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‘Companies outsource something for one of two reasons: either they can’t do it or they don’t want to.’

This was always my view. Simplistic, yes – but, for the most part, that’s how it was.

For the first point, the ‘can’t’ generally falls into two buckets – a lack of capacity within an overstretched team or the company doesn’t have a particular skillset in-house.

For the second point, let’s face it, every company has a long list of mundane tasks that eat up considerable capacity. Time that could be better spent on more value-add projects.

But there has been a perceptible shift in recent years, with businesses and team leaders in all areas assessing how an outsourced partner could support them with developing their strategy.

Um… really?

The word ‘strategy’ will undoubtedly cause some people to flinch. Surely that, of all things, should remain in-house and under the watchful eye of someone in a sufficiently high-level position.

So, let’s address that point right off the bat. Yes - it absolutely should remain under the purview of an internal senior stakeholder, such as the CMO. But that does not mean they cannot call on outside expertise to help develop and, where needed, implement strategic changes.

It is a rare marketing department that has enough hands to do all the day-to-day work, let alone one that has the luxury to carve out some time to take a step back, look at the bigger picture and ask some important questions:

  • Where are we now?
  • What is it that we want to achieve?
  • What does that look like?
  • How can we get there?

Row, row, row your boat

There are countless metaphors and analogies that could be used to describe this very common set of circumstances, but the one I like is rowing.

It can be a tough old slog, even when the waters are relatively calm. What I find fascinating about the sport is that it is done - for all intents and purposes - backwards. Rowers can't see where they are going.

A well-balanced boat has enough experienced rowers, can settle into a smooth rhythm and quickly adapt to any headwinds without much fuss or delay. At the stern (back of the boat for the landlubbers) sits the coxswain (the CMO in this analogy). This is the only person facing forward, tasking with keeping a watchful eye on the water, calling out instructions to the team and making sure the boat is travelling in the right direction.

There are any number of reasons that the rhythm of a team can be disrupted. The priority becomes identifying the root cause(s) and taking action before the boat drifts too far off course.

So, what types of problems are we talking about? Let’s milk this analogy for all its worth.

There are too many people on one side of the boat.

As teams change over time, it is not uncommon for overlaps and gaps in areas of expertise to emerge. The boat is now unbalanced and veering off course.

  • Outsourced solution: it is important to understand the skillset required and map it against the abilities of the people in the boat. By identifying gaps and overlaps, a plan can be designed around, for example, providing additional training or making the case for additional headcount. In the interim, a specialist in the missing skillset(s) could be called in on a temporary or ongoing basis to support the wider team.

Some oars need to be repaired.

All tools wear out and, over time, can become more of a hindrance than a help. A chipped blade creates drag; a warped oar can disrupt the rhythm of the rowers.

  • Outsourced solution: there are countless tools, processes and systems available that can support teams in ways that could never have been imagined five or 10 years ago. But it can be overwhelming, trying to figure out what would work best. With a deep understanding of the wider market and experience of change management in other companies, an external perspective can offer invaluable recommendations on current best practice and trends.

The destination has changed mid-race.

The coxswain is doing an excellent job steering the boat towards its target. But the waters suddenly became choppy and a voice over the radio instructs the boat to head for point B instead of point A. The only problem is that point B is not on the navigational charts.

  • Outsourced solution: changes in direction are not uncommon but can be hugely disruptive, standing still is not an option as the day-to-day tasks don't stop. The coxswain's focus is torn between the immediate challenging inside the boat and the enormous task of mapping out a route to the new destination. Calling on external support creates breathing room and can alleviate a lot of pressure on all members of the crew. Having an external perspective can make it much easier to plot a course.

Being strategic

Strategy is a journey. It is the search for a vague destination without any roadmap of how to get there. Bringing in a partner can help in myriad ways, such as sharing best practice, offering industry insight and, where needed, challenging preconceptions.

If you are interested in finding out more about how Alpha Agency can become your strategic partner, please don't hesitate to reach out.