights #communicationskills #presentationskills #charisma #storytelling #rhetoric