Post by habiba123820 on Nov 8, 2024 23:11:16 GMT -4
Running a localization program in any company is no easy task. Executives rarely care. It’s not a revenue generator, but it can be a revenue blocker. It doesn’t solve problems, but it can introduce a multitude of them. Life is not easy for a localization manager.
We’ve been part of highly successful localization programs over our 15 years of experience, as well as not-so-successful ones. Here’s how to tell the difference.
Mistake- Relying on past experiences
Every localization program is different. Different companies, different MOs, different cultures, different sensibilities. Time and again, a newly hired localization manager will try to implement strategies in their new environment that were successfully implemented in their previous environment. Big mistake. While it is important to leverage past wordpress web design agency experiences, learnings, and best practices, the first thing that success requires is listening to the current environment. What does it need and, more importantly, what does it not need?
Mistake Trying to reinvent the wheel
In an attempt to demonstrate value, the localization manager may decide to introduce a complete overhaul of practices, suppliers, and processes. While this may be the end result of years of work, coming in and trying to create a new foundation without fully understanding every detail of every aspect of the current operation is a tragic mistake. Yes, it will give the impression that the localization manager is doing too much. They will sleep well at night, and their ego will be comforted by the high degree of authorship that has been brought into the program, but if it is not done correctly, it can be a total disaster. This applies to any new manager. Listen, learn, and absorb before deciding what intervention is appropriate. Less is often more, and by introducing tons of changes right away, it is easy to trigger a chaotic snowball effect that will make it even more difficult to conduct a systemic analysis of what really needs to be fixed.
Mistake Relying on the wrong partners
RFPs and vendor selection in localization are complicated. Some companies are simply much better at conducting RFPs than others. RFPs don’t test the service delivery model. They test how good a vendor is at RFPs. This distinction may seem obvious, but we’re stuck in a cycle where companies continue to select vendors based on RFP performance rather than the likelihood of them performing well in practice. The key factors for good performance are much more about trustworthiness, responsiveness, transparency, ethics, and genuine commitment, as opposed to traditional RFP measures like company financial strength, industry experience, test scores, and stated capabilities. People want to select great vendors that make them look good and shield them from potential future blame and liability. Selecting based on predicted performance is much harder to measure and justify, which poses a huge risk to those who engage in this type of thinking. But it’s this type of thinking that actually works in the long run.
Mistake Not really admitting what you don't know
Localization is a broad field. File engineering, linguistics, process management, integrations, connectors, systems engineering. No one I know has mastered it all. But it’s tempting as an “expert” to try to appear to others as if you know it all. Ignorance is easily perceived and portrayed as a form of weakness. But without ignorance, there is no room for learning, no room for leveraging the knowledge of other experts to make things work. Making yourself vulnerable is especially important in a cross-functional role like localization manager. It’s a huge blow to the ego and creates a sense of insecurity and lack of value. But it’s what drives us forward. The challenge is that instead of focusing on keeping our jobs and getting promoted, we need to be more committed to the overall health and success of the programs we’re involved in. All of this is much easier said than done. These guidelines are not a surefire recipe for success, but they do highlight common practices that don’t promote or help achieve the core goal of making localization truly shine.
We’ve been part of highly successful localization programs over our 15 years of experience, as well as not-so-successful ones. Here’s how to tell the difference.
Mistake- Relying on past experiences
Every localization program is different. Different companies, different MOs, different cultures, different sensibilities. Time and again, a newly hired localization manager will try to implement strategies in their new environment that were successfully implemented in their previous environment. Big mistake. While it is important to leverage past wordpress web design agency experiences, learnings, and best practices, the first thing that success requires is listening to the current environment. What does it need and, more importantly, what does it not need?
Mistake Trying to reinvent the wheel
In an attempt to demonstrate value, the localization manager may decide to introduce a complete overhaul of practices, suppliers, and processes. While this may be the end result of years of work, coming in and trying to create a new foundation without fully understanding every detail of every aspect of the current operation is a tragic mistake. Yes, it will give the impression that the localization manager is doing too much. They will sleep well at night, and their ego will be comforted by the high degree of authorship that has been brought into the program, but if it is not done correctly, it can be a total disaster. This applies to any new manager. Listen, learn, and absorb before deciding what intervention is appropriate. Less is often more, and by introducing tons of changes right away, it is easy to trigger a chaotic snowball effect that will make it even more difficult to conduct a systemic analysis of what really needs to be fixed.
Mistake Relying on the wrong partners
RFPs and vendor selection in localization are complicated. Some companies are simply much better at conducting RFPs than others. RFPs don’t test the service delivery model. They test how good a vendor is at RFPs. This distinction may seem obvious, but we’re stuck in a cycle where companies continue to select vendors based on RFP performance rather than the likelihood of them performing well in practice. The key factors for good performance are much more about trustworthiness, responsiveness, transparency, ethics, and genuine commitment, as opposed to traditional RFP measures like company financial strength, industry experience, test scores, and stated capabilities. People want to select great vendors that make them look good and shield them from potential future blame and liability. Selecting based on predicted performance is much harder to measure and justify, which poses a huge risk to those who engage in this type of thinking. But it’s this type of thinking that actually works in the long run.
Mistake Not really admitting what you don't know
Localization is a broad field. File engineering, linguistics, process management, integrations, connectors, systems engineering. No one I know has mastered it all. But it’s tempting as an “expert” to try to appear to others as if you know it all. Ignorance is easily perceived and portrayed as a form of weakness. But without ignorance, there is no room for learning, no room for leveraging the knowledge of other experts to make things work. Making yourself vulnerable is especially important in a cross-functional role like localization manager. It’s a huge blow to the ego and creates a sense of insecurity and lack of value. But it’s what drives us forward. The challenge is that instead of focusing on keeping our jobs and getting promoted, we need to be more committed to the overall health and success of the programs we’re involved in. All of this is much easier said than done. These guidelines are not a surefire recipe for success, but they do highlight common practices that don’t promote or help achieve the core goal of making localization truly shine.