Let’s talk about bad communication. Specifically, over and under explaining.
As a localizer, one of the most important qualities to have is EQ.
EQ is paramount to excel in this craft. If you can’t read characters, read emotions, and channel both into your output, you’ll forever be mediocre.
But what a lot of peers seem to forget is that EQ matters outside of fiction. It’s one of the deciding factors that’ll determine if you’re going to last in the industry or not.
Between their collaborators, project managers, and the end client, an emotionally intelligent freelancer is constantly balancing when and how they deliver their message.
If they aren’t, there’s a big problem. Unfortunately, by the time most notice that problem exists, it’ll be too late.
Project comms tend to happen over eggshells—at best, you’re getting hints here and there about where you’re lagging behind. And if you don’t catch them, you’re silently out.
At this point in the post, you’re probably expecting me to go into the differences between over and under explaining, and which is worse.
There’s absolutely no difference.
Wherever your natural proclivities land doesn’t change much here. Over and under explaining isn’t a spectrum, it’s a horseshoe.
If I:
- Need to feed your text wall rants to an LLM to make sense of them.
- Need to play hot and cold with your vague replies under a deadline.
You’re just not worth the hassle.
Because option one is probably illegal due to sensitive client materials, and option two is outside my skill set since I’m unfortunately not a seer.
In both cases, the one common denominator is that you don’t respect my time. Either by not caring about yours, or seemingly overvaluing it over that of others.
Luckily, there’s a universal solution.
- You live to yap? Provide a TLDR over your novels.
- You love being dark and mysterious? Provide explanations under your vagueposts.
Just, please, remember some of us want to wrap up by five. Don’t be that guy.
By Seif Chaib.
Originally posted on Linkedin.