It’s been a while, but we’re back again with Tuesday Tips on localization and translation from different members of the CSOFT family. Today’s Tuesday Tips will be provided by Gloria, a project manager whose super-human multitasking skills allow her to juggle tasks, coordinate resources and generate quality project results… all while balancing on one toe. (Just kidding… but if we asked her to, she’d surely find a way!)
Read below to find out what Gloria has to say today’s Tuesday Tips, making sure everyone stays on the same page, and putting in the right amount of effort.
First Tuesday Tips – Make a plan, and stick to it.
One of the ways Gloria makes sure everything stays on schedule is by falling back on the age-old technique of making to-do lists. Every morning, she makes a list of things to complete, people to contact, and emails to send. Tasks that she can independently take care of and those that do not require immediate attention, she puts off until the afternoon. This way, Gloria can guarantee a checked-off to-do list at the end of each day, meanwhile making sure that her other team members know what they are accountable for early on in the day.
Training and guidance go a long way.
The localization process is a team effort that spans across industries, individuals, and languages. The best way to make sure everyone is consistently on the same page is to equip everyone with the necessary information, resources and contacts from the very beginning.
As lead project manager, Gloria trains each of her team members individually, monitoring and offering guidance on an ongoing basis about the most appropriate and best ways of handling different situations. This training process goes a long way; from the very beginning, all team members are given the same information, the same guidance, and an abundance of support.
It’s not rocket science.
As long as requirements are clearly defined, communication remains clear and open, and cooperation is maintained between all involved parties, Gloria believes that the end result of a localization will reflect the entire team’s efforts. As Gloria put it, managing a project is not like building a rocket; it’s actually more similar to learning a language: put in the effort, and you will reach your goal.
Lastly, Gloria believes that the three most important things to remember are: the client’s interest is the number one priority, handle your responsibilities professionally, and don’t forget to bring along a winning attitude!
Gloria came to Beijing in 2007 from Hebei province. Even though she misses her family back in her hometown, her favorite thing about the capital city is that there is so much to do here—the parks and tourist attractions seem endless. Her least favorite thing about Beijing is that there are so many people here… someday, she’d like to live away from the crowds by the seaside.
In her downtime, Gloria enjoys cross-stitching, which she says is good practice for learning and maintaining patience. Not that she needs it; she lists “patient” and “responsible” as two of her strongest characteristics, and we couldn’t agree more!
Gloria – great article! The obvious result of an amazingly dedicated, ridiculously organized :), excellence focused PM! Keep up the good work.