The first trait that predicts whether managers who take the plunge into the outsourcing pool will sink or swim is trust. Outsourcing success is largely determined by how willing you are to respect another’s professional judgment. In addition to trust, the second factor in outsourcing success is communication.
While it sounds cliché, some managers are likely to drown in the deep end because they have abdicated rather than delegated communication.
Suppose you have a long -term client. He’s a workaholic bachelor who follows every bit of your advice without question or complaint. You never hear from him. In fact if you didn’t initiate an annual meeting, you might never talk to him. As far as you know your last plan is still meeting his financial needs. Then one July he calls to say his stepson needs $50,000 for college tuition by August 1st. Oh, did he tell you he got re-married three years ago?
You can’t help your clients meet their financial goals if they change goals without telling you. Likewise, most outsourcers need some basic input from you.
When I begin work with a new manager, I try to learn as much as possible about their vision. That requires a fair amount of communication up front, but only minimal ongoing communication. But minimal communication is still some communication, even if most of it can be done by email.
I discovered by accident that one of my clients had decided to move to a paperless office. Since she had never asked how I could help, she had wasted both time and money duplicating tasks I could have handled as part of my routine. Just as you need to be kept informed of a client’s changing financial needs, your outsourcers need to be kept informed of your changing needs.