Posts From: Jerry Durant

This year has been one heck of a year and one that evokes the full range of emotions…. anger, worry, conservation, uncertainty, desperation, and in the background the mere fact that we are here should be viewed as being blessed. If we take just one bit of time to disconnect ourselves from these fear driven emotions we would realize that no matter what the future might bring, and what the past has slapped us with, we still can have hope be our guide.

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Anyone that has engaged in or explored the possibility of outsourcing will tell you that there is an abundance of information on how to choose a location, prepare your organization for political fallouts and pick a supplier and negotiate a sound bargain that may result in many rewards (as well as post contract transitioning, engagement administration, and contract renewals). What they don’t tell you , and many won’t share, are some of the intricate details that de-rail and often result in a catastrophic sourcing experience.

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I recently read a news quote that said; “Indian National Knowledge Commission Chairman Sam Pitroda says India can help create jobs in the US by providing alternative training. Everyone's focus in US is on job creation. To create jobs you need to provide alternative training to the people. I think India can help US in retraining people," adds Pitroda. When I read this the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I felt a bit insulted to think that suppliers now feel they are in a position to educate the West. While most of us would acknowledge our education systems can be improved, why is it that our students (who are outsourcers) now not feel they are prepared to advance our education sector for the unemployed?

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This week was herald with some unfortunate news… the flagship of all outsourcing events, Global Sourcing Forum, held each year in New York City was canceled. The less than one week notice left participants from around the globe (China, Poland, S. America…) stranded without an event to participate in. Literally thousands of dollars was spent by suppliers and nations, some of which supported by the World Bank, to promote their services.

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There is probably no better example of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) where there is a need to have a common belief and spirit directed at a defined objective. In order to have this occur, morale also known as esprit de corps, must be in place. An atmosphere which allows the group to be a part of the institutional and client beliefs is essential. To increase the effectiveness of esprit de corps the coaching element is a must. Out of this we have seen the emergence of coaching as a nurtured role. I sometimes wonder why the skills of coaching had to be a trained endeavor. Where along the line did we lose this as an endowed skill? Maybe it happened at the same time we lost the socially responsible nature of business?

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How far will one go to survive in business? There are simply not many places you can go domestically where you can mention the word “outsourcing” without a tirade of how it is hurting America. For most, the reaction is about the loss of jobs and that outsourcing is the catalyst for company closures. I feel that a bit of this reaction is because people feel victimized, and some even like being the victim (I expect a few comments on that remark!). Yet for many companies that utilize outsource services in a responsible fashion, it offers a chance for continued corporate and employment viability for the workforce that remains.

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When will the monies that are flowing out of the West return to the West, or will they? To a very limited extent the East has been slow to invest outside of their immediate areas. In turn they are opting to self invest in infrastructure and general growth development. While this is great for the region, it is of little value to the Western consumer of their services - and certainly that of global economic recovery. One might consider this a form of social responsibility. Don't all of us have to return a little to those that have made it possible for us to flourish.

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Those that know me understand that I love the freshness of change. Especially when change involves new ideas. I was thinking the other day about how we write our blogs and how we struggle with the too much/too little balance. It came to me that maybe we should have something that can nest inside a blog that can flexibly accommodate the big and small without having to worry about right sizing. Tada… the birth of the GLOP (Got to Love Our Passions) and as the pneumonic suggest a solution alternative for the social media challenged. In the spirit of the GLOP this will be kept brief and we will roll on to some GLOP topics pertinent to outsourcing.

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I have already been a strong advocate for the little guy. Maybe it’s my small town upbringing in rural New Hampshire or possibly it’s the continual injustice that I see happening regularly. Almost every newsletter, monthly report or research study highlights something about the Tier 1 big guys. I suspect that some of their recognition is fueled by their ability to pay for exposure.

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In our quest for uniformity we are drawn to categorizing things. People, social groups and even work gets tied into neat little bundles to simplify our lives and reduce the number of things we must contend with. As is so often the case our bundling process causes us to go to the other extreme by developing gross/broad conclusions. We further substantiate our conclusions using statistics that are apt to be assembled across a varied mass of further amalgamated elements.

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