Forum - July 2008

Raise your hand if you like Dr. Seuss books. Now … keep your hand up if you like Dr. Seuss
books, and you have no kids younger than kindergarten age. Now … keep that hand
up if you can recite the opening page of your favorite Dr. Seuss book.

AM I THE ONLY ONE WITH MY HAND STILL UP?

In my opinion, Dr. Seuss did many things right in his books. As an educator, he knew that simple concepts and repeatable phrases would give a student the affirmation and confidence necessary to lay the foundation of becoming a strong reader.

So what does Dr. Seuss have to do with outsourcing? Everything.

Dr. Seuss’ commitment to simple and repeatable is a good lesson for us in the association economy. I’m not here to suggest our work in associations is overly simple, but I do believe we all need to invest more time to de-complicate our collective expectations, goals and tasks. Outsourcing mandates clear expectations, measurable goals and definable tasks. Just because our work is not simple is no excuse for all the manual, redundant and disconnected workflows we ignore in our organizations. Outsourcing provides a ready-to-use catalyst for evaluating those workflows.

So in the spirit of Aunt Annie and her Alligator, here are my Outsourcing ABCs:

A ASSESS. The first step in any outsourcing initiative is to assess where you are. A useful assessment gives you data on why you are where you are, and focuses your energies on where to go next.

B BREAKTHROUGH. Ask your team how they can break through to the next level. Challenge them to be resource managers, instead of task workers. What additional unique products and services could they deliver if you outsourced their task work?

C COMPETE. How does your role help your organization compete in the marketplace? What one additional capability would increase your contribution? Can it be outsourced?

D DIFFERENTIATE. You have a unique ability that adds

value to your organization. Can you calculate the return to your organization if you outsourced the work you do that is outside your unique ability?

E ENTREPRENEURS. Most outsourcing organizations are led by entrepreneurs, and they continually challenge the status quo. Whether you are adding capacity or replacing departed resources, their willingness to do it differently is a major contributor to improved results.

F FINANCING. Involve your HR director and your CFO in outsourcing dialogue. Outsourcing often allows you to avoid long-term obligations to staff and capital.

G GRID. Stephen Covey, Ph.D., diagrammed a simple grid of four quadrants — Urgent vs. Important. The priority is to spend time in Quadrant No. 2 / Not Urgent & Important. Can outsourcing help you?

H HEDGEHOG. Outsourcing is a useful antidote when resources are constrained or the near term is uncertain. Recreate Jim Collins’ hedgehog exercise for your team as a way to re-affirm or re-focus your priorities. That clarity can reveal areas that will benefit from outsourcing.

I INNOVATE. Frans Johansson’s book, The Medici Effect, is a captivating journey about fostering innovation through unusual combinations of ideas and expertise. The intersection of your team’s ideas with outsourced vendor’s expertise can be a catalyst for innovation.

J JUSTIFY. Outsourcing forces you to evaluate the way you use your existing resources, and how they can be re-deployed. Beyond the financial ROI, this re-deployment is critical to justification.