IW 204: InterpreTips: Demand Less, Communicate More

I want it! It's not fair!

Sometimes we demand support for ourselves in an inappropriate way. We do not always need to advocate for our working conditions in all situations. We must pick our battles carefully to ultimately win the "war" for our fellow interpreters.

Polite, civil communication is key.

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IW 204: InterpreTips: Demand Less, Communicate More

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[ROCK INTRO MUSIC STARTS]

00:00:02 Tim

Good morning, good evening, good afternoon. Wherever you are, this is the Interpreter's Workshop podcast. I'm Tim Curry, your host. Here we talk everything sign language interpreting the ins, the outs, the ups, the downs, the sideways of interpreting. If you're a student, a new interpreter, experienced interpreter, this is the place for you. If you want to know more, go to interpretersworkshop.com.

00:00:28 Tim

Let's start talking... interpreting.

[ROCK INTRO MUSIC ENDS]

00:00:34 Tim [ONLY TIM SPEAKS IN THIS EPISODE]

And now, the quotes of the day.

00:00:37

The first one by Peter Drucker, Austrian American management consultant.

00:00:43

“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't said.”

00:00:50

And the second by Greek philosopher Pythagoras.

00:00:55

“Do not say a little in many words, but a great deal in a few.”

00:01:03

These quotes are very important for interpreters to understand in many ways.

00:01:11

Today we're focusing on how do we communicate to those at all of our gigs when we need something to do our services better.

00:01:22

How do we talk to our team?

00:01:24

How do we talk to the technicians at a conference, at a theater?

00:01:29

How do we communicate with them?

00:01:31

What isn't being said are many of the things that help us understand how to ask or how to tell or how to just connect with those that we need something from.

00:01:47

Something about their work influences our work.

00:01:52

And how do we do it as quickly as possible, as efficiently as possible, without talking too much?

00:02:01

Yes, I find it ironic too that I use Pythagoras' quote.

00:02:06

Here I am talking a long time about one thing.

00:02:11

In every episode, I speak too much sometimes.

00:02:16

That's why I say this.

00:02:17

It's a little reminder to all of us who want to talk too much.

00:02:22

Get to the point!

00:02:24

Speaking of which, let's get started.

[SHORT TRANSITION MUSIC]

00:02:31

Let me tell you a story, a short story.

00:02:34

Some of you know that we've been renovating our house.

00:02:38

Renovating is not the exact word, I would say totally gutting and starting over from scratch with just a shell of a house.

00:02:46

But a beautiful neighborhood, beautiful yard, in a beautiful city.

00:02:50

It has taken way too long, way too much money than it should have.

00:02:56

About halfway through this process when we found out that we were being, well, scammed, we found the good people, the good people that are with us to get it done.

00:03:08

One in particular was really impressive to me for many reasons.

00:03:13

He knew his profession.

00:03:15

He knew how to manage several different contractors.

00:03:19

He knew their skills and he knew how to communicate with each of those.

00:03:24

He knew the roles and what needed to be done and how their roles overlapped.

00:03:31

He knew it all and he knew us.

00:03:34

He knew exactly where we were, stressed out, worried, and kind of clueless of what step to take next because all the steps we had taken before were bringing us backwards.

00:03:47

It was amazing to see because he came in, he would talk to the electrician, his body language would change.

00:03:54

His understanding of what needed to be done and what was influencing the work by the plumber, mason, all those connections he knew.

00:04:05

And he knew how to speak exactly the language that they were speaking.

00:04:10

He also understood the personalities involved.

00:04:13

If someone was shyer, if they were direct, if they were a storyteller, if they were a complainer, all of those things, he matched.

00:04:22

But he always brought them around to a good connection, a friendly connection, a camaraderie that always went to help our goal.

00:04:34

He had a goal in mind, whether it was less cost, less time, a better solution he took into account, knowing what we needed, what we wanted, and he communicated it in such a way that in the end, that's what he accomplished.

00:04:51

It wasn't telling, telling, telling or ordering.

00:04:55

Many times, it was a partnership.

00:04:58

How can we do this?

00:05:00

Making it the other person's idea or making the other person's understanding clearer and wanting to help us.

00:05:08

That skill, many times we call it soft skills, professionalism, whatever it is.

00:05:15

But he immediately changed not his personality, but his way of communicating.

00:05:22

That was wonderful to see.

00:05:25

His body language, his vocabulary, his humor, everything changed.

00:05:31

He became conspiratorial with those who needed that.

00:05:36

to feel as though we're doing this together.

00:05:40

Or he became a complainer in a way that made the complainer feel as though, oh, okay, you understand me, but let me give you a solution for it.

00:05:50

Because even though I've complained, I know the solution.

00:05:53

I just wanted to get my frustration out first.

00:05:57

All of those things were just powerful, and it got the job done and everyone felt connected and felt a part of the solution and were more willing to actually come up with a solution to help out this new friend, this new partnership.

00:06:16

And those who had a higher ego felt as though, okay, I can help you because I know this, and it stroked their ego in a way, not in a manipulative way, negative manipulation, but in a way that communicated an understanding and opened up the willingness to help or the willingness to offer a suggestion or the willingness to actually think outside the box for this partnership.

00:06:49

Not thinking only in this is my box, this is my job, this is what I do, I'm not doing anything more, you just tell me what to do and I do it.

00:06:56

But instead, it was more of a figuring out the solution together because we're both in the same situation.

00:07:05

And we can control this part.

00:07:07

We know how to control this part because we are the experts in this part.

00:07:12

Having that one person in our lives at that moment turned things totally around for us.

00:07:19

It didn't take away all the stress.

00:07:21

It didn't take all of the worry.

00:07:23

It didn't take away the cost or the time, but it made it smoother and gave more hope that it can be done.

00:07:33

It made everything more pleasant.

00:07:36

And that's what we all want in our jobs, in our work, in our practice.

00:07:41

These are the things we need to teach ourselves.

00:07:43

These are the things we need to teach our students of sign language interpreting.

00:07:49

A few years ago, people in the US were talking about being civil to one another, not having horizontal violence or negativity.

00:07:59

We should use the skills that this one person from my story exemplifies.

00:08:06

We should make an example of ourselves in the profession.

00:08:10

When we need something at a conference, materials, a presentation, a PowerPoint, the goal, any of those things, we need to think about it in terms of the problem-solving skills to help us.

00:08:35

Who is it that has the answer we need, and how do we talk to that person?

00:08:40

We need to understand what it is they do.

00:08:43

If it's a stagehand, if it's the stage manager of a theater production, they are two different people.

00:08:50

We need to understand their perspective.

00:08:52

How much responsibility do they have and how many things are on their checklist that they have to think about all the time?

00:09:00

How do we get them to add one more thing to help us?

00:09:05

Is it something they're already doing, but it just needs a little tweak?

00:09:09

Or is it something I don't know that they know and I need to convince them, I understand you have this huge list.

00:09:17

How do I do it?

00:09:18

How would you do it?

00:09:19

How would you fix this problem I have?

00:09:22

I need a new camera.

00:09:24

I need a different microphone.

00:09:26

I need a different headset.

00:09:28

I need a chair.

00:09:30

How do we ask and who do we ask?

00:09:35

So, the first thing, get to know everyone.

00:09:38

Get to know everyone behind the scenes.

00:09:41

The coordinator for the conference or workshop.

00:09:45

Who's sponsoring it?

00:09:47

Who's paying money for this to happen?

00:09:50

Who's the stage manager making sure we're on schedule?

00:09:54

Who's greeting the guests at the doctor's office?

00:09:58

Which nurse is the one in charge of the schedule, in charge of the appointments?

00:10:04

Which nurse knows the doctor that you're going to see?

00:10:08

How do you talk to them compared to the others?

00:10:12

Which patients know more about this doctor than you do?

00:10:16

In some cultures, it's hard to speak to other people, other strangers.

00:10:22

But sometimes we have to.

00:10:23

Sometimes we have to take that step, that leap to get what we need to make our services better.

00:10:30

And we need to know how to do it correctly.

[ROCK TRANSITION MUSIC STARTS]

00:10:37

Hey, share this podcast.

00:10:39

The Interpreters Workshop with Tim Curry.

00:10:41

Share it, tell a friend, click on a link, share.

00:10:45

That's it.

00:10:46

Thank you.

00:10:46

Now let's go back.

[ROCK TRANSITION MUSIC ENDS]

00:10:50

If we demand, and demand, and demand and say, “I need this.”

00:10:56

“I can't do my job unless I have this.”

00:10:59

“I am the sign language interpreter, If I don't have this, I can't do my job.”

00:11:03

When we come with an attitude like that, even if it's not those words, but the tone of our voice is that way, we immediately close doors because people become defensive when we are on the offensive, even in our tone.

00:11:23

When we say things like, this is ridiculous or this is not standard, I have to have this, the demanding tone, the arrogant tone, as though I am the only service provider here that is important.

00:11:40

The audio guys, the video guys, the person at the registration desk, none of them are important.

00:11:48

I am the most important.

00:11:50

That tone leaves us with no one's willing to help us.

00:11:54

No one's willing to help think outside the box to give us a solution.

00:11:59

If you go to the audio guys and grab a microphone and say “I need this” and just walk away, I don't think they're going to be nice about it when you ask for anything else.

00:12:12

In fact, they might even take the microphone away from you.

00:12:16

That's an extreme, I know.

00:12:18

But you're doing the same thing when you have a tone in your voice demanding, I need this.

00:12:23

So be careful.

00:12:25

Be civil.

00:12:26

Understand that everyone has a job and everyone's job is connected.

00:12:31

I can't do my job if I have the wrong lighting.

00:12:34

I can't do my job if I can't be heard.

00:12:37

That means their jobs are just as important as your job, because when one fails, all of them fail.

00:12:46

That chain of connection of responsibility and professionalism has to be kept.

00:12:53

The links have to be strong.

00:12:54

And in order to get the links together in the chain, you have to communicate civilly.

00:13:02

Whether you want to call it soft skills, professionalism, whatever it is, I call it being human, being calm, understanding how to communicate.

00:13:14

And isn't that what interpreters are all about?

00:13:18

We need to know how people communicate, how their role in a situation is.

00:13:25

No matter what the situation is, if you're coming to a new building or a new street and you're trying to locate where it is you're supposed to be and you want to ask someone directions, you have to understand their role in that situation.

00:13:42

Do they live there?

00:13:43

Are they a resident in that area?

00:13:44

Then they might have a lot of information for you.

00:13:48

So, treat them in that way.

00:13:49

They are the expert that can solve your problem.

00:13:54

Be appreciative of their role and understand how to communicate with them.

00:14:00

Are they direct?

00:14:02

Do you need to go quickly?

00:14:03

Are they walking slowly?

00:14:05

Are they in a hurry?

00:14:07

Perhaps they're not the one to ask.

00:14:10

Or perhaps you preface it with, I realize you have a lot on your plate.

00:14:14

I realize you have a lot of responsibility, so you are the one who knows.

00:14:18

And ask the question directly, quickly.

00:14:21

Don't hem-haw around about it.

00:14:23

Don't tell a story about it.

00:14:25

Just ask.

00:14:26

I need this.

00:14:28

Oh, you look like a busy person.

00:14:29

Do you know where so-and-so is?

00:14:31

No.

00:14:31

Where is-, not do you know.

00:14:34

They obviously would know.

00:14:36

So, say it.

00:14:37

Where is Dr. So-and-so?

00:14:40

Where is this room?

00:14:43

Whatever it is, go directly to it.

00:14:46

That keeps it going quickly because that's what they want.

00:14:50

They want to check it off the list.

00:14:51

Check it off the list quickly.

00:14:54

Don't ask three questions when one will do.

00:14:57

If you're there early and everybody's getting coffee or something, connect it.

00:15:03

“Ooh, coffee. We all need that. All I wanted to know was where was so-and-so room, but there's coffee too?”

00:15:10

Many different ways to ask things, knowing the person's role.

[SHORT TRANSITION MUSIC]

[ROCK EXIT MUSIC STARTS]

00:15:20

Did I talk too much?

00:15:21

Probably.

00:15:22

But I know if you're like me when listening to a podcast, sometimes we start thinking of how what's being said connects to us.

00:15:33

And then I zone out and I'm not listening as much as I should.

00:15:38

I'm thinking about how does this affect me?

00:15:40

How do I apply this to my work, to my life?

00:15:44

And therefore, podcasters circle around and say the same things in different words.

00:15:51

Sometimes it's misunderstood and without having the back and forth, the feedback from those who are in your conversation, if you don't have that, it's hard to know if what you're saying is understood because not everybody hears it clearly or understands the connection right away or even understands the language you're using.

00:16:15

Communication is…

00:16:16

Well, hard.

00:16:18

I mean, just ask anyone who's married.

00:16:21

(I'm pausing so that everyone can get through laughing.)

00:16:25

This episode speaks straight from my heart.

00:16:28

Something that has always come up in conversations in every gig I go to.

00:16:35

I know that I have to talk to someone else to make my job easier or relevant or function.

00:16:45

And if I cannot civilly ask or request help and support, then I can't do my job and I'm not doing my job correctly.

00:16:59

We talk about the interpreter's role a lot.

00:17:03

What is our role?

00:17:05

Well, it's interpreter.

00:17:07

That's our role.

00:17:08

And within that role, we have many different responsibilities and skills that we need to use in order to do our work, our practice.

00:17:18

And that means you need to develop the skills of communication better every single time.

00:17:25

Learn someone else's job, not in the expert detail that they know, but in the way that how to ask for support.

00:17:36

Just, you understanding that they have a lot on their list to check off every single time.

00:17:44

And if you connect with that, you immediately open doors to better communication.

00:17:51

No demanding, even if you're negotiating what your price should be.

00:17:58

[As] soon as you start demanding, you start closing that door even more.

00:18:03

Be nice in an appropriate way.

00:18:06

It's all we need to say.

00:18:09

So, as I say time and time again, keep calm, keep communicating the interpreting communication.

00:18:19

I'll see you next week.

00:18:21

Take care now.

[ROCK EXIT MUSIC ENDS AT 00:18:59]