Why tech companies need an in-house translator

What makes a company successful? Success can be viewed in simple black and white terms -- profitability, number of users or customers, client satisfaction, etc. -- but let’s take "success" one level deeper. What is below the surface -- beyond today’s dollars and cents -- that makes a company truly thrive? I would contend that the ability to effectively communicate and ensure that everyone is focused on the same end-goal is paramount, while still taking into consideration each individual’s priorities, skillsets, and personalities. Seamless internal communication is always challenging and time consuming and yet it is critical to making the company’s objectives a tangible reality. In my experience, this relies heavily on having an individual or group of individuals within an organization play the role of an in-house translator. The translator role goes beyond the traditional project manager position. It relies on an experienced professional being positioned at the center of everything, armed with more than just a checklist and Gantt chart.

To successfully operate within this multi-faceted work environment, each department must be able to communicate in clear and comprehensible terms what they are working on and what they need from other groups to complete the job successfully. A common barrier when creating anything technical is the vision, end-user requirements, and end product not lining up correctly because the terms and conditions have gotten lost in translation.

In my experience, both in my past career in financial services and more recently at Metis, I have found that team members often become so focused on the task in front of them they may miss the mark when it comes to effectively delivering clear objectives and requirements to their counterparts in other groups. I once intervened to rectify a situation where our development team had created an amazing program to accept user applications, but unfortunately their design was so cutting-edge it missed key regulatory process hurdles and ended up being too savvy for our target user base. When dealing with individuals who are extremely specialized, they are hyper in-tune to what they know and how to makes things better, but it is sometimes difficult to pull them into thinking about "better" from a different perspective. This is where the role of the in-house translator comes in, my adopted role at Metis.

The In-House Translator

The in-house translator doesn’t need to be an expert veteran in all areas though. Think of it as learning a new language. He or she doesn’t need to be fluent in every department, she just needs to have passed at least Spanish 2 to know and understand enough to get by. For me, there is no single title that can address this role, it’s really about an individual’s previous experience and interests that make him or her the perfect fit within an organization. I came to Metis as more of the number-crunching type, but also with a background in marketing and management. Since joining I’ve became more involved in client relationships and acting as a team liaison, as well as a subject matter expert of how to map the commercial real estate deal process onto our own cloud platform. There is no one resume that fits this role, and it surely will take some creativity on a hiring manager’s part to find the right person with a diverse background that can fit a company’s culture and needs.

Avoiding Internal Disconnect

For many tech companies, the leadership team does not speak programming, and developers do not speak industry jargon or legalese. We have found that designating a liaison is crucial in not only keeping the team on the same page internally, but also to communicating and marketing the product to the end-user. If there is chaos and confusion on the inside, the product will reflect it and it will be very apparent externally. I have seen projects flounder or fail because departments were unable to get on the same page. Managers made promises to clients regarding features and delivery times that the developers could not deliver. And likewise, developers built products that they created in a departmental vacuum that did not meet the business requirements of the original concept.

So, if you’re a founder or senior executive realizing there is an internal disconnect within your organization, consider seeking out an in-house translator. He or she needn’t be able to do everything, but she must have an appropriate level of respect for all roles involved and be able to pitch in to fill gaps. Within tech, this type of position or responsibility can sometimes be overlooked because the focus is on recruiting technical and specialized talent. But sometimes, as Albert Einstein once said, "If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough". Effective communication is of central importance to getting your company on the road to success.

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Blair Buick is the Senior Vice President of Decision Making Metrics at Metis, focusing on statistical analysis of real estate transactions and the impact of various socio-economic factors on pricing cycles. She is also involved in the firm’s marketing and compliance efforts. Prior to joining Metis, she served as Vice President, Director of Product Marketing at Altegris Investments where she played an instrumental role in developing alternative investment educational and marketing materials.