Outsourcing has continued to be the buzz word in the business world. Aspects such as business process outsourcing and recruitment process outsourcing have continued to grow over the years, and some of the leading offshore destinations such as the Philippines are making giant strides.

Project outsourcing does not mean the project is being auto-piloted. While you are not expected to micro-manage an outsourced project, you shouldn’t also vanish from the scene — your outsourcing partner would want you to standby and provide direction and more clarity where and when necessary. Don’t be like some outsourcing clients who get to the opposite end of micromanaging — either abandoning the project to the independent contractor or dedicating very little or no time to it.

It is Arm’s-Length Management and not Hands-Off Management

Instead of micromanaging things when you outsource, you should rather give an arm’s length space to the outsourcing partner. But, this does not also mean you should hands off from the project completely.

You have to be standing by to provide additional direction and make necessary approvals to avoid delay and aid their job to be smooth. In fact, you need to allocate quality time to ensure you and your outsourced team are on the same page in terms of your goals and strategy.

Learn to Track and Measure Your Outsourcing Efforts

It’s also necessary that you measure the performance of your outsourcing partner. However, when you do so, it shouldn’t be with bias and critical mindset. Instead, you should adopt a realistic approach when measuring performance.

This is not to say you shouldn’t adopt a high standard in measuring your independent contractors’ performance. However, it is also necessary to factor in some inevitable circumstances. For instance, you should not give a very short deadline for a project that requires much more time.

Make Assessment Easier

Instead of waiting till the end to assess an outsourced project, make the task easier for you and your in-house team. How? Break up the project into phases and asses the project phase by phase.

Before even outsourcing the project, you should list out the criteria you will use in assessing performance at each phase. Planning ahead of time before even outsourcing a project will aid easier and smoother assessment, and make the entire project flow seamlessly, leading to a super successful outcome.

Good planning precedes success in every life’s endeavor and outsourcing is not an exception. You will be surprised at the awesome result that awaits you when you precede outsourcing with good planning. Ultimately, you and your outsourcing partner will be smiling at the end of the project — that’s the power of good planning!

Daven Michaels is a New York Times Best Selling Author and CEO of premiere global outsourcing company, 123Employee. The company employs hundreds of young bright individuals on three continents. His International event, Beyond Marketing Live! Inspires entrepreneurs to build & grow their business with revolutionary new theories and systems allowing them to design the business and personal lifestyle of their dreams.