The Project Manager: Every Ship Needs a Captain

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A lonesome figure hiding in the shadows of an office, quietly typing on a computer and deciphering the mysteries of a foreign language.

That might be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about translators, and even more so since the outbreak of Covid-19. While this picture represents part of our reality, it is far from being accurate. Truth be told, if you were to embrace the job of a translator, you might come across ambitious projects that you can’t carry out alone. In that case, you might need a whole crew consisting of several translators, editors, proofreaders and so on. But how to coordinate and harmonize everyone’s efforts?

As you’re wondering how to keep your project afloat, the waves keep rolling in. When lost in translation, every ship needs a captain. And the one holding the rudder firmly during a stormy project is none other than the project manager (PM). Although they are responsible for putting together a translation team, you would be wrong to think that’s all there is to their job. Far from just sipping their coffee while watching their mates work their fingers to the bone, PMs play a key role every step of the way. “What tasks are they responsible for?” do you ask. Well, change into your PM suit and let’s dive in to know more about this enigmatic aspect of translation!

Start off Your Project: Ready to Weigh Anchor?

“♫”

You hear an email notification. Your client finally sent you their order. Now, what? Do you just forward the email to the members of your team? We both know that it would be far too easy. I shall be your guide through these uncharted waters.

First of all, you need to understand your project requirements (source and target languages, topics, deadlines) in order to establish a realistic schedule. Make sure to find the right balance so that it’s neither too Spartan nor too relaxed as you don’t want your project to get out of hand in the blink of an eye.

Needless to say you will have to take care of the budget. Be prepared to negotiate rates as your client may not be on board with what you had planned. They often underestimate the amount of work required to complete their order. Chin up, now is the time to advance your best arguments but always with diplomacy!

Then, you should ask your client if they have any translation memories, glossaries or style guides that could help your team work faster. These resources might also be helpful for them to remain consistent in both style and language. Don’t forget to check and update them before sending them to both translators and revisers.

You will also need to prepare the files for your translators. Alas, your clients will not always be so kind as to send you a nicely wrapped Word document. Files come in every shape (PDF, XML, DTP format, etc.) that you must convert into an editable format. What about illustrations, diagrams and graphs? Should they also be translated or left as they are? Once again, finding these answers is your responsibility as a project manager.

As you can see, communication skills are essential to your job. You are to understand all your client’s guidelines in order to pass them on as clearly as possible to each member of your team. And more importantly, you can carry out the “dirty work” so that they can focus entirely on their own task without wasting their time on small details that could impede progress.

During Your Project: Never Lose Sight of Your Compass

Although you’re not in charge of the translation itself, it doesn’t mean you can twiddle your thumbs until your crew is done with work. Your duty is to check up on them regularly. Always being on the lookout for potential issues is key to being a good PM.

It’s also a given that you should frequently inform your clients of your progress. A satisfied customer is a customer who comes back for more. Show them how responsive and trustworthy you are, and you’re likely to earn yourself a valuable reference.

And now, the time has come for you to send the file. But hold your (sea)horses! No matter how talented your editors and proofreaders are, you must double-check the document. Remember that you are the last checkpoint so if you were to overlook any error, YOU would be held responsible. Don’t ever think of shifting the blame on someone else: if a ship sinks, the captain goes down with it.

[A Few Moments Later]

When your client sends you feedback, only you can judge whether last-minute revisions are justified. While they can be due to a QA (Quality Assurance) issue on our part, they can also come from your client changing his mind or not liking the final result. For the last case, be sure to hold your ground and charge your client for any change he asks out of the blue. Yes, the customer is always right but it doesn’t mean you can let them walk all over you. After all, embracing the role of project manager also means brimming with confidence.

End of Your Project: “Land Ahoy!”

Here you are.

After checking every nook and cranny of your file, your client is satisfied with your work.

Attach the files to the email and type the address of your client.

The lighthouse is shining from afar.

Click on “send”.

You have reached land, at last.

But let’s not rejoice too fast. Before feasting with your crewmen, you still have one last task left: the “post-mortem”. Fear not for it’s only a figure of speech. I assure you: no one dies in the process! It’s just an opportunity for you and your team to reflect on your last project. Which problems did you encounter? What solutions did you come up with? This way, you can draw on past success or failure to do better next time.

Far from being glamorous, the job of a project manager can seem intimidating and demanding. No matter how overwhelmed you may be, you need to remain cool under pressure. But not only does it allow you to discover a whole new aspect of translation, it also shows you what lies under the tip of the iceberg. Isn’t it exciting to see how multifaceted our field of work can be? That can only mean one thing:

Our adventure has just begun.

Hanaë Meunier

M1 TSM 2021-2022