Multilingualism – a Vital Advantage in Global Security
“Knowledge of languages is the doorway to wisdom.”
A recent survey of Chameleon staff revealed that 65% speak at least one language other than English, with some fluent in as many as four. As of the time of this post, the Chameleon Team can handle: Dutch, English, French, German, Czech, Hebrew, Italian, Maltese, Norwegian, Papiamento, Danish, Polish, Russian, Arabic, Spanish, and Swedish.
Our linguistic versatility is important to us. Communication is at the heart of good business and especially consulting. Being able to connect with clients in their preferred language helps us get to know them better, and by understanding their needs at a deeper level, offer them truly meaningful consultation. We strive to meet those we serve where they are and, to that end, recognize the many ways in which one culture might differ from another. This ethos is key to our unique value proposition.
It's important to clarify that really mastering a language doesn’t just mean advanced vocabulary or conversation skills. Comprehension lies in understanding the cultural principles that drive conversational nuances, grammar, and more. Understanding cultural differences helps us to avoid potential misunderstandings, establish trust, and build stronger relationships.
Consultants in our industry love to talk about “thinking outside the box.” And while we certainly believe in being innovative and creative, there’s incredible importance to being able to think inside a client’s box, too. Putting ourselves in our clients’ shoes allows us to see the world through their cultural framework – to be able to see threats and solutions through their eyes. This empathetic approach to consulting has proven very advantageous.
A broad command of multiple languages is useful to Chameleon not only in the office but in the field as well, whether conducting Threat Risk and Vulnerability Assessments or doing training.
As a recent example, we were asked to draft an intelligence report for a corporate client planning a large event in Athens. Being able to conduct preliminary OSINT searches, render analyses, speak with Greek security managers at various posts, and communicate our findings in Greek made a world of difference. This would not have been possible if we had provided our services solely in English.
The sort of benefits we were able to provide with our understanding of non-English languages like Greek isn’t limited to Europe. When it comes to processing intelligence and operational information from, say, the Middle East, accuracy, scope, and slant differ greatly depending on the source of information gathered. Meaning can easily be lost without a deep understanding of nuanced differences between Arabic, Farsi, or Hebrew. Language – and by extension, cultural literacy – is critical for sourcing, making sense of, and relaying information correctly.
Being able to conduct intelligence collection and analysis in multiple languages, whether in response to an OSINT query, or as part of local media monitoring, or for reading between the lines of foreign-language documents, is simply fundamental to what we do.
Much of our business comes from providing threat, risk, and vulnerability assessments and making change recommendations to protocols, policies, and procedures to clients across the globe. Think about how culture informs a company’s values, work ethic, the pace at which work is done, and how both management and employees perceive security. These are important considerations because they directly affect the ability to put recommendations into action successfully.
Observing and honoring what makes people different is key to helping our clients achieve their security goals and to building good-faith relationships. We’re problem-solvers at heart, and our diversity in communication and cultural understanding helps us generate solutions that endure.
Further Reading:
- How the Power of Language can Grow your Career and Business
https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2019/07/02/how-the-power-of-language-can-grow-your-career-and-business/ - The Cognitive Benefits of Being Bilingual
Viorica Marian, Anthony Shook
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3583091/
Ask us about our OSINT and HUMINT services:
- Open-Source Intelligence reports that may cover geopolitics, data leakage, threat trends, travel security assessment or investigations into individuals or organizations.
- Online & Social Media monitoring with surveillance of client’s digital footprint across public online platforms and major SM networks, to identify threats or concerning on-line activities.
And to register for our upcoming Security Executive Forum in London, click here.
