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Managing an offshore team

By James Short
25 September 2019 | 6 minute read
James Short reb

More and more companies are outsourcing tasks to offshore teams. This should no longer surprise you, as outsourcing can save you a lot of time and money. It allows you to focus on the critical aspects of your business.

Outsourcing also has the benefit of having a wide talent pool. When I say wide, I mean on a global scale. With communication and connectivity improving year after year, it has become easier to get in touch with and stay connected with talents and professionals all over the world.

Some of you may have already outsourced some of your company’s day-to-day tasks. You might have also hired a virtual assistant who is not even on the same continent as you. If you have already committed yourself to outsourcing, I don’t need to tell you how beneficial it is to you and your business.

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You’ve probably already noticed that you now have more time on your hands and stress has been lessened significantly. But you still have to do your part as the leader and owner. Having an offshore team does not mean you can go on autopilot. That team from across the world is still part of your staff. You have to manage them.

Make goals and objectives clear

Ensure that you and your offshore team have a clear understanding of where you want your company to go. Visualise and educate the team of your business goals. Re-examine your plans and strategies and make sure that they are in line with each other. Make sure that you have everything covered from minor to major tasks.

Also, familiarise yourself with the tasks that you assigned them so you will have an idea of the timeline when they will be completed. By doing so, you would be able to properly prioritise tasks based on your plans and strategies.

Assign a local manager

This is no different from assigning a manager to a specific department or branch in your company. As your business grows, you cannot keep an eye on everything.

You need managers to be your hands and eyes to make sure that everything is running as smoothly as possible. For an offshore team, assign a local manager to that team. This individual should be the most professional and has a level of authority that is way above the rest of the team.

This can also be the most trusted offshore employee that has worked for you for a number of years. This individual’s long tenure with you means that he or she already knows how you want to run things and how you want to get things done.

By James Short, consultant

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