Giving Feedback on a MotaWord Translation - For Translators

Failing to give feedback has consequences. Feedback is necessary to address unacceptable behavior, and while MotaWord seeks to set our translators up for success, sometimes information can slip through the cracks, leaving room for constructive criticism from MotaWord peers, or our Internal Team.

We have created an action plan to help you in the moments where you would like to give feedback and do not know how to, or, you find yourself on the receiving end of some feedback from MotaWord, and are not asure what next steps you need to take to respond and implement the feedback.

Instead of saving up all of your feedback until it feels like a volcano ready to explode, MotaWord has set up numerous features to empower you to give feedback anytime, anywhere.

Feedback does not have to be fear-provoking or unnerving, especially when handled immediately. Giving feedback is the key to improving quality - and the promise of quality is a page we should all be on when working on a MotaWord translation.

1. Double check ambiguous feedback
Let’s say you receive a comment on your translator dashboard from a fellow translator, a proofreader, or a client stating, “sorry, that is wrong, you always make this mistake.” What do you do? This comment has no clear action plan and does not specifically let you know what the feedback is - just that it is undesirable.

When engaging in a feedback discussion, it is important to make your intentions clear, which this comment does very well. The writer is unhappy with the performance. But this comment is unhelpful because not only is the feedback ambiguous, it exaggerates frequency.

We need to know what the mistake was, where to find the mistake, and how to go about fixing the mistake. Be specific in your language and, if you’re on the receiving end of such feedback, ask clarifying questions. We are always available to mediate any feedback conversations.

2. Actionable feedback with a negative or aggressive tone.
There is no need to be personal or nasty with any feedback you give. Be clear, concise, and neutral in your tone.

3. A peer asks you to make changes violating the client-provided style guide or glossary.
The immediate first step here should be obvious to you - do not deviate from the client provided glossaries and style-guides. If someone should give you such feedback, politely inform them of this policy and refer them to the appropriate client-provided documents, then let the internal team know.

4. Limit your comments
Being clear and concise in every aspect of your life will wildly improve your ability to accept and retain any feedback thrown your way. When giving feedback, make sure you clearly outline the issue, what the correction should be, and how to solve it. Any given feedback session should not discuss more than 2 issues.

5. Errors vs. mistakes
An error is a flaw in thinking, and a mistake is a flaw in mechanics. For example, an error is something done often due to lack of knowledge, teachability, or ignorance. A mistake is a one-off spelling error, an accidentally missed word, or an untranslated string. Both are in need of correction, but the feedback process and educational needs are very different.

Being an active translator that is committed to MotaWord’s high-quality promise will not only raise your value as an employee with MotaWord, but it will give you more work, and ultimately lead you to proofreader status and more. As a translator, we need to know your name, and we need to trust you. We chose you, vetted your credentials, and are committed to your professional growth as a translator. Help us, help you.

These are just a fraction of the policies and standards we expect from our translators.
If you receive any feedback violating these guidelines, please let the MotaWord internal team know.

For more information regarding:

• Giving Feedback on a MotaWord Translation
• For Giving Feedback on a MotaWord Translation - For Clients.
• For Giving Feedback on a MotaWord Translation - For Proofreaders