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5 tips to work successfully with a virtual assistant

Virtual assistant, young Black man, with headset on during virtual meeting

VG Staff

July 19, 2023

Imagine a workday where you have full control over your schedule, tasks effortlessly completed, and the ability to focus on what truly matters for your business. Welcome to the world of delegation, you’ve now left the world of overwhelm.

Delegating tasks to a virtual assistant to your team is a game-changer for your productivity and business growth. To help you navigate this exciting journey, we’ve curated 5 expert tips that will empower you to maximize the potential of working with a virtual assistant. Get ready to master delegation, streamline tasks and focus on what truly matters for your business’s success.


What you’ll learn:


Step 1: Establish clear communication channels

Caucasian woman, older with grey hair smiling in a cafe while chatting with her virtual assistant on the phone.

Establishing open and clear lines of communication with your virtual assistant is the foundation of a successful working relationship and strong delegation. Regular check-ins and meetings are crucial to discuss task progress, provide guidance, and build trust. By ensuring your virtual assistant is clear on the tasks to be completed, you foster a collaborative environment that allows for efficient teamwork.

  • Schedule regular check-ins and meetings to discuss task progress and provide guidance.
  • Foster open lines of communication to build trust and collaboration.
  • Ensure your virtual assistant has a clear understanding of the tasks to be completed.

Step 2: Delegate effectively

two middle-aged caucasian women sitting at a desk, smiling and working as a virtual assistant.

Working with a virtual assistant successfully requires you to delegate tasks effectively. This means you need to have a strong understanding of your virtual assistant’s skill sets. From social media management to bookkeeping, sales calls, and more, virtual assistants are well-equipped to handle a wide variety of responsibilities.

Your first onboarding call with your virtual assistant should be a time of exploration. Use this meeting to draft a comprehensive task list and delegate accordingly, providing your assistant with the necessary access and resources to excel in the tasks you’ve outlined together.

  • Create a comprehensive task list encompassing all the areas you’d like your virtual assistant to assist with.
  • Delegate tasks based on their skills and expertise, whether it’s social media management, bookkeeping, sales calls, or more.
  • Provide clear instructions and resources to support your virtual assistant in completing tasks successfully.
  • Ask questions and encourage questions to ensure you both have a clear understanding of what needs to be done, how it should be done, when it should be done, and what amount of time should be spent on the task.

Step 3: Set realistic deadlines

A novice mistake when delegating is to set deadlines that are achievable for yourself. You’ve completed the task umpteen times and could do it blindfolded. So it’s not realistic, when working with a virtual assistant who is new to your business, to achieve the same efficiency as you in the early stages of your working relationship.

Whether it’s routine tasks performed daily or project-based assignments, communicate your expectations and equip your assistant with the right tools to complete them efficiently. Remember, virtual assistants are human too, so providing them with a reasonable timeframe ensures they can produce high-quality work while managing their workload effectively.

  • Clearly communicate your expectations and deadlines for each task or project.
  • Provide ample time for your virtual assistant to deliver high-quality work.
  • Regularly communicate any changes or adjustments to deadlines.

Step 4: Embrace collaboration tools

Remote teams have the ability to become productivity powerhouses when provided with the right tools. Delegate your workload most effectively by implementing the best collaboration tools for your business.

Utilize digital collaboration platforms like Google Drive, Slack, Zoom, Dropbox, or Trello to ensure your team works together efficiently. As a Virtual Gurus client, you also have exclusive access to our project management software, Talentplace, which enables you to track task progress and manage projects seamlessly.

Task management overview of Virtual Gurus proprietary software, Talentplace.
Simplify your tool kit to avoid confusion and ensure your virtual assistant is trained on the tools you’ll be using for effective task execution.

 

  • Working with a virtual assistant is made easy with Talentplace, our own proprietary platform tailored exclusively for our subscribers to enhance collaboration between clients and virtual assistants.
  • Utilize digital collaboration platforms you may already be familiar with such as Google Drive, Slack, or Trello to facilitate seamless teamwork.
  • Ensure your virtual assistant is trained on the tools you’ll be using for efficient task execution.

Step 5: Streamline workflows

Documenting processes may seem tedious initially, ok – maybe always, but it saves you valuable time in the long run. Our virtual assistants collaborate with you to document your preferred processes and workflows for specific tasks. These documents are yours to keep and use when working with a new virtual assistant, use with your internal team or for guidance during temporary leaves of absence.

Process documents become a powerful tool you can use to empower your team to consistently and efficiently execute tasks, ensuring smooth operations even in your virtual assistant’s absence.

  • Document preferred processes and workflows for specific tasks to create a handy reference guide.
  • Empower your virtual assistant to efficiently handle tasks by sharing your preferred methods and approaches.
  • Simplify task execution by providing step-by-step instructions, templates, or examples whenever possible.

Conclusion

All you need to remember to work successfully with your virtual assistant is W. E. R. C. C.

W – Workflows
E – Effective delegation
R – Realistic deadlines
C – Communication
C – Collaboration

By following the 5 easy steps of W.E.R.C.C., you’re well on your way to harnessing the full potential of your virtual assistant. Streamline your work day, save time, and achieve your business goals effortlessly.

Remember, our Resource Center is a treasure trove of insights, tips and resources to support your delegation journey. Let Virtual Gurus be your trusted partner in simplifying your workload and propelling your business forward.

Crystal Jepsen,

 
 

Crystal Jepsen

Crystal joined Virtual Gurus in 2019 where she worked as a virtual assistant providing digital marketing services. She moved into the management team as a Client Success Manager in late December 2020 and has now settled into her role as Content Manager of Virtual Gurus. She’s passionate about writing, beautiful graphics, and putting it all together into a story worth reading.

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