Vanya Wryter Consulting Services

Category: Business

  • Why Learn Another Language?

    Why Learn Another Language?

    With today’s global economy and advances in technology, companies hire and work with people worldwide, so it is increasingly important to be aware of cultural differences. Learning a language for networking and business purposes has many advantages, even if you only know a few words.

    The English language is convenient for communicating with people around the world. It is one of the most spoken languages worldwide. According to the World Economic Forum, “Of the approximately 1.5 billion people who speak English, less than 400 million use it as a first language….That means over 1 billion speak it as a secondary language.”

    Imagine traveling to another country where English isn’t the primary language, and you can’t understand anyone or read anything around you? How relieved would you feel if someone asked, “Need some help” in English? Even a few simple words in a common language can create a connection and start a conversation. 

    Creating a connection is the first step to networking or building a relationship, whether for friendship or business. Here are three powerful reasons for learning a language and connecting with people.

    1 Languages Create a Cultural Connection

    Food is a great connector. An event that involves sampling foods from other countries and cultures is one way to get people to experience cultures. Learning the names of foods is a sensory experience: learn a new vocabulary word and taste the food it corresponds to.

    It opens discussions about similarities and differences in food, culture, and language. It can be humbling when you struggle with the pronunciation of a new word; fascinating when you realize the meaning of a new word.

    It’s amazing what conversations you can begin by learning a handful of new words and key phrases in another language. (We’re talking about the good words here, not the bad words. People like to learn the bad words, but it’s a different result when you swear at people.)

    It’s a great feeling to say, “Nice to meet you” or “Have a safe trip home” in another person’s native language. Another benefit to learning new words is gaining a better understanding of a person’s values from their culture.

    2 Languages Broaden Your Way of Thinking

    A Google search will reveal many articles that say a person’s personality can change depending on their language. Personality traits are determined by culture, and culture and language are deeply connected. So it seems learning a language helps you to absorb the culture.

    Even if you don’t become fluent in multiple languages, learning another language helps you understand other cultures and how people think, and potentially avoid misunderstandings.

    For example, in some Asian languages, people are addressed by their titles as a form of respect. Family members are named by their relationship to the speaker. A paternal aunt is called a different word for “aunt” than a maternal aunt.  

    Knowing the degree of formality that people use to greet each other gives you insights into how people may want to be addressed. For example, in Brazil, young children call their teacher tia or tio (aunt/uncle) + first name. In France, students say Monsieur (Mr) or Madame (Mrs) + last name. In China, students call their teacher only Lǎoshī (teacher). Similarly, students in Latvia call their teacher Skolotāj (schoolteacher).

    People may struggle when speaking English because in their first language, there are more ways to say something. For example, English has three choices for articles (a, an, the) but other languages have more. In French, nouns can be masculine singular or plural, or feminine singular or plural, increasing your choices.

    In Japanese, you have even more choices when talking about the number of objects. The way you say “one of” or “two of” something (people, cats, beer, apples, houses) depends on the type of noun. (Learning numbers takes several lessons.)

    Languages may have concepts that don’t exist in another language. For example, the need to talk about snow with precision has created several words in some cultures: There are 52 words for snow and ice in Inuktituk while the BBC news reports Scotland has 421 words for snow! 

    Learning someone’s name or your name is a fun way to start a conversation and connect with people in another language. Learning how to address someone in another language also tells you a lot about levels of formality and respect.

    New words and expressions are like a window into another culture from a marketing and sales perspective. It’s a way to approach people in other markets.

    On another level, learning to say a few words is a warm way to start a conversation and make new friends.

    3 Languages Increase Your Opportunities

    Being a polyglot or being bilingual has many advantages. If your company has offices in other countries, you could be asked to help with translation.

    Translation could occur in many forms, such as interpreting between languages during meetings or checking over written communications in another language. 

    You could be offered opportunities that aren’t usually part of your job description; for example, you could be a connector. If your company needs people who are fluent in a language you know, they may ask you to connect them to people from that language community. 

    Your willingness to step in and help out with translation could open doors to other opportunities or, at the very least, add an important role or achievement to your resume. 

    The best part of learning new languages for work is making connections with people who visit from other parts of the world.

    Key Takeaways

    Learning another language – or even a handful of words in another language – is a way to start a conversation and connect with people. Language is so closely tied with culture that you can discover a lot about a culture’s values.

    How many expressions can you say in another language? What language would you like to learn next?

    If you liked this post, subscribe so you don’t miss the next one!

  • Creating an Inclusive Culture – Remote Work

    Creating an Inclusive Culture – Remote Work

    Technology has made it possible for a situation that didn’t exist a couple of decades ago: working with strangers. In a new culture of remote work, collaborating with coworkers in another city or country has become more commonplace. This situation can be comfortable for some people, and awkward for others.

    This possible disconnect between coworkers is an issue that remote companies must address. How do these companies create an inclusive culture for their remote teams? 

    When you work from home, you may never meet your coworkers face-to-face for a casual conversation at the water cooler. You may have staggered interaction times because you’re logging into work as coworkers are having lunch or getting ready for dinner. 

    Interactions are formal: meetings are done virtually, with set start and end times, and people stick to the agenda to respect schedules. Meetings can also seem less formal because you get a peek into your coworker’s home, and you’re not meeting in the boardroom. 

    However, it’s harder to relate to someone you know little about, apart from their name, job title, and what their home office looks like.

    The leadership team has an important role in creating an inclusive work culture for their remote teams, starting with how they communicate and meet.

    1 In-person team events

    Virtual meetings are an effective way to collaborate quickly without wasting time on travel, but it isn’t easy to get to know people by meeting on a computer screen.

    Technology cannot replace in-person events. If a group of coworkers lives within driving distance, it’s worth it to find a day when most people can meet for lunch and a chat. Occasions such as greeting a new team member, saying goodbye to someone moving away, or celebrating a holiday are the perfect reasons to socialize and get to know your team members in a non-work-related context.

    If possible, arrange for the whole company to meet at a central location. This annual meeting can be a day for everyone to meet in person and bond over activities that are completely unrelated to work.

    2 Developing an inclusive culture from the top down

    An inclusive culture for a remote company starts at the management level. New hires and team members follow the example that their direct report or supervisor sets.

    The tone used in emails, group chats, and direct messages is a part of the company culture. Do messages sound supportive and friendly? Or do people stick to the point? (The occasional curt message doesn’t count – eventually, you’ll catch someone in a hurry if you message them often enough.)

    Do group chats and meetings include sharing news and photos about what company members have been up to? A photo of a company lunch helps to connect names to faces and gives a sense of what other teams or departments are doing. 

    Group chats and meetings are also opportunities to share what individuals have accomplished. For example, what projects were completed this past quarter? What did Jane contribute to the company lately to improve operations? What presentation did Sean do last month that won an award?

    These are just some ways the company can create an inclusive culture that connects names, accomplishments, and faces. People become more than employees that you know by name.

    3 Starting team meetings with a little socializing

    Team meetings are usually scheduled for a half hour to an hour. It’s typical to have a lot to cover in that short period of time. However, the team can spare a few minutes for some socializing. That casual start to the meeting can do a lot to build relationships.

    The person acting as meeting moderator can start with a question such as, “How is everyone doing?” or ask about the weather. When your team lives in different cities, comparing the weather can be interesting. If the weather seems dull, other neutral topics are also worthwhile, such as everyone’s upcoming weekend or holiday plans (although this topic tends to create long discussions that take the meeting off topic).

    These short one to two-line conversations are a way to break the ice and get to know team members more personally. You find out that a teammate’s work buddy is a dog (who may pop by during the virtual meeting). Or you may find out someone likes beach weather as much as you do.

    These bits of trivia come in handy when you need to message someone for the first time with a work request. You can add a personal note by adding, “Hope you have a good rest this long weekend at your summer cabin and let me know when the report is finished!”

    4 One-on-one chats with remote team members

    One-on-one chats with team members are a great way to get to know other people who work at your company. When you can speak one-on-one at a virtual meeting or on a phone call, you have the chance to get to know each other on a personal level. 

    For example, you can find out what brought that person to the company or what their specific role is (especially if you don’t work directly with that coworker). Depending on how social the other person is, you might share details about your personal life. 

    Team members can message each other with work requests and add the latest picture of their dog or cat if they discover that their coworker is also fond of animals or has a pet. In some cases, these chats evolve into sharing anecdotes about hobbies or jokes interspersed with work-related chatter.

    When you really connect with your coworkers, you may also open up personally, knowing your coworker will offer you support. For example, offering to pick up a work task for you because you’re sick, or sending you a joke to help you feel better because you’re struggling with something in your personal life.

    These personal connections can also happen with your supervisor or mentor. People who are in management or supervisory positions should take the time to get to know their team members by booking time for one-on-one meetings. 

    During that time, they can find out more about why someone is working for the company (they might not have been involved in the hiring process), what that person’s career goals are, and how that person likes to work (such as they like to be included in teamwork or they prefer to work independently). 

    This is also the perfect time to find out if the team member is struggling with something at work or at home but is reluctant to share. Discussing a solution can help to deal with mental health issues or possible future challenges.

    These types of connections are entirely possible with remote teams.

    5 Setting a tone of sensitivity

    People who work with remote teams can find it challenging to connect with their coworkers. You don’t have the chance to run into them before or after work for a quick conversation, for example. This lack of opportunity to connect results in coworkers that are faceless entities that you email with work requests.

    However, if company culture includes the occasional in-person event, promotes having a snippet of social time at the start of a meeting, or encourages people to get to know each other on a more personal level, people will feel more included.

    Some may resent social opportunities and consider this inclusive culture to be a waste of time. Introverts want to be left alone to work. A direct, to-the-point person will avoid wasting time with unrelated chatter. 

    The downside of this type of disconnect is people working in silos, and when they need help (and this will happen), their coworkers aren’t as quick to give a helping hand. This isolation can also open the door to misunderstandings and resentment.

    An inclusive culture of respect and support for others will create a more connected workplace. There are a few ways to create this sensitivity. 

    For instance, if you discover that your coworker has social anxiety, the team can be more encouraging. They can ask for that person’s opinion, knowing that person isn’t likely to share. They can also respond in a non-judgemental way and show appreciation when their coworker does share an opinion or idea.

    Key Takeaways

    Taking the time and initiative to get to know your coworkers creates a positive environment for your remote team. Making these connections is important when you don’t see everyone day-to-day. It’s too easy to see coworkers as just names when you work from home. But when you discover just a little about a coworker’s personal life, such as a hobby, number of kids, or favorite food, you start to see them as people.

    You’ll want to support and help each other when these coworkers are humans that you care about. Creating an inclusive culture begins with taking the time to build relationships with your coworkers.

    Thank you for reading! If you liked this post, subscribe so you don’t miss the next one!

  • Why Technical Writing Is Vital and Fun

    Why Technical Writing Is Vital and Fun

    People think writers write novels, blog posts, or magazine articles. Technical writing isn’t top of mind. People also tend to think that technical writing is boring. It’s about writing instructions, and how many people have the patience to follow instructions these days? Now before you yawn, let’s get into why we need technical writing. 

    What is technical writing? 

    It’s not dry writing. I mean, technical writing is about a specific topic. The primary purpose is to provide instruction and information. Employee handbooks, standard operating procedures (SOPs), troubleshooting guides, user manuals, company documents, and case studies are all examples of technical writing.

    Why do we need technical writing? 

    Sometimes in life, we get stuck. We need help that is easy to follow. You’ve probably read an example or two of technical writing by now, especially if you bought a new computer or phone and read some documentation to figure out how to use it. If you’ve watched a video that gave you instructions, the transcript is an example of technical writing. 

    Technical writing organizes information into easily digestible bits. You can go to a table of contents to find the topic you’re interested in, and read just that section to get the information you need. You don’t need to read the entire book or PDF from cover to cover, or read each page of a website to find the answer you need.

    Why is technical writing fun to write?

    People may think that emotions and personal experience have no place in technical writing, so technical writing is boring. However, if you like organization and solving puzzles, you’ll like how technical writing follows a sequence. Technical writing will explain a concept clearly, using plain language without jargon or idioms. If a special term is used, the meaning is explained. 

    This is why technical writing is fun. It’s like being in an escape room and you’re faced with the challenge of organizing a bunch of information to get the answer you need. If you get it right, your mission is accomplished. You can also use your imagination in technical writing. You can create a handbook on how to capture and tame dragons.  

    Key Takeaways

    Technical writing provides valuable instructions and information. If you’ve picked up a user manual to find the answer to your question, you’ve read a piece of technical writing. This style of writing sticks to the facts and doesn’t include emotions or personal experiences. For this reason, some people think technical writing is boring. But other writers think technical writing is fun. It’s challenging to write information in a way that is easily understood and easily found by skimming and scanning. Technical writing has a very important role in providing readers with important information. 

  • Fashion Trends, Virtual Meetings, and 3D Digital Projections

    Fashion Trends, Virtual Meetings, and 3D Digital Projections

    Updated post

    Fitness and comfort have influenced the fashion style of work from home (WFH). As technology continues to make working from home more commonplace, it won’t be as necessary to pack a suitcase for a business trip. In the near future, we could be going to work in a digital outfit.

    A few years ago, WFH became a household word and began a trend that continues today. When that switch happened, many people became uncertain about what to wear for work.

    Home was where you walked around in PJs, fuzzy slippers, or gym clothes. Were you expected to dress up in slacks and a shirt while working in your home office? People continued to dress the way they did for the office because it was familiar. Later, the fashion became a hybrid of styles. At virtual meetings, people wore business casual tops for the camera, and shorts or yoga pants for under the desk.

    As the years continued, people accepted that the worlds of work and home could be blurred, and they showed up to virtual meetings wearing clothes that they could do housework in. Work-from-home fashion became more casual and influenced by sportswear.

    For example, fashion has become cardigans, sweatshirts in material that’s too nice for gym clothes, comfy dresses with pockets, and pants with a jogger waistline. These pants have a flat front and elastic back like very casual slacks. 

    Fashion continues to evolve. 

    In the near future, video calls will be replaced with 3D digital projection. The technology will reduce travel costs – an important consideration with the rising cost of EVERYTHING from inflation. Consider the time saved from traveling to and from airports and the money saved on hotels and airfare!

    In these futuristic meetings, your image is beamed from your location to the meeting location. Your image will be able to look around and interact with the people in the meeting room – you’ll be much more lifelike than in current 2D calls!

    For the 3D projection to work, you will stand in a portal surrounded by cameras and microphones. However, you will need to dress up for the presentation (unlike a virtual meeting in which you only need to be presentable from the waist up).

    We wouldn’t be able to shake hands or hug people during a virtual call yet, but we’re getting closer to that technology.

    Perhaps the next advancement in virtual meetings and networking would be alternate projections. Just like our current capability to create virtual backgrounds, you will be able to roll out of bed with your PJs and project a pre-programmed image of yourself to your meeting.

    There won’t be a need to dress up or check your appearance. Your pre-selected meeting outfit is ready to be projected with the press of a button. As technology advances, the possibilities are limitless.

    If you liked this post, subscribe so you don’t miss the next one!

  • How a Positive Attitude Brings You Abundance

    How a Positive Attitude Brings You Abundance

    Believe it: how you see yourself and the world around you affects your abundance. A positive attitude is crucial if you want to take the next step in your personal growth and expand your wallet. Having a positive mindset will affect your income, appearance, friends, and actions.

    Attitude of gratitude

    If you approach life with a positive mindset, you will focus on the winning aspects of life. One way is to have an Attitude of Gratitude. Think of all the things in your life that you are grateful for, such as family, friends, health, wealth, a vacation, or even the weather. Sometimes it becomes too easy to get caught up in everyday problems such as mortgage payments, a lousy commute, or an annoying coworker. These issues can drag you down and bring you negativity.

    Instead, focus on the positive aspects of your life. Be grateful that you have a good friend who is there to listen when you need some advice. Be grateful that you have a source of income to pay for your upcoming credit card bill.

    Having a positive mindset is the foundation for additional growth. You set your own boundaries on what you deserve. If you believe you are someone who owns a one-bedroom condo and your income is $50,000 a year, then that will set the limits of your life. You can dream about increasing your income to $1,000,000, but until you believe you deserve it, your situation isn’t likely to change.

    Thinking positive starts the foundation for increasing your limits. People who are negative tend to be more cynical about opportunities. As a result, they limit themselves. What makes you money—and the income you deserve—is what lifestyle you believe you deserve. Only then will changes occur.

    You are the average of your social circle

    “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”— Jim Rohn, motivational speaker

    Having a positive mindset is key to bringing positive changes to your life. But your circle of friends also affects the outcomes in your social life, career, and family life. There is a saying that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with, whether those five people include your significant other, friends, or coworkers.

    One way to think about that average is this: What are the life goals of these five? What is the average of their income? What do they do in their free time? What is their health and fitness level like? When you have the average for all of these answers, figure out where you fit in. Is your income the highest? Is your health somewhere in the middle?

    If you’re looking for a drastic change from these five people, this change that you desire may be met with conflict. For example, you may be the first one to get married and have children. Or you may be the first one to want to start a business, instead of working for an employer.

    The key in this situation is to stay positive. A positive attitude brings you abundance and gets you closer to your income goals. Positive people see opportunities everywhere. They will not obsess over disappointments or failures. In the long run, even if they meet short-term setbacks, their persistence will help them to prevail and achieve success.

    For this reason, it is important to surround yourself with others who share your mindset. For example, socialize with successful people who believe in and support you. Their encouragement will help you maintain a positive attitude as you seek a new form of financial success.

    People are attracted to positive people

    Positive people attract all kinds of people, whether they are positive or negative because of the energy they radiate. Positive people gravitate toward positive because they lift each other up.

    Positive leaders motivate others with their optimism. When they share stories of their struggles, people become inspired by their messages of hope.

    Negative people also gravitate toward positive people because of their ability to motivate. Negative people see the problems in the situation and don’t necessarily become proactive about changing their situation. They seek leadership and hope, but can’t seem to keep themselves afloat. They can pull positive people down.

    Strong leaders are positive people who can motivate others, regardless of whether they are positive or negative. People are drawn to their ability to find solutions. They’re the ones asking, what opportunities are out there that make you money? Increase your connections? In the business world, these types of leaders are needed to take a business to the next level or to increase its revenue.

    Small steps lead to great outcomes

    Positive people don’t give up easily. They focus on getting things done instead of putting things off. When faced with a huge task, such as cleaning up a messy house, they will start by picking up one object and putting it away. Large projects start with small accomplishments.

    Similarly, when faced with a task, they will not focus on perfection right away. Nor will they set up mental roadblocks for themselves. Procrastination is incredibly destructive.

    For example, if the goal is to learn to write a thank you email quickly, they can start with the easy parts, such as typing out the recipient’s name and writing a sentence to explain what they are thanking them for.

    They won’t focus on grammar or spelling, fuss about choosing the best words, or research whether they’ve used the latest fonts or formatting styles. Working on any of these details will only delay the process and the completion of the task.

    Similarly, when taking on a goal such as increasing their income, positive people will make a plan and stick to it. They will map out the process they need to take to achieve that goal, and they will keep working to reach that goal every day.

    Even if they hit setbacks in their plan, they will keep going, knowing that eventually, they will reach their destination. It’s that positive mind that makes you money and improves your financial situation.

    Taking action, even if the actions are small, imperfect steps, is more important to them than planning out the perfect result and not taking action at all. They don’t fear failure. They are believers that the tortoise, and not the hare, can win the race.

    If you liked this post, subscribe so you don’t miss the next one!