Daily Inspiration: “What the translator heard: “Think BIG. Start a small business!”

What the translator heard: “Think BIG. Start a small business!” – Futurist  Jim Carroll

Yesterday, my talk at the #IRUWorldCongress in Muscat, Oman, was translated in real time into Russian, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin and German. I deliberately kept my pace much slower than my normal speed in order that they might be a great partner to my effort.

This comes from experience. I’m regularly translated in real time – with over 25 years on the stage, I ‘speak global’. So much so that I’ve got a Web page which details some of the unique international situations I’ve found myself in: jimcarroll.com/about/global-experience/

And yet inevitability, the process of converting my phrases of inspiration into another language are faced with challenges. And so I picked up on this one as the result of a Tweet sent out at the conclusion of my remarks. Obviously, the translator was working hard, and interpreted my traditional closing message in a very unique way. The person who heard my message heard the translator – tweets happen fast – and so it captured a magical moment in a fascinating way.

And you know what – it works!

One of the key trends that I talk about with every audience is that much of the future is being invented by small organizations. They have the speed, agility and flexibility to do things that bigger organizations often cannot.

Serendipitously, this is a great quote!