Choose Your Translator Wisely
Have you ever left a meeting with overseas partners feeling like something was missing — like you didn’t get the full picture? You might be right. If your local manager was the one translating, the conversation may have been quietly shaped before it ever reached you.
I’ve spent much of my life as a translator — on stages, in boardrooms, and in the field. I grew up watching my father translate for pastors and evangelists, including Billy Graham. That background gave me a deep appreciation for what’s at stake when someone controls the flow of communication between two parties.
Through years of working in the MLM industry — as a partner, consultant, and translator — I’ve seen this play out many times. When HQ visits to meet with local partners, the local manager is often the one in the room translating. And that’s where the problem begins.
The Problem with Insider Translation
Local managers control more than just language. They decide who’s in the room, what gets asked, and what gets passed along — often to protect their own image and present the best possible picture to HQ. This isn’t always intentional or malicious. But it happens, and there’s no guarantee it won’t happen in your meetings.
The result? HQ hears only what local management wants them to hear. Over time, this creates blind spots — wrong assumptions, poor decisions, and growing mistrust. Good partners lose faith and quietly walk away. And when HQ finally notices they’re losing ground, they often blame the market or the culture, never realizing the real issue was that no one was truly listening.
I’ve personally heard foreign executives blame “Korean culture” for problems that were, at their root, a failure of communication — a failure to create a space where local partners could speak freely. That’s both unfair and avoidable.
The Fix Is Simple
Bring in a third-party translator when you meet with local partners. Not as a sign of distrust toward your local team, but as a commitment to hearing everyone clearly. Create a setting where partners can speak honestly — about their concerns, their ideas, and their hopes — without worrying about how it will reflect on them later.
When people feel genuinely heard, everything changes. Engagement goes up. Trust deepens. And you may discover that the strong local leader you’ve been searching for has been right there all along, just waiting for the chance to be heard.
Great leadership starts with great listening. In a foreign market, that starts with choosing your translator wisely.
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