Whether you're new to outsourcing or have done it for years, you need to know three basic principles for successful outsourcing. If you make any of these three mistakes when outsourcing, the results can disastrous and expensive. Such crises can be prevented by simply ensuring you're not making any of these three mistakes.

1. Unclear communication

The first mistake is to be unclear in your communication with your outsourcer. If you let communication slow down or stop, don't expect them to do any better than you. The more on top of the situation you are, the more communicative they will be. Ensure you and your outsourcer properly communicate your expectations 

Set deadlines that both of you are aware of, and establish reasonable milestones. For instance, if you have a website coding project, set a date when you expect it to be halfway completed, when you expect certain pages to be ready, and when you expect it to be ready for testing. Get into the habit of requesting status reports from outsourcers for large projects.

2. Unclear specification

Simply communicating what you expect isn't enough if your outsourcer doesn't really understand what exactly you want done. Depending on the type of project, it can be difficult to communicate through just text, and some people learn better through visual cues like videos, while others don't speak English natively and may have difficulty understanding the nuances of the language if you're relying on that to communicate your meaning. 

Therefore, ensure you don't rely only on text to communicate what you wish to have done. Some alternative methods include pictures, videos, or even Powerpoint presentations. If you're trying to walk them through any technical process, take a screencast of your computer screen and send that to them along with the text version of the explanation.

3. Unclear process

When you're thinking about outsourcing to another country, there are probably a number of objections popping into your head that don't really hold much water. There are many myths about outsourcing that need to be corrected; here are five of the most pervasive myths and the hidden truths behind each.

1. Outsourcing will always save money.

While it is generally cheaper to outsource tasks to another country, there is no guarantee you will save money by doing so. Whenever you sign a contract with an outsourcing company or independent outsourcer, be sure you read the fine print in the contract and understand minimums, maximums, fees, and obligations so you aren't assessed fees that make your jaw drop when it comes time to pay. If you make sure you do so, then it can save money, but a small number of people use this myth to their own nefarious advantage, so you need to be aware of the risk.

2. You can solve any problem through outsourcing.

We're often quick to offload our problems to others, then blame them for their failure to solve them. For instance, if you don't know how to provide adequate product support, so you can't provide your outsourcer with a guide to providing support, you can't blame them for making mistakes too. Before outsourcing, make sure this is a task that can be reasonably handled by others with your instructions. If not, you need to fix the problem before outsourcing to other problem-solvers.

3. Outsourcing harms the Western economy.

One of the consequences of globalization is the ready ability to outsource to other countries. Of course, there is no one world culture, so this may create problems when cultures clash. Here are five common problems that Westerners (in general) encounter when outsourcing.

1. Flexible deadlines and working pace
Westerners tend to be very fast-paced. Everything is about deadlines, productivity, and getting things done ASAP. In other cultures, this is very odd and Westerners are considered rude for wanting things done now. Many cultures have a slower pace of life, and work is no exception. Something that you want done tomorrow could be done by your outsourcer next week if the weather's good. Luckily, many outsourcers have realized that their employers expect things done at an Western pace, so it may just take a heart-to-heart or two in order to set them straight on your expectations.

2. Politeness versus straightforwardness
In many cultures, being straightforward and abrupt is very rude, and one should dance around a question rather than directly answering it. Westerners inevitably find this frustrating, while their outsourcers are horrified at such abruptness. You may need to remind them that you'd rather hear a direct negative answer than an unclear one, but they will do everything in their power to avoid offending you or being rude like many Western employees.