4 Ways to Turbocharge Your Team with Independent Contractors

Do you think of hiring an independent contractor as merely a means to an end to get a task done? Something to endure until there is enough money to bring in a ‘real’ employee? A way to bridge the gap?

You may ‘get the job done’, but you are likely missing out on a treasure chest full of value that independent contractors (IC ) can bring. Like most things in life, changing your perception is the key to seeing new things. Once you can see ‘it’, new worlds open up! Now who wouldn’t want their team to be able to do more with less (or at least the same)?

I’ll go through 4 ways to tap in to the hidden treasure that many IC’s carry with them. This post doesn’t address how to find the right IC for your project, and assumes that you have a technically and relationally well-qualified person already lined up or working on your project.

(I use the term ‘Independent Contractor’ as it pertains to IRS purposes.)

Your Culture Speaks Volumes

Prior to starting Radiant Perspectives a couple of years ago, I worked for several large high-tech corporations. Over the years, you could often spot the ICs based on how management treated them (which often tainted the group’s or company’s underlying culture). In some places, I only knew someone was an IC because they told me. Other times, well, it was blatantly obvious. Sometimes uncomfortably so. One team I was a part of operated more like a caste system than an actual team. Whether due to a culture of insecurity, knee-jerk reaction to lawsuits against Microsoft in the late 90’s for treating their IC’s like employees, but without the benefits, or something else, it was difficult and sad to watch.

Intentionally Create Value

(As thankful as I am for those years) I now have the joy and privilege of helping businesses and agencies make great products as an IC. Being on this side of the proverbial table, I often feel there is more I could help the client with. Now, on to the list!

Set clear goal(s) and schedule

Setting goals is different from setting tasks. The goal is the reason you’re doing the project. A task is just a step in the process to get there. Viewing an IC as someone whose sole responsibility is to execute a plan misses out in two ways: first, the IC probably has experience that could help come up with a better plan; Secondly, allowing them to add their contribution to the plan instills a sense of ownership in the project. Another way to look at it is that they now have ‘skin in the game’ for the longer-term success of the project. Although it shouldn’t need to be stated, keep the whole team accountable to the project schedule – not just the IC.

Ask for advice & feedback

It may be surprising what you find out about the project when you create an open environment for input from your IC. One of the often untapped values an outsider brings to a team or organization is fresh perspective. The ‘normal’ ways of doing things are often dysfunctional, and many times undetectable by those who are living and breathing them everyday. Inviting perspective from an outside professional will do two things: first, you’ll get new points of view (or confirmation) on areas that suck time, resources, and energy; secondly, you’ll show that you value the input of the IC. (See note below about the importance of value & honor)

Clear & consistent communication

Unless your IC has worked on this project before (or one very similar), there can be a boat-load to ramp up on at the start of the project – not just from a technical perspective, but also figuring out who is on your team, what they do, and who’s in charge of what. Not understanding who is really in charge can be costly, especially when the person who has the final say on a piece of the project is not involved in the day-to-day development or design. This can lead to a situation where the project is on track, and then undergoes a final review – only to find out major pieces needed to be redone. Regular team meetings are extremely important for not only keeping everyone on the same page, but to also identify issues early on. The larger the team, the more critical this is.

Be honest

Now this one really doesn’t need to be mentioned, does it? Well, from my experience – it does. For whatever reason, subtle forms of dishonesty can creep into a culture – usually for more-or-less well-intentioned reasons. I have had several project managers over the years communicate a release date that is anywhere from days to weeks before it actually is. Now I understand that the intent of this is to create a buffer, so that if something doesn’t work out, there will be time to fix it. However, it usually becomes apparent that the date isn’t what we were told (usually when asked to add a new feature, without much concern that it will delay release by a few days). Besides hurting your credibility, it undermines the team members ability to plan accordingly. If lying is the only way to meet deadlines, it is time to take a look at why.

The Next Step is Yours

Did you notice what most of these things have in common? For the most part, they are all relational. Relating to others in a healthy way communicates value, which is a two-way street. Take the lead, create a culture that values the people on your team, and see what it does!

How would you describe your team’s culture? If there was one thing you could change about it today, what would it be?