Management Weekly

“Turning the Ship Round”

I watched a video of how US naval captain David Marquet turned around performance on his submarine in a major way. 

Here is what I learned:

- Get people to THINK. 150 THINKERS are better than 1 THINKER (the leader) and 149 DOERS.

- Give away control - let your staff find the answer. Think of parenting. Your child has to make mistakes to learn how to walk, talk or ride a bike.

How do you give away control?

• Literally sit your staff down in your chair and get them thinking

• Fast-forward 6 months from now. With benefit of hindsight: what decision would you make/would you have made, looking back?

• How much progress have you made - NOT - have you done everything?

• If I weren't here, what would you do?

- Change your tone – start to say “I intend to". Don't say "THEY ", say "WE”.

- You must have complete trust in your staff.  Tell them, “I believe that you’re doing the right thing.”

In today’s world, you have many successful organisations who adopt this style. And many more could become even more successful by giving away control.

In the end, I learned that you will find your organisation, your job and your life most fulfilling if:

- You are who you are

- You follow your passion

- You take a few risks

- You make a few mistakes (hopefully not serious mistakes!)

- You let go of control.

- You learn and continue to learn!

My thanks go to:-

http://www.davidmarquet.com/

¿Es llano el castellano?

Ejercicio práctico: ¿Qué es "ESO"?

Para los efectos de la presente ley se entenderá como [ESO] la estructura artificial destinada a almacenar agua con fines recreativos, deportivos, terapéuticos, o simple baño. Incluye además del estanque, las instalaciones anexas, como: vestuarios, sanitarios, lavamanos, duchas trampolines, plataformas de salto, casa de máquinas, accesorias en general y áreas complementarías.

¿Te das por vencido? ¡"ESO" es una piscina! El ejemplo fue tomado de las directrices del departamento de salud en Colombia.   Sería mejor utilizar la definición del diccionario RAE de la lengua española: 


“Estanque destinado al baño, a la natación o a otros ejercicios y deportes acuáticos."

Por cierto, "ESO" nos plantea una cuestión: ¿por qué los funcionarios públicos escriben como así? 

A ver si se me entiende, el vocabulario técnico tiene su lugar, pero no es para todo público. 

Por ejemplo, puedes escribir con complejos términos médicos cuando te dirijes a médicos.

Pero, si el mensaje es para el público en general, es mejor escribir en lenguaje llano, porque se entiende. ¿Parece obvio, no?

En mi trabajo de contador me topo a diario con la complejidad del vocabulario financiero. La industria financiera tiene una mala reputación y la crítica es válida. Lo explica bien éste artículo sobre finanzas personales:

http://www.finanzaspersonales.com.co/invierta-a-la-fija/articulo/guia-para-ser-un-buen-consumidor-financiero/36674


En nuestra vida tenemos que leer documentos financieros como por ejemplo: contratos de tarjeta de crédito, solicitudes de préstamo y extractos de cuenta bancarios. Siempre podemos mejorar nuestros conocimientos de finanzas pero sería si la industria financiera nos hiciera la vida más fácil simplificando el lenguaje financiero.

Hablemos de los complejos contratos de hipoteca. ¡Fueron una de las principales causas de la actual crisis crediticia mundial!

¿Cómo se hace para escribir en lenguaje llano?

- Escribiendo frases cortas (15-20 palabras, ¡esto puede ser muy difícil en castellano, pero no es imposible!)

- Usando más verbos en la voz activa que en la pasiva (claro, no todo el tiempo).  Por ejemplo: "No ha pagado la factura" en vez de "Parece que la factura no ha sido pagada".

No olvides también las otras ventajas del lenguaje llano:

Los lectores comprenden mejor la comunicación, toman decisiones acertadas y eso le permite a tu empresa ahorrar.

Es más fácil traducir lenguaje llano a idiomas extranjeros.

¿Tienes ejemplos de jerga de negocios, jerga financiera o frases inentendibles ?

¡Envíamelo y trataré de ayudarte a entender el significado preciso!

JUST PLAIN OBVIOUS?

What do you think "THIS" is? 

"For the purposes of this Act, [THIS] shall be defined as the artificial structure designed to store water for recreation, sports, therapeutic purposes or regular bathing.  It also includes water tanks, related facilities, such as changing rooms, toilets, sinks, showers, diving boards, starting platforms, engine rooms, secondary facilities and integral spaces."

If you are still wondering, I'll put you out of your misery. It's just a swimming pool! 

Of course, this definition comes from the Colombian Department of Health's guidelines for public safety.  They could have saved some time and used a Spanish dictionary : "..a pool used for bathing, swimming, water sports or other exercises.". 

However, it does raise a wider question.  Why don't we use plain language to describe and define simple ideas?   Don't get me wrong, technical vocabulary has its place. It's absolutely fine to use medical terms if you are addressing medics.  

If however, you are writing for the general public, then you will get a better reaction if they understand what you are saying.  Sounds almost too obvious, doesn't it? 

As an accountant, I have constantly dealt with technical vocabulary. Finance gets a bad press, and rightly so, as a recent survey pointed out : 

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/business/news/firms-urged-to-cut-financial-jargon-1.636495

One startling fact: 81% of the British public believe that financial institutions fail to communicate clearly. That leads to problems when making decisions about money.

In our lives, we have to read finance documents such as credit card agreements, loan applications and bank statements. Sure, we can improve our own finance knowledge, but it would help us a lot if the finance industry made life simpler. 

We can only point to complex mortgage agreements.  They were partly blamed for causing the credit crisis, since home owners could not understand what they were signing. 

How do you write in Plain language?

Here are a couple of simple tips from the Campaign for Plain English :

- Keep your sentences short (15-20 words at most)

- Use active verbs (“you pay ...” instead of “this will be charged for a fee of...”) 

Don’t forget the benefits too:

- Clear communication helps readers understand, make better decisions and actually saves your organisation money. 

- It is easier to translate into a foreign language :)

Do you have an example of a sentence which is plain nonsense?   

Send it to me and I’ll help you understand the meaning!

Is the answer at the bottom of an ice-bucket?

Everyone by now will have heard of the "Ice Bucket Challenge". For those of you unaware or in the know, but  with your heads buried blissfully in the sand, this involves:

-  pouring a bucket of ice-cold water over yourself

-  filming yourself and uploading the clip onto social media

-  nominating three others who should take part in the same challenge within 24 hours

-  making a charitable donation to the ALS (http://www.alsa.org/)

This craze has gripped the English-speaking world.   

What about in the French and Spanish speaking world?

* Leading French singer and actor Johnny Hallyday rose up to the challenge, nominated by fellow actor Tom Cruise

* Diva Shakira carried out the challenge alongside her boyfriend and Barcelona footballer, Gerard Piqué 

* Presidente Enrique Peña Nieto turned down the challenge, however, made a donation to the ALS.

While the idea is brilliant and the cause is deserving with $100 million raised so far, this is as much an awareness campaign as it is fundraising. 

So I invite all of you to read some facts here about the ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or better known as motor neurone disease):

http://www.alsa.org/about-als/what-is-als.html
http://www.alsa.org/about-als/facts-you-should-know.html

And if you do get nominated, it's really up to you what you do:-

* Take up the ice-bucket challenge

* Donate to the ALS

* Take up a different challenge

* Donate to a different cause

Personally, I haven't taken up the challenge. But then again, I haven't been nominated yet!

Finally, to my French and Spanish speaking readers: tell me if the craze has reached your corner of the world!



Image featured on Courrierinternational.com, with thanks to Mix and Remix for the cartoon design.

Estoy de vacaciones. Su correo será borrado.

Estoy de vacaciones. Su correo será borrado.

Volver a la oficina después de unas vacaciones felices, sobre todo con muchos correos electrónicos sin respuesta esperándole puede provocar temor y ansiedad.

Algunas personas verifican los mensajes el día antes de volver al trabajo. Otros trabajan con dificultad y ese destruye el sentimiento de bienestar después de las vacaciones. Hay algunos astutos que hacen creer que están de vuelta varios días más tarde de lo que dicen.

Los más valientes entre ustedes seleccionan sus mensajes no leídos, cierran los ojos y pulsan la tecla SUPRIMIR y se sienten como si se hubiera cerrado el mundo comercial.

De hecho, una empresa alemana ha utilizado esta misma estrategia, tal y como está resumido en el artículo:

http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1718591-que-hacer-con-el-correo-electronico-laboral-en-las-vacaciones

¡Yo no haría lo mismo, porque tengo que contestar a los correos de nuevos clientes!

¿No pedirían a su cartero de arrojar su correo a la basura y rogarían a sus proveedores que le envíen sus facturas a su regreso? 

¿Cuál mensaje de ausencia escriben Uds para sus compañeros de trabajo y sus clientes? 

¡Estaré interesado en saber lo que piensan!

I’M ON HOLIDAY. YOUR MESSAGE WILL BE DELETED

The inevitable return to work and the many unanswered e-mails after a period of bliss on vacation often inspire fear and needless anxiety.

Some work through these e-mails the night before they return, easing their first day in. Others just plough through the first morning back, thus obliterating the benefits of two weeks away.  A few cunning foxes may claim to be back a day or two later than they really are, thus managing expectations and workloads.

But very few will select their unread e-mails, close their eyes and hit the delete key, pretending that the whole working world stopped whilst they were away.

Actually, a similar approach has been advocated by a German company, as outlined in this article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28786117

As a freelance translator, this approach isn't for me, especially with new clients writing in with enquiries. 

After all, you wouldn't exactly ask your postman to shove your regular post in the bin and ask your suppliers to send their bills when you are back from holidays (as tempting as this is!)?

What out-of-office message do you leave for your colleagues and clients? 

I would be interested to know!

 

Pick up your lingui-sticks!

Fresh off a Portuguese language course in Lisbon, I just had to blog about the topic.

And that got me reading this article:

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/learn-a-new-language-holidays-with-english-off-the-menu-8711649.html

Now I’m not here to endorse any of the holiday packages listed in the article.  However, I would like to echo some of the merits of taking a language course in the local country:

* Accelerated learning - even one week of a language course equates to three months of language classes at home

* Teaching by a native qualified language instructor - classes are taught in the local language, so you expose yourself to the exact pronunciation.  You also receive useful tips in the local customs.

* Meeting new friends - most students in the class are in the same position as you. Together, you can explore the city, have a meal or take part in a local cultural activity.

* Combining languages with holiday activities - have your classes in the morning, and do your sight-seeing, surfing, siesta or flamenco show in the afternoon and evening.  Most schools offer some sort of extra-curricular activity.  If that’s not for you, you can always look up a local wine-tasting session, a cookery class or a dance lesson.

* Interacting with the locals - this is possibly the most rewarding experience about the language course.  You will impress the locals no end by using your noggin more than your phrase book.

So when you book your next holiday, pick up your lingui-sticks and make it a language course!

Language skills shortage - Quelle surprise!

The following BBC article, “Foreign languages ‘shortfall’ for business”, features a survey carried out by the Confederation of British Industry,.  For me, the main points that stood out were:

1) The UK's education system has failed to produce language skills to meet employers’ growing demands

2) Two-thirds of surveyed firms prefer workers with language skills

The first point has widely been acknowledged.  You can only point to the number of overseas workers who have filled vacancies requiring a second language. However, employers should recognise that there is a lead time of up to 15 years, between investment in language education and when these benefits will be realised in the workplace. 

On the second point, I am encouraged to see the high percentage of employers who value language skills.  Remember in my previous article, employers were crying out for “technical, oral communication or literacy skills”. It seems almost too obvious that language learning encompasses and develops all these skills through listening and speaking, reading and writing.  Languages should therefore be taken as seriously as English, Maths and Science in the curriculum. 

I am more upbeat than the CBI’s assessment about the future of language learning.  There are already encouraging signs in the increased number of students taking languages at GCSE level. In addition, the compulsory age to learn a foreign language has reduced from 11 to 7 and this should also have a positive effect in the future. 

But for now, employers cannot afford to wait another 10-15 years to tap into future talents.  The opportunities in emerging markets are happening NOW and if employers want to capitalise, they will have to invest more NOW in language training for their staff.

El proyecto SmileUrbo [Smilemundo.org]

Hace poco tiempo, hice una traducción voluntaria en el proyecto “SmileUrbo” que organiza el organismo Smilemundo.org.

SmileUrbo es un juego interactivo y promueve la cooperación entre ciudadanos que se encuentran en situaciones de la vida real. Por ejemplo, se aprende gestionar los presupuestos de una ciudad.

El texto original era muy distinto de todo lo que había visto.

Traduje el documento por partes, según las "rondas" o "niveles" de los juegos, a diferencia de textos o artículos más típicos.

Empecé de verdad la traducción en etapas. Respiré el texto, me metí en la piel del urbanista, y me puse a trabajar.

Para más información sobre el proyecto de SmileUrbo, echale un vistazo aquí:

http://www.smilemundo.org/es/Blog/Smile-Urbo-obtiene-la-subvencion-de-la-Diputacion-de-Barcelona

En el próximo sitio, encontrarás más información sobre esta organización sin fines de lucro haciendo que este mundo sea un mejor lugar:

http://smilemundo.org/es

The SmileUrbo project [Smilemundo.org]

A few people have asked me whether it is worth carrying out voluntary translations and I say it's a definite yes!    Especially starting out, it is a great way of expanding one's portfolio and gaining recognition for your work. And remember: a voluntary translation does not mean a low quality translation.

I recently worked on a translation of the award-winning project, "SmileUrbo", led by Smilemundo.org. It is an interactive, role-playing game which aims to build cooperation between people by creating scenarios faced by real-life communities, such as how to manage a town's budget.

The Spanish source text was different to any other I had already translated. I had to translate the document in sections, according to different rounds of the game, rather than the usual article with continuous prose. However - the approach wasn't any different - "live the text", get into the shoes of a town planner and then translate!

For more info about the SmileUrbo project, please click on the link:

http://www.smilemundo.org/Blog/Our-new-gaming-project-won-1st-place-in-the-Education-and-Awareness-Building-for-Development-contest

And please also read more on the not-for-profit which funds projects which make the world a better place :

http://www.smilemundo.org/

"The case for language learning" - or not?

I was just reading the Guardian article entitled "The case for language learning"

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jan/30/employers-struggle-to-fill-vacancies-languages

The article cites a recent survey (http://www.ukces.org.uk/ourwork/employer-skills-survey) in which language skills are less sought-after by UK employers than other skills such as technical, oral communication or literacy skills. However, there still is a shortage and this does need to be addressed.

In my professional career, staff from other departments have approached me countless times as the in-house language expert, when translating business correspondence. Indeed I have enjoyed helping out, though when I am not around staff either use an online language translator or if absolutely necessary, a human translator.

Later on in the report, increased operating costs and outsourced work are listed, among others as the impact of skills shortages.

So while I would love to see language skills feature higher on the agenda, it appears that there is an opportunity for external translators like me to pick up this business and benefit from the language skills shortage.

http://www.neelangues.com

Good evening all,

A couple of months in the making, welcome to the long-awaited launch of my new web site:

http://www.neelangues.com

Many thanks to all who have helped me in the creative process!

Best wishes,
Neelangues

You tube if you want to...

Travelling through Germany, I happened across this sign in the hotel bathroom.

Can you spot the mistake?

While I confess that I am a stickler for good spelling and grammar, I am more understanding if the final message is clear enough.   However, I would point out an error if it leads to a different meaning or if it's just plain nonsense.

So I followed the sign to the letter and I placed my towel "in the bath-tube" (or technically speaking, on the shower tube).

I politely pointed this out at the reception as a helpful suggestion and added, "By the way, I'm a translator. Here are my contact details - you never know when you might need one."
The receptionist seemed slightly bemused, laughing nervously but thankful.

And who knows, while a business deal would be a plus, I feel that I have helped the English-speaking hotel guest with that first-world problem of where to put the used bath towel if it needs to be washed.

My story so far

So it's only been eleven days since the first blog post. I feel that there's a book in me. If I were a sportsman, I would already be on the phone to my ghost writer, asking about the progress of the requisite “My story so far” autobiography.

So far, I have:

• Proof read 1500 words and translated 500 words – mainly web site content
• Acquired 360 Twitter followers
• Made some really good contacts

However, I felt like the cat who got the cream, when I translated and had published my first article. I applied speculatively to be a volunteer on www.cafebabel.com. This is a popular online magazine , published in six languages, with articles covering stories from Europe and further afield.

The assignment: translating a highly interesting article in Spanish about cinema clubs in Tunisia. It seemed daunting at first, however my approach was to “live the text”. I imagined that I was an activist in the 1990s, hiding out in the darkened projection rooms from undercover agents. And from that, the meaning would follow.

And only last Thursday, the translated piece was published:

http://www.cafebabel.co.uk/culture/article/the-cinema-clubs-of-tunis-art-and-resistance.html

Enjoy reading and thanks to the Cafebabel.com team for giving me this opportunity!

NEELANGUES (versión española)

Hola a todos y bienvenidos a Neelangues.  Mi historia empieza aquí:

 

Dirigir una empresa de idiomas es lo que siempre soñé desde que era joven. En la escuela tenía buena aptitud para ello y mis amigos me pusieron el apodo de: "el diccionario andante".  A partir de ahí, los idiomas empezaron a estar presentes en mi día a día.

En 2002, me mudé a Francia y trabajé en una escuela como profesor auxiliar de inglés. En laciudad de St. Claude, rodeada por las bonitas montañas del Jura, empecé de verdad a aprender el francés. En seguida me di cuenta de que a los franceses le gustan el vino, el queso, el esquí, el francés y la política. Me acerqué a estos temas y es por eso que la gente del lugar me invitó a cenar 25 veces. 

El tiempo pasó deprisa y llegué al 2006. En ese momento es cuando mi interés por aprender idiomas empezó realmente. Fui de vacaciones a Sevilla y pasé una semana inolvidable con mis amigos de clase.  Yo no sabía que Sevilla me ayudaría tanto con el español. Tuve la suerte de encontrarme en el aeropuerto de Sevilla al famoso delantero José Antonio Reyes. ¿Quieres saber más sobre mi reunión con este tipo? ¡No dudes en preguntarme! 

En 2007 me ofrecieron un puesto de trabajo en el departamento de contabilidad de una empresa de fabricación. Gracias a ello pude entrar en contacto con el tipo de vida de esta ciudad y conocí sus lugares históricos más importantes como la catedral, los parques, la biblioteca y el teatro. Recuerdo una muy buena noche de luna llena que terminó con un concierto de Djembé. 

Desde aquel momento empecé a estudiar Italiano en Bolonia. Mejoré el alemán en Berlín y empecé clases de Holandés en Tenerife.   ¡Si, has leído bien! Si queréis saber más sobre la historia, preguntadme.

En 2009, empecé a trabajar en Londres en una casa de subastas internacionales. Me encargué de contabilidad, finanzas y cumplimiento de normas fiscales con empresas de Europa continental. Utilicé mucho el francés e hice todo lo posible por incluir otros idiomas.

En el Reino Unido participo a menudo en eventos sociales relacionados con idiomas – grupos de intercambio de idiomas, y hasta soy miembro de un grupo de Españoles en Bedford y un grupo de Políglotas en Londres. 

Era solo una cuestión de tiempo que terminara creando Neelangues y así nació una empresa con mucho potencial y futuro. ¡Acompáñenos en este camino! 

Para los que tengáis Twitter, podéis seguirme en:

@Neelangues

¡Gracias a todos mis seguidores!

Neelangues 
https://twitter.com/neelangues

Neelangues (Version française)

NEELANGUES

Bonjour à tous et bienvenue à Neelangues.  Voici mon histoire en quelques lignes:

Depuis mon enfance, j’ai toujours voulu gérer une entreprise linguistique. Déjà à l’école, j’avais un sens inné pour les langues, mes camarades de l’époque me surnommaient « le dictionnaire parlant ». C’est à ce moment-là précis de ma vie que les langues ont commencé à  faire partie de mon quotidien.

En 2002, je me suis installé en France. Tout d’abord, j’ai commencé à travailler en tant que professeur assistant dans un lycée français. J’ai planté ma tente à St Claude, c’est une ville nichée dans les montagnes du Jura. C’est donc dans un coin reculé de la France que j’ai appris le français.  J'ai constaté que les français aiment bien le vin, le fromage, le ski, la langue française et la politique. Je me suis tenu informé de ces sujets et c'est ainsi que je me suis fais inviter 25 fois à prendre un repas chez chez des gens du coin.

Avançons rapidement dans le temps, nous sommes à présent en 2006. C’est à cette époque que j’ai eu envie, je dirai plutôt le besoin d’assouvir ma soif de connaissance des langues. J’étais à Séville en vacance où j’ai passé une semaine inoubliable avec mes camarades de classes. Je ne savais pas encore que ces vacances donneraient un coup de fouet à mon niveau d’espagnol. Ce court séjour fut réellement mémorable car j’ai eu la chance de rencontrer à l’aéroport de Séville un célèbre joueur espagnol, l’attaquant José Antonio Reyes. Si vous souhaitez en savoir plus sur cette anecdote, n’hésitez pas à me la demander !

En 2007, on m'a offert un poste dans le service comptable d'une entreprise de fabrication.  J’ai pu observer et embrasser certains aspects de la vie locale de cette charmante ville (cathédrale, la médiathèque, les pièces de théâtre, les parcs, …).  Je me suis bien amusé au parc lors d'une nuit blanche, qui s'est terminée en beauté avec une récital de Djembé.

À cette même époque, j’ai pu rafraichir mes connaissances de la langue italienne à Bologne. J’ai également amélioré mon allemand à Berlin et mon néerlandais à Tenerife. Oui, vous avez bien lu ! Si vous souhaitez en savoir plus sur cette anecdote, n’hésitez pas à me la demander !

En 2009, j'ai commencé à travailler à Londres dans une célèbre et internationale maison de vente aux enchères. Je m'occupais de la comptabilité, des finances et de la fiscalité des activités européennes de l’entreprise. J’utilisais assez souvent le français lorsque je travaillais mais j’essayais toujours d’intégrer les autres langues européennes dans mon travail.

Au Royaume-Uni, je suis un adepte complet des langues. Je participe très souvent à des échanges et soirées linguistiques et, dernièrement, je me suis joint à un groupe d'espagnols à Bedford et également à un groupe de Polyglottes à Londres.

Ce n'était qu'une question de temps avant que Neelangues ne voit le jour, c'est ainsi que j’ai fait mes premiers pas dans cette entreprise passionnante. Venez nombreux et rejoignez le voyage!

Pour tous ceux d'entre vous qui utilisent Twitter, suivez-moi sur :

@Neelangues

Merci déjà à tous mes abonnés !


Neelangues 

https://twitter.com/neelangues

Neelangues

Hello all and welcome to Neelangues.  So what's the story?

Well, I once dreamed of running a language business from a young age. At school, I first noticed a knack for languages when my friends started to call me "The Walking Dictionary".  Since then, languages have formed a part of my daily life.

In 2002, I upped sticks and worked as an English teaching assistant in a French school. It was in the town of Saint Claude, nestled in the Jurassian hills where I truly learned French. I picked up on the French's appreciation for Wine, Cheese, Skiing, the French language and Politics. And, sticking to these topics of conversation earned me at least 25 hot dinners with the locals!

Fast forward to 2006, where I was bitten by the language bug on holiday. Although it was only a week-long trip to Seville, little did I know that would give a major boost to my Spanish. In the heart of Andalusia, it was an unforgettable week with fellow language students and a chance encounter with the Spanish striker's José Antonio Reyes at Seville airport. Want to know more about this meeting of minds? Just ask me!

In 2007, I was offered a post in the accounting department of a French manufacturing company. I embraced many aspects of local life - the Cathedral, the newly built Media library, performances in the local playhouse and life in the parks, enjoying a Djembe performance until early hours of the morning.

From then, I have brushed up on my Italian in Bologne, improved my German in Berlin and received a kick-start to Dutch in Tenerife. Yes, you did read that correctly! Ask me about it and I'll tell you the story.

In 2009, I joined a leading international auction house in London, looking after the accounting, finance and tax of its European businesses. I use French extensively and have made the most of my position by incorporating other European languages in the job. 

Here, in the UK, I am a regular on the language social scene - I take part in language exchanges, language meet-ups and more recently, I joined a local Spanish group in Bedford and a Polyglot group in London.

It was only a matter of time before I founded Neelangues as I step into the pool of an exciting new business. COME JOIN THE JOURNEY!

For those of you who use Twitter, come follow me on:
@Neelangues

Thank you to all my followers!

Neelangues
https://twitter.com/neelangues