Do you do outsourcing? Do you have a new company who you are assigning processes to? I understand how you feel. Or, perhaps you have a company that you have hired for years. Perhaps that trusty company is pretty good. Or, perhaps they have a number of employees who are above average, and some more who are masters of disaster! Sound familiar? Am I preaching to the choir?
My experience tells me that you need a back up plan. That way, if your main service provider starts being unreliable or playing games, you have a leg to stand on and a boat with a paddle on the Rhone. The problem is as follows. Let’s say that you have a mediocre service provider. Most service providers are mediocre — even the ones who charge more than average. Let’s say that these mediocre folks go down hill and become “Sub-mediocre”, if there is such a term. Or, let’s say that you raised your standards and want above average people working for you for a change.
So, you shop around, and you find nothing but MORE mediocre companies at best. At least, the ones who answer their phones are mediocre, but most don’t even answer their phones. You keep shopping. You decide that you need to talk to 300 companies. You can’t FIND 300 companies. You spend days, weeks, months looking for better companies. Is it this difficult? If you want a list of back up companies who get an A or a B then yes, it is that difficult. Be prepared for some major shopping around. Most companies are run by over-worked managers who can not tend to all of the details of running a company well. the other companies are run by people who either don’t know, or don’t care how to run their company well. Good luck finding a back up plan — you’ll need more than good luck.
If all else fails, resort to prayer.
There is an expression created by a linguistic comedian. It is in French, but means nothing in French. It sounds more like English with a thick French accent. It sounds like: “Paddle your own canoe.” It means — Not their Rhone that we — or perhaps — We are not their Rhone river.
If your outsourcing company fails you and you have no back up plan, you will feel like you are in a boat without a paddle in the Rhone river — helpless — floating — and without a prayer. However, I recommend that you have a back up plan so that you can:
“Pas de leur Rhone Que Nous”