Meeting Culture & Speaking Up

⭐ What Makes American Meetings Different?

Understanding these cultural norms will help you communicate confidently, contribute effectively, and read the “unspoken rules” of U.S. workplace discussions.

• Participation is expected — silence can be interpreted as disagreement or lack of engagement.
• Ideas matter more than hierarchy — junior team members are encouraged to contribute openly.
• Direct communication is preferred — Americans value clear, concise opinions.
• Brainstorming is normal — sharing even half-formed ideas is encouraged.
• Action items drive everything — every meeting ends with tasks, deadlines, and owners.
• Meetings are fast-paced — staying concise and jumping in at the right moment is important.

☁️ Offering an Idea

• “I’d like to suggest…”
• “One idea to consider is…”
• “What if we tried…?”
• “Here’s another way to look at this…”

☁️ Adding a Comment

• “To build on what Maria said…”
• “I agree, and I’d also add…”
• “Another factor we might consider is…”
• “I see it a little differently…”

☁️ Asking for Clarification

• “Just to make sure I understand…”
• “Could you explain what you mean by…?”
• “When you say ____, do you mean…?”
• “Can you walk us through that?”

☁️ Politely Disagreeing

• “I see your point, but I’m not sure it solves the issue.”
• “I have a slightly different perspective…”
• “I understand where you're coming from; however…”
• “Could we consider an alternative approach?”

• Use clear openings: “I recommend…”, “My perspective is…”
• Avoid weakeners: Reduce “Maybe…”, “I’m not sure…”, “This might be wrong…”
• Keep comments short — avoid long explanations.
• Signal you want to speak — “I’d like to add something…”

take the lead

take the lead — be in charge of a task
▶ Could you take the lead on preparing our presentation for Friday?
▶ If no one else volunteers, I’m happy to take the lead and get things moving.

touch base

touch base — check in briefly
▶ Let’s touch base later today to compare notes.
▶ I’ll touch base with you after the client call so we’re on the same page.

on the same page

on the same page — agree on the plan
▶ Before we begin, I want to make sure we’re all on the same page.
▶ After the meeting, it was clear that marketing and sales were not on the same page at all.

a quick win

a quick win — an easy, early success
▶ Updating the FAQ page would be a quick win for our customer support team.
▶ If we need momentum, let’s aim for a quick win to boost team morale.

think outside the box

think outside the box — be creative
▶ We’ll need to think outside the box to fix this supply chain issue.
▶ The designer really thought outside the box — no one expected a solution that bold.

circle back

circle back — return to a topic later
▶ We don’t have enough information yet, so let’s circle back this afternoon.
▶ I’m still waiting for approval, so I’ll circle back once the director weighs in.

run with it

run with it — take initiative and move forward independently
▶ Once we approve the plan, feel free to run with it.
▶ She took one small idea and ran with it — now it’s a full product line.

keep me posted

keep me posted — keep me updated
▶ Keep me posted if anything changes with the timeline.
▶ The CEO wants to be kept posted — send her a quick update after the meeting.

table this

table this — postpone the discussion
▶ We’re running out of time, so let’s table this for next week.
▶ Unless someone has an urgent objection, we can table this until after the launch.

move the needle

move the needle — make real progress
▶ This new strategy should really move the needle on revenue.
▶ Updating the onboarding process finally moved the needle on customer satisfaction.

in the loop

in the loop — informed and included
▶ Please keep the whole team in the loop as things develop.
▶ She hates being left out, so make sure she stays in the loop on all decisions.

a ballpark figure

a ballpark figure — an approximate number
▶ Can you give us a ballpark figure for the final budget?
▶ I don't need exact numbers — just a ballpark figure so I can plan ahead.