Learning how to take compliments at work starts with a simple phrase: “Thank you, I appreciate that.” Then stop. For non-native English speakers, the challenge isn’t always vocabulary. Often it involves overriding the cultural instincts that trained you to deflect, minimize, or immediately redirect credit. Those instincts served you well in other contexts, but they send unintended signals in English-speaking business environments.

Accepting praise cleanly is a professional communication skill you can practice, not a personality trait you need to change. The patterns that make you deflect compliments come from cultural communication norms around modesty, collectivism, and hierarchical deference. Understanding where those patterns come from, what they cost you professionally, and what to say instead gives you a concrete toolkit for your next interaction. What follows are specific phrases organized by workplace scenario, from one-on-ones with your manager to client calls, so you can respond with confidence the next time someone recognizes your work.

Why deflecting compliments feels natural (and why it’s not a confidence problem)

Those cultural communication norms deserve a closer look, because they explain something most advice on this topic gets wrong. If you deflect compliments at work, you probably don’t have a confidence problem. You have a translation problem.

In many cultures, brushing off praise is the correct response. Japanese business culture treats deflecting compliments as a mark of professionalism and humility. Saying something like “No, no, I didn’t do anything special” signals maturity and respect for the group. In many Latin American workplaces, redirecting credit to the team isn’t false modesty. It reflects a genuine belief that individual recognition without acknowledging the collective feels inappropriate, even rude. Across South Asian, Middle Eastern, and Nordic professional contexts, similar patterns exist where modesty norms or hierarchical deference shape how people respond to praise. These are deeply rational communication habits trained over years.

The friction starts when those habits meet Anglo-Western workplace expectations. In US, UK, Australian, and Canadian business environments, deflecting a compliment can send unintended signals. When your manager says “Great presentation” and you respond with “Oh, it was nothing,” they may hear that you lack confidence in your own work, or that you disagree with their assessment. In cultures that favor direct vs. indirect communication, accepting praise cleanly signals that you trust the other person’s judgment and that you stand behind your contributions. Erin Meyer’s The Culture Map framework maps exactly this kind of gap, showing how behaviors that read as polished professionalism in one culture get misinterpreted in another.

Can impostor syndrome or self-esteem play a role? Of course. But for non-native English speakers working in global organizations, the cultural mismatch is often the primary driver. Why is it hard to accept compliments in another culture? Because you’re running one cultural script in an environment that expects a different one. Recognizing this distinction matters, because the fix is learning a new professional response pattern, which is exactly what the scenarios ahead will give you.

Want to speak English with more confidence at work?

What deflecting praise actually costs you at work

Understanding why you deflect is useful. Understanding what it costs you is what changes behavior.

When you minimize a compliment from a manager or senior leader, you may think you’re being polite. What they hear is different. Responding with “Oh, it was nothing” after your director praises a deliverable can sound like you’re correcting their judgment. You’re telling them the thing they valued wasn’t worth valuing. That registers as a misread of the moment, and it can make a senior stakeholder less likely to publicly champion your work in the future.

The cost adds up during performance reviews and promotion discussions. In many global organizations, advancement depends on visibility, and leadership development research consistently links how well others can articulate your contributions to whether you move forward. If your pattern is to deflect every time someone names your impact, you train the people around you to stop naming it. Chronic deflection shrinks your presence in rooms where decisions about your career happen, especially on distributed teams where your manager may be advocating for you to people who’ve never worked with you directly. Learning how to accept compliments professionally is a visibility skill, not a personality trait.

There’s a meaningful gap between humility and self-erasure. Sharing credit with your team is valued in every workplace culture. Saying “I worked closely with the data team on this, and I’m glad the approach landed well” acknowledges collaboration while confirming your role. Saying “Anyone could have done it” erases you from the story entirely. If someone else later tries to take credit for your work, you’ve already made that easier by removing yourself first. Accept cleanly, share credit where it’s real, and let your contribution stand.

What to say when someone compliments your work

The right response depends on who is giving the compliment and the setting. Each scenario below provides a deflection example paired with a clean professional response.

In a 1:1 with your manager

This is the most common and highest-stakes compliment scenario. Your manager forms impressions of your confidence and self-awareness in these moments, and those impressions shape how they advocate for you to others.

Don’t say: “Oh, it was nothing really” or “I just got lucky.”

Say instead: “Thank you, I put a lot of work into that project and I’m glad it showed.” Or try “I appreciate you saying that. The research phase was challenging but I learned a lot from it.”

Acknowledge the compliment, then add one specific detail about your contribution. This shows confidence without arrogance and gives your manager concrete evidence they can use in their own reporting. When your manager later needs to justify a promotion or a raise, they’ll remember that you owned your work clearly.

In a team meeting or group call

Public praise triggers the strongest deflection instinct, especially if your cultural background values group harmony over individual recognition. Accepting compliments in English that feel natural in a group setting takes practice, but the structure is simple.

Don’t say: “It wasn’t me, it was the whole team.” This erases your role entirely.

Say instead: “Thank you, I’m proud of how this turned out. Priya and Marcus were great to collaborate with on the data analysis.”

This accepts the compliment and shares credit with specificity. Naming colleagues shows generosity. Keeping yourself in the sentence shows accuracy. In fast-moving virtual meetings, a brief “Thank you, that means a lot” with a smile is enough. You don’t need to give a speech. A short, warm acknowledgment lands better than a long deflection that makes the moment awkward for everyone.

From a client or external stakeholder

Don’t say: “Oh, it’s just my job.”

Say instead: “Thank you, it’s been a great project to work on. I’m glad the results are meeting your expectations.”

This accepts the praise while reinforcing the professional relationship and the value delivered. With clients, deflecting into self-deprecation can undermine their confidence in your work. They chose to compliment you because they’re satisfied. Dismissing that satisfaction, even politely, introduces doubt where none existed. Keep it warm, keep it brief, and let the compliment stand.

In a performance review

Don’t say: “I don’t think I did anything special.”

Say instead: “Thank you, I’m glad that work was recognized. I’d like to keep building on that in the next quarter.”

This accepts the praise and signals forward momentum. Performance reviews are where deflection carries the highest cost because your responses become part of the record your manager uses for promotion and compensation decisions. If you minimize your contributions during the one conversation designed to evaluate them, you’re actively working against yourself. For anyone who recognizes this pattern extending beyond compliments, overcoming imposter syndrome is worth exploring as a broader skill.

How to take compliments on video calls without awkwardness

Video calls add a layer of difficulty. You’re processing English in real time, reading small faces in tiny rectangles, and managing a slight audio delay. That combination makes even a two-second pause after praise feel uncomfortably long.

Nonverbal cues carry more weight on video than in person because the conversation moves faster and interruptions feel more disruptive. A visible smile, a small nod, and “Thank you, I appreciate that” is a complete response. You don’t need to elaborate. Let your face do the work that your body language would normally handle in a conference room, and resist the urge to fill silence with qualifiers or disclaimers.

If praise catches you off guard, a phrase like “That’s kind of you to say, thank you” buys you processing time without sounding like deflection. It acknowledges the compliment while your brain catches up. For anyone who wants broader strategies for those unscripted moments, handling unexpected questions is a useful skill to build alongside this one. One instinct to watch for on video calls is typing a deflection in the chat while someone praises you verbally. If the compliment comes through voice, respond through voice. Switching channels signals discomfort and pulls attention away from what should be a clean, confident moment.

Want to speak English with more confidence at work?

Accepting praise is a communication skill you can practice

Responding well to a compliment on a video call or in a team meeting is about learning a new pattern. If you grew up in a culture where modesty signals professionalism, deflecting praise feels automatic. That habit can be retrained. The phrases throughout this article give you a starting point, and each one gets easier with repetition.

Learning how to accept compliments professionally fits into a larger set of skills you’re already building. Giving constructive feedback, speaking up in cross-functional meetings, and advocating for your contributions during review cycles all draw on the same muscle. They require you to communicate your value clearly in English without filtering it through cultural norms that weren’t designed for this context. If that gap between who you are and how you come across in English feels familiar, closing your identity gap is worth exploring further.

Pick one phrase from this article and use it in your next interaction. Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Muscle memory builds confidence faster than any mindset shift, and the next compliment is coming sooner than you think. Talaera’s business English programs help professionals practice exactly these moments, so the words are ready when you need them.

Frequently asked questions

Why do I deflect compliments at work?

Deflecting compliments is often a trained cultural response, not a confidence problem. Many professionals from collectivist or high-context cultures learned that modesty signals respect and teamwork. In English-speaking business environments, though, consistently brushing off praise can unintentionally signal that you doubt your own contributions or don’t take ownership of your work.

How do you respond to praise at work without sounding arrogant?

A clean “Thank you, I appreciate that” is enough. You can add one sentence about the work itself, such as “I’m glad it landed well” or “That project pushed me to think differently.” Accepting recognition with a brief, genuine response sounds confident, not arrogant. Overexplaining or immediately redirecting all credit elsewhere is what actually draws awkward attention.

What should you say when someone compliments your work in a meeting?

Acknowledge it briefly and let the conversation move on naturally. Something like “Thank you, that means a lot coming from you” or “I appreciate that, it was a great problem to work on” keeps the moment professional. A short pause after your response signals composure, so resist the urge to fill the silence with disclaimers.

Is it harder to accept compliments in a second language?

Yes, and for a specific reason. Most professionals learn business English through formal instruction focused on presentations, emails, and negotiations. Small, high-pressure social moments like receiving praise rarely get practiced. Without rehearsed phrases ready, your brain defaults to your first language’s cultural script, which often means deflecting. Treating compliment responses as a trainable skill closes that gap.

Want to speak English with more confidence at work?

Expand your professional English skills for other unscripted moments at work: