Applying Kaizen-inspired ideas to the gym or to Localization!

Usually, when we want to improve something in our Localization strategy, we first set an ambitious goal. From there, we design a strategy to reach it as quickly as possible. If we don't see rapid changes, we feel like we're not improving. To break this cycle, we can try changing the way we set goals—smaller, but consistent objectives that, when we look back, show us that we are indeed making progress. This progress can be the driving force for us every week, every month, every year.

Here are some ideas on how we could apply this Kaizen methodology in the Localization world.

Localization ROI: avoid these KPI pitfalls in an AI-Driven world

I'm passionate about Localization metrics, but it can be frustrating. We live in a data-rich world, allowing us to measure our impact better. However, this data abundance brings challenges when building a Localization metrics system.

In my experience, two main pitfalls emerge (but they are not the only ones 😅). One is overemphasizing Localization ROI, which can lead to unproductive discussions. The other is tracking effort-related KPIs without translating their impact on company success into terms that matter to leadership and product owners.

 

Maybe it’s time for cultural LLMs, understanding the cultural impacts of AI

Seven years ago, my twin Maria and I stood on the LocWorld stage in Warsaw and talked about Cultural Intelligence ….how culture shapes trust, feedback, leadership, and collaboration. Back then, the big question was: How can humans work better across cultures?

Today, that same question still matters but with a twist:
How can AI LLMs can work better across cultures?

In an AI-driven world, we’re seeing that language alone isn’t enough. Multilingual doesn’t mean multicultural. And as we rush to scale AI globally, cultural nuance is too often left behind.

Maybe it’s time to rethink how we build. Maybe it’s time for Cultural LLMs.

The role of Localization in shaping content source strategy

Before any great translation comes great source content. In this post, I compare what I’ve learned from golf lessons to the localization world: success depends on how well you set up from the start. I share real examples, red flags to watch out for, and four practical pillars : governance, clarity, style, and global mindset that can make or break your localization process. If you want smoother workflows, better quality, and fewer headaches, the fix might not be downstream… it might be in your stance.

Tactics to stop feeling ignored when talking to Leadership (so we can get our Localization ideas greenlighted)

Talking to executives is never easy and feeling ignored makes it even harder. I’ve been there…..pitched a localization project I truly believed in… and never heard back. That experience stayed with me. Over time, I’ve learned what works (and what doesn’t) when trying to influence decision-makers.

In this post, I share 5 practical tactics that helped me go from feeling overlooked to getting buy-in (without changing the heart of what we do in Localization)

If we want to position Localization as a product, how do we measure its value?

If we want to treat localization like a product, we need to measure it like one. Traditional metrics like cost per word and delivery time still matter, but they don’t capture the full picture. In this post, I share four categories of product-style metrics: adoption, automation impact, strategic influence, and internal visibility that they can help you track the real value your localization team is creating across the company.

The Localization mindset shift: from only providing services to also thinking like a product team.

Localization as a Product means building solutions that make it easier for others to work with localization by turning our expertise into systems that are scalable and reusable.This shift doesn’t replace the service mindset. It builds on it.
We still support teams but we also design tools, workflows, and automations that reduce repetitive work and increase impact. Instead of translating on request, we enable content flows.
Instead of fixing the same problems again and again, we build systems that prevent them. This is how localization grows from being reactive support to becoming part of how the company builds and scales globally.

The spining bike, the power of starting somewhere to get momentum and how to create the Globalization flywheel

Just like the flywheel on a spinning bike, it’s hard to get going at first , there’s resistance. But once you build speed, it gets easier to keep the momentum.
In Globalization, it works the same way. You can enter at any point quality, user feedback, tooling, content…. and that push will start turning the wheel.
Each action builds on the next, and little by little, it helps the company move faster toward market expansion.

The HOW on how to use AI in Localization for accessibility

What if AI could help us make localization more accessible without losing the human touch?
In this post, I share some ideas on how AI can support the work we already do to make digital products easier to use and understand. From simplifying source content to spotting UI risks and improving inclusive language. Because in the end, I truly believe that together might be better.

How Localization contributes to digital accessibility

Localization isn’t just a side task focused on adapting content. It actually plays a key role in accessibility. This is not only because it makes content available in other languages (that’s the part we’re best known for) but also because what we do, just to name two examples, helps to improve readability and understandability

Everyone wants a seat at the table, Localization brought snacks… does it help us get one?

We often think that showing up at the right time, explaining localization’s value, and communicating clearly will be enough. And while that helps, it’s not a guarantee.

For busy product teams, localization is often just one more item in a long list of priorities.

When that’s the case, we can either feel frustrated or shift our mindset, protect our mental health, and keep refining how we advocate for localization.

The 5 conversations of a Localization Manager

As a Globalization/Localization Manager to be effective and rise to the various challenges our teams encounter we must be fundamentally flexible. We must be able to have the right conversation with the different stakeholders we interact with. We must understand the unique ways in which each conversation should be handled.

To achieve our goals, we need to bring 5 different conversations into the workplace