How can you keep stakeholders informed when working with an outsourced team?

2 Choose the right tools

The second step is to select the tools that best suit your communication and collaboration needs. You should take into account the frequency, format, and purpose of your interactions, as well as the preferences and availability of your team members. Email is a great tool for formal and asynchronous communication, such as status updates, reports, feedback, and approvals. Chat is ideal for informal and synchronous communication, such as quick questions, clarifications, and brainstorming. Video conferencing is perfect for face-to-face and interactive communication, such as meetings, presentations, and reviews. Project management software can help you track and manage tasks, progress, issues, and changes. File sharing and cloud storage are great for storing and accessing documents, files, and code. Finally, collaboration platforms are useful for creating and sharing content, like wikis, blogs, and forums.

3 Set the communication plan

When creating a communication plan for your project, you should align it with your project plan and make sure it meets the expectations and needs of your stakeholders. Additionally, you should take into account time zone differences when scheduling communication activities, as well as cultural and communication styles to ensure respect and understanding. Furthermore, you should use tools that can automatically adjust for time zones to ensure convenient times for both parties. Being aware of cultural norms and preferences, such as language, etiquette, and feedback style, is also essential. Finally, adapting your communication style to the personality and preferences of your stakeholders is key for successful communication.

4 Monitor and measure

The fourth step is to monitor and measure the effectiveness of your communication and collaboration. You should use tools that can provide you with data and feedback on your communication activities, such as email analytics, chat logs, video recordings, and surveys. You should also track and evaluate the performance and satisfaction of your outsourced team and your internal stakeholders, using metrics such as quality, productivity, cost, and engagement. You should use this information to identify and address any issues or gaps in your communication and collaboration, and to make adjustments or improvements as needed.

5 Celebrate and appreciate

The fifth step is to celebrate and appreciate the achievements and contributions of your outsourced team and your internal stakeholders. You should recognize and reward the efforts and results of your team members, and provide positive and constructive feedback. You should also celebrate the milestones and successes of your project, and share the stories and testimonials of your stakeholders. This will help you build trust, rapport, and loyalty with your outsourced team and your internal stakeholders, and motivate them to continue working towards your project goals.

6 Learn and improve

The sixth step is to learn and improve from your communication and collaboration experience. You should conduct a post-project review with your outsourced team and your internal stakeholders, and collect and analyze their feedback and suggestions. You should also reflect on your own communication and collaboration skills, and identify your strengths and weaknesses. You should use this information to document and share the best practices and lessons learned from your project, and to apply them to your future projects with outsourced teams.