It is done — have you heard these words recently?
In America, when you say something is done, it is generally done.. But, I have had many experiences in India where an Indian programmer completely sabotages their entire career future (and their boss’ future) by saying, “It is done”, when it is not done. I am baffled by how dishonest and careless some people are. Maybe they yearn to be fired. What other explanation can you give. Keep notes on people you hire for outsourcing. If they say, “It is done” more than once when something is not done, then you say, “You are fired!”, or “No, YOU are done!”.
Communication could be part of the picture assuming that dishonesty is anything less than 100% of the problem. There are many tricksters in India, but blatantly obvious tricks won’t fly unless YOU are paying less than 100% attention, right? And if you are not paying attention, then you will be the one who is done regardless of who you hire.
Don’t be done — and don’t hire others who lie through their teeth or who are incapable of communication. Choose your programmers with care and tolerate nothing less than substandard mediocracy! Why not set your standards high? Because really good programmers charge US$150 per hour minimum and you might not be able to afford such good workers.
The trick in outsourcing is to find people who can slog through projects in a clunky way and keep moving.. If you can hand pick really talented people, then you are in a very unusual position and might prosper beyond expectation. But, for the rest of us, we need to find bare functionality — expecting more will leave you disappointed if you engage in outsourcing.