We started Ram Interchange because we understand the economic advantage of growing South African startups using non-traditional strategies—one of the biggest of these strategies being self-reliance, and looking outside South Africa. In this time, we have a learned a lot about managing teams of people from all over the world. The following are Top 5 tips that have been indispensable to the success of our projects.
Tip One: Get in agreement
Successfully outsourcing work to foreign contractors is difficult. There’s timezones and language barriers—but it can be done!
No contract can ever be concluded without there being consensus. Those in my immediate vicinity have these very words hammered into them, because so many things have gone wrong due to miscommunication. When we hire a new contractor (most recently to work on the JOZI HI! STREET e-commerce site), they are usually quite eager to please but end up botching the job almost immediately. The best way to get on the same page, is to explain how things are supposed to be done (by using video). Their responsibilities should be re-iterated so that other team members don’t end up piling work on them, and they don’t end up making their job someone else’s problem.
Tip Two: Outline expectations, and repeat
As mentioned in Tip 1, for the JOZI HI! STREET business we regularly use video to get on the same page as our teams. This does not have to be video messaging (which can be difficult to facilitate), it can also be as simple as a pre-recorded screen recording, showing each team member how they will access information, communicate with you, and do their work. Doing this has clarified what our expectations as a client are taking into account that we are not going to be seeing each other.
Tip Three: Be aware that you are limited by timezone
Some of your foreign contractors will be available at the time that you see fit, whilst others will be sleeping when you want to have a meeting. As far as meetings are concerned, try to limit the amount you are having. It’s a waste of time. Instead, keep your queries limited to messages that can be read by all contractors no matter what time they wake up.
Tip Four: Create a “virtual office space”
This is where they will be expected to go before starting any tasks in order to read messages, communicate with you, seeing incomplete tasks etc. Instead of having emails running all over the place, have one place where task lists are public, instant messaging is simple, and files can be uploaded. There are plenty of online apps that have been created for this one thing, just Google search “Team Management apps” and use Tip 2 to help you and your team use the software.
Tip Five: Trust your team!
Once you are happy with the caliber of work that your team is bringing to the table, it is safe to give them even more carte blanche. Let go of the idea that the projects will not go well without you breathing down the contractors’ necks.
If something is not done according to your standards, take some free advice from Brian McKnight (not that advice) and start back at (tip) one.
Ram Interchange is the holding company for both JOZI HI! STREET™ and Exchange Magazine SA®. Opinions expressed herein are meant to guide SME looking to expand their horizons beyond South Africa’s limited skills pool.
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