Gas Prices are Killing Us!

Gas prices are really hurting us.  I know that the high pump prices are difficult all across America, but my interpreters are struggling.  Our clients, particularly the hospitals and courts, require in-person interpreters, taking calls over the phone is not an option in most cases.  The contracts many LSPs, including ours, have in place, were signed long before the price of gas skyrocketed. ...

Are employees inherently “good” or inherently “evil”?

Do you think employees are inherently lazy or do you think they inherently want to do good work?  This can be debated almost as heatedly as “is man born inherently good or inherently evil?”  We have all been to a place of business or restaurant where the man or woman behind the counter isn’t going to move faster, no matter what.  You could put a gun to their head but they are still going...

Make sure everyone knows the rules BEFORE the game begins!

This posting may seem very simple but I see the negativity between agencies and translators, and, as much as I would like to distinguish my agency from that group, I have to eventually face the fact that I may not ever be able to singlehandedly overcome the space inbetween.   However, the old saying, “it takes two to tango” generally applies.  I don’t know that most agencies try to be...

Project Management for Dummies- It’s all about your personal relationships!

I was reading a blog posting yesterday (written by a translator, Mario Chavez, whose work and personality I highly respect) entitled “The Distant Project Manager”, available at wordsmeet.worpress.com. In the writing, Mario describes a series of situations he has encountered over the years in dealing with various types of PMs. His basic premise is that the majority of project managers tend...

The Translation Biz- Glass Half Full, Glass Half Empty?

There is a lot for translation/localization professionals to worry about, both translation companies and translators themselves. There is a lot of competition out there for work; again, not only for individual translators but for language services companies too. Technology and globalization are changing this industry fast. A year or so ago, at a meeting of LSP professionals, I heard a speaker...