Delegation in Outsourcing: A Complete Guide

You might have decided to outsource; this might be the right approach for you and your business. However, 35% of executives claimed they needed to improve their ability to delegate, while 37% said they were actively working.

But that's just where the how to get it done problem starts. You have to manage your workflows and manage all the people you have delegated the work to; this is a hassle, and you need to take care of it. This article will serve as a guide for you to see what to do in these tricky situations. 

6-Point Guide to Delegating Outsourcing Tasks

We hope you concur that delegating is a crucial aspect of your company. You can get the most out of outsourcing jobs with an efficient delegation strategy. Effective delegation is a requirement for a successful outsourcing plan. Although that would be a dream, you can't just hand someone a stack of work and say, "Go." Here are 6 delegation stages to guide you on your path to growing your business.

#1 Select the Right People

The first step is to find the best people for the job. To do that, you need to know what the work is; you define the work based on the deliverables, the products, and the outcomes required. Once defined, break the whole work into smaller tasks and steps; these will help keep the progress measurable. 

With measurable progress, it is essential to have achievable completion dates for each step and task. Then, once you have everything, you find people who can do the tasks, and that too in the time you have in mind. 

You will find multiple freelancers and outsourcing companies that will show a willingness to help you out. You need to select the ones who are the most qualified and professional. 

You don't need a person who will do an excellent job but won't deliver on time, so it is essential to consider other factors along with being good at their job. 

#2 Divide the Tasks based on Capabilities

So you have everyone on board, the freelancers and the outsourcing company, and you have a general idea of what tasks to perform and who to get it from. 

However, in this step, we ask you to be specific; you have everyone on board. This is the time to reassess the capabilities of the individuals you have and reassign them tasks based on what you have seen so far. 

This step will continue every step of the way. As soon as you hit a roadblock, you do this, you reassess the qualities of the person, and you give the task to the person with a good mix of talents and strengths. 

It is vital in an outsourcing company aspect as well. If you are very involved in the project, you should leave everything to them. However, you should be as involved with the project as you can be, and you give them autonomy, but delegation is something you should be a part of because it reduces your risk.

#3 Define Tasks and Communicate them Clearly

You should have clear communication lines with everyone involved in the process. It would be best to have complete visibility of everything happening, so you define the project tasks in as much detail as possible. Then, you create checklists and outlines with further information to have a communication channel and visibility across all outsourced functions at every level. 

An essential part of all this is that you must be available to each team member at every step to provide guidance and answer any questions. It is imperative to keep the two-way communication channel open in this case. 

#4 Track Progress and Give Feedback

Progress tracking is critical; you might have hired the best in the world to do your job. However, you may only get what you want if appropriately tracked. 

So, periodic checkups are needed to track the progress, and you would want to do something before the end and find out nothing has been done. 

Within these progress reports, you also incorporate your feedback to the team. So they look at your feedback and then do better on the project, that's how the loop should be made, and that's how it is made. 

You would have a clear idea about what kind of resources they need, and you can also help them out if they encounter some roadblocks along the way.

#5 Allow Variations in Work Style

While keeping control, you can easily give them room for variations. You should be focused on the final product rather than on all details of the job. People are more comfortable working with their style. You should give them the space to do it. 

Create an overall idea of what the end product should look like and keep some leeway in your head about the end details. If you obsess over your version so much, you will likely not go anywhere with this. 

#6 Provide Incentives and Show Appreciation

Your outsourced staff will be your greatest asset; they should travel with you on this adventure.

They are expected to stay in sync with everything you have produced, just like your actual staff, and keeping them informed makes them an asset for you, similar to the team you have employed directly.

Once the assignment is finished, you should express your gratitude to them. If you do, they will undoubtedly reply, improving your overall working relationship. It is human nature to express gratitude to others, which is true for both your internal and external teams.

Final Thoughts

Your duty as a business leader is to delegate, and if you don't do it correctly, you could create difficulties for your company and yourself. You'll become inconsistent, miss deadlines, burn out, spread yourself too thin, and have a lot of work on your plate. 

However, delegation makes a difference; if you merely delegate appropriately, you may do your chores with the highest efficacy. 

Delegation ultimately benefits you since it allows you to learn new skills that will make you a better leader, improve your ability to persuade and communicate, and develop your team-building skills. 

Read More: The Extreme Price of Choosing the Wrong Software Vendor