The
following column, Hélène's
Corner - News and Views, is
a regular column that appears in each
issue of the Iverson quarterly newsletter.
Hélène's Corner - News and Views
Communicating
Expectations
It is fairly common at Iverson
that a Project Manager works
with a team of over 50 contractors
on one given project. These
contractors typically include
translators, proofreaders, quality
control editors, or formatters.
In recent times we have had
project teams of over 150 people
dedicated to just one project.
How do Project Managers keep
everybody working toward the
same goal? One thing is sure:
it is no easy task, especially
because we work with contractors
in many countries and with many
different cultural backgrounds.
Beyond the expected organizational
skills that such work involves,
there is one specific skill
that can make a world of difference:
it is the ability to clearly
communicate expectations to
the team.
Our philosophy at Iverson is
to officially state with each
team member what could otherwise
be construed as implied. Doing
so avoids misunderstandings
which in turn avoids having
to fix projects later down the
road. In addition, it allows
us to hold team members accountable
for the work they do for us.
When we communicate expectations,
we first cover the project scope
and make sure your requirements
are communicated to the whole
team. For example, we provide
detailed background information
to the linguists so that they
understand the context of what
they are translating.
The second set of expectations
we cover relate to issues such
as communication and professionalism.
Here are some examples of what
we do at Iverson to help each
team member know what is expected
of them:
- Every linguist and quality
control editor receives a
quality control checklist
with their project job order.
The checklist, which must
be completed by the recipient,
indicates every single point
we expect the linguist or
quality control editor to
cover in relation to their
particular phase of work.
- All quality control editors
go through multi-phase training
with our Resource Manager.
The training involves setting
the expectations for the communication
style and working relationship
with the Project Managers.
- Every formatter is obliged
to read and understand our
requirements before the onset
of a business relationship.
This is accomplished by having
them read, understand and
sign a 6-page document that
clearly explains the working
relationship and expectations.
It covers points such as requirements
for exact project quotes and
timelines so that all costs
are correctly calculated before
the onset of the project.
Setting expectations is also
of course a principle we apply
internally with every staff
member in the company so that
both internal and external needs
are met.
Submitted by: Hélène
Pielmeier, Director of Client
Services
Iverson
Road Tour '07
Steve Iverson, President/CEO started
off the year promoting and presenting
ideas about the translation industry.
In February, Steve spoke at
the SDL Trados Forum in Toronto.
The topic of Steve's presentation
was a tool called SDL Synergy
and its benefits for Project
Managers.
Also during February, Steve
was invited to appear on a local
business radio station to discuss
how translation plays a significant
role in the international economy.
In March, Steve attended the Translation
Summit in Salt Lake City,
Utah, where he made a presentation
on writing for translation.
|
