How do you create a culture of feedback and learning with outsourced content collaborators?

I stop considering them as freelancers or outsourced contractors. I make them feel that they are a part of the team, even for a short while. Zoom meeting - yes. They are invited. Team lunch - yes. They are invited. 1:1 Feedback session - yes. They are invited. Respect and enthusiasm go both ways.

Creating a thorough content brief is crucial before outsourcing any content project. It should encompass essential details like the content's purpose, target audience, tone, style, format, length, keywords, sources, deadlines, and expected deliverables. Including examples of similar content you'd like the collaborator to follow can be immensely helpful. A well-defined brief ensures that both parties have a clear understanding of the project's requirements, reducing the likelihood of confusion, miscommunication, and the need for revisions.

To create a culture of feedback and learning, you have to be willing to listen and allow those creating content for you to voice their opinions, ideas, and creativity. ? If you stifle them and do not let your creators be part of your think-team, they will lose interest. ? If you tell them not only what to create, but how to create it, they will lose their creative edge. ?If you tell them what you don't like but do not tell them what you do like, you will lose the creator altogether! ? Allow for creative liberty to get much more out of your creators! ?Trust is the most important factor here! If you hire for talent, let talent do their job. Do not micromanage! TIP: Daily standup meetings will ensure continuous feedback loops!

My belief is that, to have a robust and seamless workflows in terms of brand tone, style, voice, values personality and colours, there should be an effective communication medium between the brand owner and the outsourced content creator. In addition, I will advice having a document like notion or Google docs to list all these information as a guideline for the outsourced content creator.

As with any content, you must first determine Experience-Expertise-Authority-Trust (E-E-A-T) of the content provider. Quality content matters first no matter how you spin the words; avoid garbage in and garbage out. Like with anyone, you need to know you can believe in what they say to be true or you ignore the content and may never listen to them again. So not only can making a poor choice defeat the purpose of that content piece, if can potentially destroy your own experience, expertise, authority and trust you have worked so had to establish.

Constructive feedback can be given when clear deliverables and metrics are provided in advance. I like to use sample documents and assessment rubrics to clarify these expectations for my students and past employees. In business settings, conducting regular leadership statuses prior to quarterly or annual reviews can help with leveling performance expectations and future goals. Either way, no one should feel “caught off guard” or “surprised” by feedback, if tools and expectations have been shared as a standard part of the learning process and professional development training.

Providing constructive feedback is crucial in the content creation process, especially when collaborating with external partners. Constructive feedback should be focused on the content's strengths and weaknesses rather than personal attributes. It should also be specific, timely, and delivered with respect. When giving feedback, provide both positive and negative examples, suggest potential solutions, and show appreciation for the collaborator's efforts. This approach helps them improve their skills and contributes to more successful collaborations in the future.

I like to tell my clients that “feedback is a gift”. I would rather hear negative feedback about my work, and have the chance to improve it, than hear nothing and never work with that client again. Over the years, I've built up a thick skin — negative commentary is rarely (if ever) about your personality and far more about the way the work fits into the whole. However, giving feedback is a skill, and care should be taken to ensure that it is always about the work itself and not the personalities involved.

Stay focused on coaching versus criticizing. How do you know the difference? Coaching feels helpful. Criticizing feels hurtful. Don't kid yourself. You know how the difference feels when you're delivering your feedback, and so do they.

"Feedback helps them improve their skills, learn from their mistakes, and deliver better results in the future. However, feedback should be constructive, not destructive" I agree, there can be no truer way to say this about constructive feedback. Many times miscommunication or lack of it can affect the quality of the done by an outsourced team. This feedback can serve as a guideline for them to work with and to help them put in place critical touch points that might be in their blind spot this is why emotions must be throw out of the window when carrying out performance evaluation based on a job done when collaborating with an outsourced team especially because they are not your team member and may not understand your culture and style

Collaboration and communication with outsourced content collaborators are essential for successful content strategies. Treat them as partners rather than just service providers. Utilize tools like Google Docs, Slack, Trello, or Asana to streamline collaboration and project management. Encourage them to participate in brainstorming sessions, content reviews, or webinars, allowing them to contribute their insights and ideas. Involving them in your content process fosters trust, strengthens relationships, and enhances collaboration.

Partners, Not Providers: View collaborators as partners in your content strategy, fostering a sense of shared purpose. Seamless Collaboration: Utilize tools like Google Docs, Slack, or Trello for efficient project management and communication. Inclusive Engagement: Invite collaborators to brainstorming sessions, content reviews, and webinars to tap into their insights and feedback. Building Trust: Collaboration builds trust, strengthening your working relationship and ensuring a cohesive content approach. Rapport and Loyalty: A collaborative environment nurtures rapport and loyalty, yielding long-term benefits for your content strategy.

Always stay open to hear what your collaborators have to say. Even if their primary objective is not similar to yours, their perspective does provide value, as they are working in your niche for the current project. Engage your collaborators often to gain insights that you might not see on your end.

These are some great points about the true essence of collaboration! I love the reframe of regarding contributors as partners > providers particularly because there is an inherent element of mutuality present. I believe when we can view each other and our diverse inputs as valuable to begin with, we open ourselves up to the true power of creativity, which allows for the birth of something new. We may start out with an idea in our minds, much like a seed, but it takes the other elements like water and sunlight to generate and sustain growth. The life that springs forth is a unique adaptation to the environment. If our audience is the environment we wish to enrich, it makes sense to me that we feed it ALL the nutrients we have access to.

Incentives That Inspire: Offer monetary or non-monetary incentives like bonuses, referrals, or training to motivate outstanding performance. Recognition Amplified: Recognize contributions publicly through social media shoutouts, newsletters, awards, or privately with heartfelt thank-you notes. Engagement and Growth: Incentives and recognition foster engagement and growth, creating a mutually beneficial partnership. Loyalty and Commitment: Collaborators who feel valued are more likely to stay committed and deliver exceptional results.

Serve up introductions for new clients you know would be a nice fit for their expertise. Also, pay them well and on time. Adding a bonus for an especially well-done project are all memorable moments for you to reinforce why it's great collaborating with you.

Offering and receiving feedback openly across teams adds to an inclusive and constructive working project. Taking the time to listen to everyone on the team leads to more successful digital products.

Two-Way Feedback: Make feedback a two-way street. Encourage collaborators to share insights, experiences, and suggestions. Holistic Input: Seek their feedback on briefs, processes, communication, and expectations. Value their perspectives to refine collaboration. Content Evaluation: Don't hesitate to ask for their thoughts on your content, from websites to social media posts. Their expertise is invaluable. Show Appreciation: Soliciting feedback demonstrates your respect for their opinions and expertise, fostering trust and satisfaction.

There is always room for improvement. Be a team player and allow your collaborators to give ideas to improve your project performance. Here them out and analyze their feedback. If applicable, acknowledge it and use it for the betterment of the project. If not, explain clearly why that idea does not work. Stay open for two-way communication to give them a sense of team collaboration.

Asking simple questions such as, "how can we be your favorite client?" will provide them the opportunity to tell you exactly how they'd prefer to have tasks and projects shared with them. One of my team members who happens to be on retainer answered by question this way: "Could you load up the graphics tasks in bulk so I can stay in design mode longer?" This was clear and meaningful for me and I appreciated her telling me how to make her design tasks streamlined, leading to a better flow of creativity for her. After all, when she's in the zone, she's productive and super creative and I love the outcome.

Don't be too rigid with your communication system. Adopt a system that allows for flexible interaction, feedback and use incentives to encourage healthy competition and commendable delivery.

Learning Opportunities: Provide access to training, resources, and learning opportunities. This can include workshops, webinars, or access to educational materials related to content creation and collaboration. Encourage Self-Reflection: Encourage team members to reflect on their work and identify areas where they can improve. Self-assessment can be a powerful tool for growth

Creating SOPs. I make sure I create SOPs and guidelines for each project. Do a zoom meet before the outsourcing. Provide them with all support and references. That's simple. Above than that, make sure your outsourced talent is intelligent and open to feedback and revisions.

Another thing is to allow the outsourced team provide a sample of projects they have worked on that is similar to the job you want done or to create a simulation. This often allows them to show their understanding of the job to be done and helps them also show you the technical workflow of how they intend to carry out the task. I have come to realize that creating a simulation of the intended task has a way of letting the entire team put perspective on the "how" of the job, every moving part can be assessed and objective questions can be asked.

The best way to engage collaborators is to let them know that you are always available. Even if you are not near the resources to solve an issue, it helps collaborators to know that you are just a message away to reach out when needed. You don't want to lose your top collaborators by ignoring their messages.