International Translation Day: How Important is Language Anyway?

In observance of International Translation Day let's talk about translation, the art of localization, and the importance of language in today's digital world. With technology, social media, and communicating through text, email, and through a number of other twenty-first century mediums, how important is language these days anyway?

It's no secret that technology and even social media run our society. We can't go anywhere without some tablet or device to refer to or communicate through at any point during the day. Since we now rely on this type of technology to communicate, our language and how we communicate to others has changed, hasn't it? Many of us often overlook when someone emails or texts us without proper punctuation, capitalization, or even shorthand abbreviations and acronyms. However, some still believe that language is still important. Do you still judge those who don't use proper grammar and punctuation? Has our digital society and age run language obsolete?

Translation and Localization. How do you think technology and our "social speak" has changed the world of translation and localization? Translators and localization teams have been faced with the challenge of translating and localizing shorthand language, acronyms, which, of course, vary between languages, cultures, and communities, and even digital terminology and phrases.

For example, let's look at the most basic, widespread acronym used throughout the digital and social worlds: LOL, which means "Laugh Out Loud". Obviously this is what the term is in English...but is "LOL" used in the same form in Spanish, French or German? No. So when translating or localizing a transcript, text string, email correspondence, or even G-chat or Skype conversation, the chances of coming across shorthand language and acronyms is pretty good...even in the world of business. Therefore, translators and localization teams have really struggled with properly translating these terms and phrases to accurately depict what is going on in the conversation.

Body Language: What Does it Mean? When we think of language, the first thing that comes to mind is our own language we speak. We think of a certain dialect or dialogue, vocabulary, and the language we were raised to speak. But what about body language? Body language is just as important as the language we speak. In fact, we might even rely on body language to help us "translate" what a person is thinking or feeling, which is a visual representation of "language" and can even help us when words simply won't do.

In the world of business, most sales and customer service representatives would agree that body language is incredibly crucial when working with customers or closing deals. In fact, body language can even play a crucial role in landing a new job in an interview, getting that promotion, or even help leaders carry themselves in a manner that allows team members to feel like they can approach them.

However, if we aren't careful, our body language can kill our image, as well as set up a poor first impression when working with others. Our body language and even our tone and what we say can all be easily misinterpreted if we aren't careful. It's important to establish a reputation, a rapport, or a comfort level in the language used with customers. Of course, this can vary between industry and business, but setting a consistent style and tone with customers can really help avoid misusing or misinterpreting body language. This is especially important to keep in mind for professionals traveling to other countries or working with various cultures. A phrase or tone in one culture may be seen as offensive or negative in another.

I've personally always found in working with a diverse client and customer base in both my professional, and even personal, environments to avoid using the word "you", either in the phone, text or email. "You" can be accusatory which can send an incorrect message, especially when communicating via email. For example, instead of typing an email that reads, "You need to take the time to review this so we can move this project along", how about rephrasing to, "It is of the utmost importance that this document be reviewed as soon as possible in order to avoid schedule delays. I'd be more than happy to help, if needed." Which sounds better to you?

Did you know that 72% of people prefer texting to calling today? Why is that? Some reasons may be because texting gives us the convenience to respond when we are able to. Another common reason is that it gives us a chance to think and craft an answer before responding. It's important to remember when conducting any message is that how it sounds to us may not always mean it will be received in the same way. The beauty of communicating via email, chat or text is that it gives us an opportunity to think before we hit "send".

Content Marketing and Grammar. Going back to an earlier question at the beginning of this blog, do you still judge those who don't use proper punctuation and grammar in an email, text, presentation, or social media post? Interestingly, the world of content marketing is beginning to believe it's okay to "break the rules" now and again when publishing or posting marketing or web copy. On the other hand, there are still those firm believers and those who stand behind the use of proper language and who still might judge those professionals or organizations whose copy or written communication is riddled with errors. This often gives the appearance of lack of education or unprofessionalism.

However, some content marketers believe that how we speak is different than how we write. While this is certainly true, it's almost that technology and the mediums in which we write or communicate to one another gives us a free pass to using shorthand, acronyms, or avoiding the use of capital letters and punctuation, because who has time? What do you think?

All in all, regardless of which type of language you "translate", whether it is French, German, Italian, Spanish, digital phraseology and terminology, or body language, it all counts, and today is for you.





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Written content: © 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 J.H. Language Solutions

3 Small and Easy Ways to Find Job Purpose

Everyone has a job. Well, unless you are blessed with not having to work, or maybe you choose to do volunteer work, or maybe you are a stay-at-home parent (which is probably the hardest job of all!) it is true that most of us have a job. We need a source of income. We need that paycheck. And we probably even need benefits. But at what point does a person settle for just any job and feels okay with it just being, well, that? How many people do you know have actually found not only a job that they like, but one that also has meaningful job purpose?

Passion is Fashion. Project managers, for example, are proactive go-getters that have an innate ability and personality to plan, organize, set goals, and just get things done. I can say this here because I am one. However, each and every individual has a burning passion within them. It's that fire that allows them to achieve what they want to. However, passion needs to come from inspiration and motivation. Each individual needs to find what heir "fire" is, what gets them excited to set goals, make things happen, and strive for success. In order to keep that fire burning, there needs to be fuel. The fuel, in this case, is job purpose.

It's really easy to get caught up in the day-to-day minutiae and boring details of any job, but it's important to remember what and who is it that you are working for. Of course, as we mentioned above, your "purpose" could be a paycheck, going on a dream vacation, or buying a new car, maybe you have children to raise, or maybe you just can't survive without an income. We all have our reasons for working, but are those reasons enough? Maybe. But wouldn't it be great to work for something greater? Now you can, with finding job purpose. Find that purpose, give it fuel, and make it happen for yourself…because you are worth it.

Make it Personal. One of the unwritten rules of working for a living is that we should never take things personally. It's just a job, it's not your life. While this can be true, sometimes giving projects or areas of your job your own personal touch can be quite rewarding. Each individual's personality plays a huge role how they work, of course. Each job requires a certain level of creativity, whether that's how you provide customer service and speak to clients, how you organize yourself, how you relate to coworkers, or even how you get your job done. The psychology behind how we work is both an art and a science. That level of creativity is an individual's own personal touch, which is also what makes you successful and helps you find job purpose.

Make an Impact Every Day. Even if you have the most boring ob known to man (and woman!), I'd bet money that you could still find a way to changes lives with what you do, and how you do it. Approach is key here. The point is also to find how you can help and impact another's life (regardless of how small or insignificant it may seem) and keep that goal in the front of your mind each day you go into work. 

What if your job doesn't involve working with people or the public? What if you work in a warehouse or stock shelves? Even if your job or area of expertise doesn’t change lives directly, you can focus your energy towards a coworker or supplier you may have a great working relationship with. A "hello, how are you?" and a smile in the hallway can make a bigger and more positive impact than what you might think. It will make getting up and going to work each day that much more rewarding.

But at the end of the day (literally), work is work. Working for a living is tough, and I bet most of us would choose to not do it. It's true that some jobs are more challenging than others, some are enjoyable, but at the end of the day, it's all still work. However, your willingness and effort to seek out and find job purpose really can make all the difference. Analyze your job as it is now, and find out how you can add your own personal touch, fuel your passion, and really strive to do something great each day.


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Written content: © 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 J. H. Language Solutions 

3 Facts about Women in Business and Business Growth

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It’s no secret that the number of successful and professional women grabbing hold and empowering the entrepreneurial world has grown exponentially not only in the last decade, but even more so in the last several years. More and more women are working in executive roles such as CEOs, VPs, other various high level or managerial positions, and even becoming business owners.

Regardless of the position or level, women all over the world are developing new networking skills and strategies and even experimenting with their entrepreneurial skills and abilities. Interestingly enough, women were stereotyped in working secretarial, educational, or nursing roles not thirty years ago. While these positions are still predominantly held by women, they are also branching out into other roles and industries that are commonly stereotyped as “male roles”, such as doctors and physicians, scientists, lawyers, and even military service members and law enforcers.

In fact, here are some renown facts related to women in business that prove that exceptional females are working out of the homes, out of the secretarial pools, and up the corporate ladders:

Trust the facts, Jack:

• In the last decade (approximately between 1997 and 2006), women-owned and operated businesses grew more than any other business in the U.S. As of 2011, it was estimated that at least ten million businesses had ownership of 50% or more women.
  
• In 2012, approximately 6,000 companies in the world have at least one female director working at an executive level.
  
• As of 2008, women hold approximately 46.3% of the labor force in the U.S. Approximately 15% of Fortune 500 companies in the U.S. have female corporate officers.
  

While some of this data was from several years to almost a decade ago, it is almost certain that these numbers have increased at the rate that small businesses and start ups are growing in the U.S.

So this now begs the question: Why the gradual and astonishing increase in the number of female business owners, directors, and CEOs? This could be due to economic changes and pressure for women to survive in the work force, the desire for women to be successful as men, or even in an attempt to help close the pay gap between men and women.

Regardless of the reason why more and more women are pouring into business, the statistics are still surprising. On the flip side, however, it's also true that women still have a long way to go to catch up with men in the work force. But look on the bright side, ladies, there are even organizations and foundations established to help women in business succeed. In fact, there are also grants available to those women who are looking to start up small businesses. It's out there and it's possible. You've just got to know where to look.

So hats off to the ladies who have been busy networking, consulting, solution-ing, and just rocking it in the world of the business in the last few months, the last year, and in the last decade. 

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A Basic Overview of FMEA

Most professional project managers have at least heard of the basic FMEA principles. For those who haven’t heard of them, or aren’t sure of what they are, or need a refresher on them, here is a basic overview of the FMEA principles for project management.

So what is FMEA?

So what is FMEA exactly? FMEA stands for Failure Mode and Effect Analysis. These techniques help project managers in analyzing and identifying risk in projects. The reason why FMEA is so successful is because these tactics help prevent problems, issues, and defects in projects and even enhance customer safety and satisfaction.

FMEAs are universal because they can relate to any area of project management in any industry. They can be utilized for technical and nontechnical project managers and in such industries. According to FMEA, its important for project managers to remember that even some of the simplest and least complex projects and products can fail.

What are the three factors FMEA risk factors?

There are three factors the FMEA principles use to determine risk. These factors include:

Severity – the consequence of the failure, should it occur. This basically outlines the severity of a failure. If the product or service fails, what happens? What is the worst possible outcome? A perfect example of this would be a product or even service that causes a customer physical harm or even death such as a faulty car part, medical device, or even a medical device manual.

Occurrence – the occurrence is the probability or the frequency of the problem occurring. How likely is the problem to occur in a particular project? And ultimately, what is the impact? So let’s revisit the example mentioned in the previous factor. If a mechanic or manufacturer is putting together a car, and let’s say he or she is using a new part, what is the probability that, that part will fail?

Detection – this refers to the probability that the issue will be detected or recognized before failure occurs. What is the detection plan for the particular project? What is the likelihood that the issue will be spotted before production is complete? Are there any QA steps involved in the process that would likely detect the issue? Again, going back to the example with the car assembly. Once a product is tested, manufactured, and assembled to the vehicle, what is the detection method to be sure of the functionality and safety of this particular part? Is there a manufacturing or production QA step that would test the parts before delivery?

What are the best ways to identify FMEA?

So how do project managers go about identifying and addressing the FMEA principles in their projects? Most project managers will develop or design a flow chart or some form of assessment sheet. These methods can help determine each of the FMEA steps and risk factors and how to respond to each of them.

Most commonly, each of the risk factors are identified and later addressed in team meetings and regular planning meetings for each project. This effectively communicates the risks involved and helps make sure everyone is on the same page.

Upon new project assignments, project managers can sometimes feel overwhelmed when trying to schedule, budget, and even identify, plan, and respond to risks. The FMEA principles can really help project managers identify, analyze, and determine risks in any project. Once risks are properly identified and documented, managing them, with the help of team members, is that much easier.

Written content: © 2010, 2011, 2012, J.H. Language Solutions

*This topic was written by J.H. Language Solutions for a third party. This article has been altered to fit this blog accordingly.  J.H. Language Solutions in no way assumes ownership of the content above. Topic posted by third party permission. 

Fun Outdoor Team Building Activities and Exercises

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Regardless of whether you are working with organizations in a professional environment, colleagues, or even a team of kids, everyone can benefit from team building activities. Some of the best and most fun team building activities and exercises are done outside. This gives colleagues and teams, particularly those who work or go to school indoors most of the time, a chance to get out and experience the fresh air, have some fun, and learn something new and valuable.

So what are some of these activities that you can do for your team? Some activities include simple games that involve all team members while others may be more brainteasers. All in all, it’s up to the project manager or team supervisor or manager to determine which games would be best suited for teams. You can even include team involvement to see which would be the most popular or which would be the most fun for teams.

Ultimately, teambuilding activities and exercises should reach at least several of the following common goals and outcomes, according to Out of the Square Experience:

·      Teamwork and team spirit

·      Communication

·      Leadership

·      Problem solving skills

·      Planning and goal setting

·      Cooperation

·      Team introductions

·      Establish team relationships

Why outdoors?

First off, who doesn’t like to be outside? Especially when the weather is beautiful. Human beings thrive off sunlight, which gives us Vitamin D, which is a crucial vitamin to our health. So aside from the health benefits of being outside, teambuilding activities are best held outside because they also place everyone on a solid, common ground. Outside or unpredictable events or unfamiliar territories can also resemble or relate to different business environments or structures, particularly those situations that may have decreased morale in a business or organizational setting, or that may have made team members and coworkers uncomfortable. This is why being outside also helps those involved and participating to let loose and feel more comfortable.

While most of these sound like a lot of fun, especially the “playing outside” part, the fact is, most people, regardless of age or gender, dislike teambuilding activities initially. They are one of those “ice breaking” moments that most people dread and roll their eyes at. However, prior to breaking out the activities, perhaps spend some time with teams and explain why and how teambuilding can be so effective. It’s not solely about meeting others or even playing games, it also can be a learning experience. If you were to interview or survey teams prior to engaging in a particular teambuilding activity, most would claim they are uncomfortable or dread them. However, if you were to survey the same team afterwards, nine times out of ten team members would admit to at least one thing they learned during the exercises.

All in all, when people relax and loosen up and are having fun and are engaging in activities and exercises, they are learning, developing, and utilizing new skills that can be used in the work place, in their teams, and even when working on projects or in their day to day tasks. Most of all, teambuilding teaches attitude and helps break negative attitude trends and promotes healthy communication. 

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© 2010, 2011, 2012, J.H. Language Solutions

*This topic was written and posted by J.H. Language Solutions on behalf of a third party.  J.H. Language Solutions in no way assumes ownership of the content above.

Staying Social in a World of Social Media

Social media is all the rave today. Who ever thought it would get as big as it is? It has even altered how we communicate with one another, how we look up information, and even the way we do business and our daily routines. But has it totally overcome our lives?

Are you addicted to social media?

 It is safe to say that many would agree that social media is addicting. When you are bored at work - how many times a day do you check your Facebook? When you are out running errands - how many times do you "check in" at certain locations? Whenever you run into someone you hadn't seen in awhile or maybe even someone you just met - how many times have you said "I'll Facebook you"? It was recorded just this month that Twitter has amounted to over 500 billion users and sees approximately 340 million tweets per day.

I think we've all been there at one point or another...or maybe even on a daily basis. But how much actual physical social interaction do we engage in now...or do we just rely on Facebook to keep up with all our engagements and correspondence? Some of you may be thinking "I interact with others every day!" That could be true, but I'm not just talking about our jobs or with our families...I'm talking about actual social interactions that involve physically talking face to face and/or engaging in outside activities with another person. These activities also don't involve having a cell phone taped to your ear or your hand. When was the last time you were able to do this? Remember, 22% of users spend their time online on social media.

• It's addicting. The fact is too much social media isn't exactly good for us. Studies have shown that spending too much online or on social media has some serious health risks. In addition to the fact that is extremely addicting and perhaps it's not the best way to be spending our time. I understand that many companies and businesses rely heavily on social media to promote their business or to keep up with competitors, clients, and partners and colleagues. In fact, I'm one of them. However, just like anything, when does it become too much? 

• It can cause depression. There are some people out there who will lock themselves in their rooms or in their homes for an entire weekend or night and just play online. This is most likely more common in younger adults or children, but this isolation is a sure sign of the beginning stages of depression. 

• It leads to decreased physical activity. In a society where obesity is such an epidemic, again, especially in children, the last thing we should be doing is sitting in front of the computer. 

So in a society where everyone and their brother are pushing you to jump on social media, what do you do about it? You can utilize social media in order to plan events that involve engaging in other human beings. This automatically reduces the feeling of isolation, depression, and decreased physical activity. Getting out into the world and doing something fun with a friend, significant other, or family member or child is definitely a more fulfilling activity than just sitting and chatting. In fact, it's not secret that human beings require social interaction with another human being. This could be interacting with another person's emotions, personality, or even just their touch or smile. Humans are social beings that require the interaction with another in order to thrive and develop healthy, social relationships.

Okay, so it's not all bad.

Social media has also helped us in many ways, especially in conjunction with technology. Social media helps you connect with people you already know or maybe haven't seen in awhile, such as distant family members, high school or college friends, international contacts, people with similar interests, etc. It is extremely convenient and easy to keep in touch with people, which is always a great thing.

Then there is the whole business world. Anyone who owns a business has probably reaped the benefits of social media in some way. Utilizing social media as a part of your networking or marketing strategy is not only easy to do, but it's extremely cost effective. You can purchase and run ads through Facebook for as little as $1 per day...and still reach potential clients and business contacts. Facebook does all the work for you. In addition, posting your blog, business site, press releases, or any other published content to your Facebook page or Twitter account is bound to get your name out there and boost your branding faster than print advertising ever could.

Getting out (and not in the social media sense).

All in all, there should really be a limit to how much social media we consume in a day...just for the sheer purpose of getting out there and getting away from the computer. For those who have jobs that involve sitting at a desk in front of a computer screen all day, do you really want to go home and do the same thing? For those who are looking for a change a pace, try getting out and doing something fun with someone else at least once per week (and again, without your cell phone attached to your ear or your hand the entire time).

Maybe you recently started a new job or moved and you don't know anyone and would like to meet someone. For those cases, there is Meetup.com. This is a great way to find something close in proximity to either work, home, or school; that is relative to your interests or hobbies; and that involves meeting others (whether for the purposes of making new friendships, relationships, or networking).

Finally, it's easy to become addicted to social media today. Everywhere you go and everything you do involves posting to Facebook, visiting an organization's fan page or "tweeting" or "posting" a status update. While we've already looked at the pros and cons to social media, there should really be a balance to social media and life.



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Written content: © 2010, 2011, 2012, J.H. Language Solutions

Friends vs. Coworkers

Let's start simple. What IS a friend? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a friend is described and classified as "1a : one attached to another by affection or esteem b: acquaintance, 2a : one that is not hostile b: one that is of the same nation, party, or group, 3: one that favors or promotes something (as a charity), 4: a favored companion."  If you ask me, this is rather vague. For instance "one attached to another by affection or esteem" is MUCH different than an "acquaintance". Also, is a "friend" from a particular nation, party, or group mean a group of people who are "acquaintances" that are joined together for a specific reason, organization, or interest? Therefore, can coworkers truly be classified as "friends"?

Some say 'yes', others say 'no'. It is true that a great deal of friendships have blossomed from the workplace. I know people who have been friends inside and outside of work, through life and job changes and what not, for over thirty years! I, myself even have previous coworkers that I still converse with. As mentioned above, the workplace is a group of people that do the same job and have the same interests/personality to perform a particular job. So, it's only natural that coworkers will comingle. I know there are those coworkers that everyone dreads working with. It's like the family member that you avoid seeing or that you just plain don't get along with. But overall, where we spend 7 to 8 hours per day, 5 days a week, 35-40 hours per week, until retirement, where we spend 80% of our lives, we are naturally going to find a coworker with the same interests and the same things in common.

On the flip side, those that say 'no' are at work for one reason and one reason only. Work. A paycheck. Supporting the families. Some people aren't interested in conversing with others for any other reason other than to get a job done. Totally understandable. But it's definitely much more enjoyable to have someone to talk to, to eat lunch with, or to vent to.

So that begs the question, are your friends friends? or just coworkers? It can be difficult to decide that sometimes. Some people are nervous to ask the other out for lunch or perhaps a weekend outing because it's difficult to know the other's intentions. Going out for happy hour is one thing, but visiting another in their personal home on the weekends is another. Sometimes it's difficult to know whether or not you've crossed that line or if that is something you are comfortable with. It's also a great risk to befriend a coworker and then put trust in him or her. You may think by venting to one of your coworkers it is okay, especially when your coworker is being friendly, supportive, you know, a FRIEND. The next thing you find out, that person is trashing you behind your back, complaining about you to a supervisor, and turning other coworkers against you. That is when you know it's time to cut the ties and that you really aren't "friends". I know what you are thinking...what is this, high school? Seriously. It's sad to say that some adults NEVER grow up. They have personal, childish issues that keep them from maintaining professional and plutonic relationships with others.

The line between friends and coworkers can also depend heavily upon the work environment. I've worked in environments where EVERYONE is friends. Yeah, of course, there's the drama...but people stuck together, were friendly, and sometimes even treated you like family. However, I've also worked in environments where you'd walk in in the morning and not ONE person would look up, or even say "good morning" to you and can't be bothered with mindless conversations that weren't 100% involved with work. Those environments are often cold, tense, and unenjoyable. A work enviornment also greatly depends on culture. Work environments that carry different ethnic cultures can directly affect the work environment, both positively and negatively. It also depends on the work environment's policies with exchanging personal information, interacting outside of work, or even exchanging personal emails with one another. However, it's safe to say that is varies with different industries.

All in all, it's difficult to determine what is more approrpriate: friends or coworkers. It depends on the person, the overall work cultural, environment, ethnicities, and the organization of a workplace. It's true that some work places and environments are more friendlier than others. I find that the younger the work environment, the more coworkers act like children -- in their professionalism, or lack thereof, their communication ability, and the way they mingle and interact with coworkers. So who's really to say? Most importantly, it depends on your own comfort level. You may be a social person, a people lover, or you may be more of an introvert, focused on your work only. Either way, tread lightly.