Outsourcing has turned into a widespread phenomenon yet creates an extra problem that businesses are now dealing with: How exactly do you create a powerful business culture in a business environment that involves outsource service providers, freelancers, virtual assistants, and consultants?
A lot of people agree on the importance of developing that culture. In the end, you do not need to have an us-versus-them mentality in your company, with in-house staff members not appreciating the value that the outsource workers can provide (and also the outsource workers not figuring out what's going on). Instead, you really want to have a company operating as a strong, single entity focalized on making your customers satisfied. While it may seem daunting to create that organizational culture it is really not. It begins with communication. Be sure that you offer your workers (both in-house and outsource) plenty of methods to talk with each other. E-mail is one thing, instant messaging is one more, even Twitter could be a good one.
Set up periodic meeting calls as often as you may setup a normal in-house conference. For example, a weekly meeting call where everyone dials in might be a valuable method to touch base and keep everyone up to date. Make sure you listen to every person. Consider employing conference software like Adobe Connect 8 so people can actually see each other, share desktops, and take a few notes, just like in a normal meeting. There may be a somewhat increased cost in paying salaries for the hour-long meeting, but the enhanced, productive interactions that emerge from that will be well worth the expense.
Try to be intentional about precisely who you assign to projects. Connect an in-house person with an outsourced service provider; don't just hook up two in-house people simply because they happen to be in the same room whenever you need the actual work done. That is another reason why Adobe Connect is truly a good option as this will allow workers to understand each other much better.
Team building is however a little more difficult to do in this kind of situation yet not impossible. Have a contest, pairing your in-house staff members each with an outsource service provider and then give these people a job or organizational problem to find an innovative solution to. Once again, you may at first resist the added cost, but this truly builds relationships between team members and it's still a lot more effective than getting your in-house employees in a room for a few silly team building games.
A lot of people agree on the importance of developing that culture. In the end, you do not need to have an us-versus-them mentality in your company, with in-house staff members not appreciating the value that the outsource workers can provide (and also the outsource workers not figuring out what's going on). Instead, you really want to have a company operating as a strong, single entity focalized on making your customers satisfied. While it may seem daunting to create that organizational culture it is really not. It begins with communication. Be sure that you offer your workers (both in-house and outsource) plenty of methods to talk with each other. E-mail is one thing, instant messaging is one more, even Twitter could be a good one.
Set up periodic meeting calls as often as you may setup a normal in-house conference. For example, a weekly meeting call where everyone dials in might be a valuable method to touch base and keep everyone up to date. Make sure you listen to every person. Consider employing conference software like Adobe Connect 8 so people can actually see each other, share desktops, and take a few notes, just like in a normal meeting. There may be a somewhat increased cost in paying salaries for the hour-long meeting, but the enhanced, productive interactions that emerge from that will be well worth the expense.
Try to be intentional about precisely who you assign to projects. Connect an in-house person with an outsourced service provider; don't just hook up two in-house people simply because they happen to be in the same room whenever you need the actual work done. That is another reason why Adobe Connect is truly a good option as this will allow workers to understand each other much better.
Team building is however a little more difficult to do in this kind of situation yet not impossible. Have a contest, pairing your in-house staff members each with an outsource service provider and then give these people a job or organizational problem to find an innovative solution to. Once again, you may at first resist the added cost, but this truly builds relationships between team members and it's still a lot more effective than getting your in-house employees in a room for a few silly team building games.
About the Author:
Looking to find the best deal on Adobe Connect 8, then visit http://www.thetechlabs.com/tech-news/adobe-connect-8/ to find the best advice on Adobe Connect for you.
{ 0 comments... read them below or add one }
Post a Comment