3 New Year’s “Language Resolutions” for Business

Resolution [rez-uh–loo-shuh n]:  A resolve; a decision or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something (credit: dictionary.com). 

People make resolutions. Organizations periodically make them, even write them down and have them approved (blessed) by senior management. Business resolutions might more commonly be referred to as goals or objectives.

Most business organizations probably don’t designate a set of goals as being “language goals.” However if they did, here are three they might consider.

Language Goal #1 — Increase Market Potential

Increase potential market size by promoting in the language of a new target market. This one is simple math. Increasing the size of an organization’s potential market can come through targeting new non-English speaking prospective customers, whether in the US or abroad.

Language Goal #2 — Improve Internal Communication

Improve internal communications through use of the primary language of employees. It’s common for US based business organizations to employ personnel whose first language is not English. Consider the translation of at least high priority communications into the native language(s) of people in your organization, be they US or internationally based.

Language Goal #3 — Project A Global Business Status

Enhance your organization’s international positioning by projecting a presence in multiple major languages. Global business usually means engaging markets and stakeholders in more languages than English. Conducting business in more than one language is a noteworthy step in the evolution of an organization into becoming a recognized global player.