One thing I notice as a Virtual Assistant/Business Manager is how quickly a project can fall apart simply because everyone ontheproject weren’t clear of their expectations.
So how can you avoid this?
Here are a few tips that can help in managing any type of project in the online environment:
- Come prepared – When it’s a big project be sure to schedule some time with your virtual assistant and come prepared. Unless it’s a brainstorm session about a particular project come prepared with an idea of what your expectations are for the project and an idea of when you want it completed. A virtual assistant worth their weight will ask the appropriate questions to get the answers they need but if you don’t come prepared with what you expect to achieve out of the project and an estimated timeline your virtual assistant will have a hard time meeting your expectations. Any online business relations between a virtual assistant and their client is a mutual relationships and both sides need to have some give and take. As the business relationship grows and the virtual assistant gets to understand your expectations and needs this process becomes more transparent, but at the beginning be sure to come prepared and ready to supply the answers when asked.
- Set Clear Deadlines – If you have some projects that have finite deadlines be clear in your expectation of when you want it completed. Saying ASAP, is not a clear deadline as everyone’s idea of what “As Soon As Possible” means is different and it also helps your virtual assistant manage their time appropriately without the need to follow up with you to ensure that they are doing what you expected.
- Write it down – To avoid confusion, write your requests down. Send a quick email and if you need to follow up with a phone call. I use an online project management system that allows for collaboration with my clients and at the same times provide instant access and updates for my clients on the status of any tasks or projects I’m working on at the same time my client can log in, add any new tasks needed with all of the notes and attachments necessary. Keeps it clean, clear and focused. No confusion.
- Quit bugging your Virtual Assistant – Ask any virtual assistant, they’ve all had them, those clients who are constantly calling,emailing or instant messaging them to find out the status of the tasks. Turn the tables on yourself, how would you feel if your client as doing the same thing back to you? Not a nice feeling, virtual assistants should be experts in administrative support and if you feel the need to always be in contact with your virtual assistant you missing an element of trust and it might be time to find a new virtual assistant because you need to be comfortable with the business relationship knowing that your virtual assistant will take care of what needs to be done and communicate with you when they need an answer.
- Yes, there will be mistakes – Acknowledge that there will be mistakes, especially in the beginning. For a virtual assistant/client relationship to really blossom you need to give it some time. If you hire an employee, you don’t usually fire them after the first assignment, so why would you fire your virtual assistant. Make a commitment and acknowledge that as you get to build the business relationship there will be mistakes made. Learn from them and incorporate your learnings into your virtual assistant/client relationship. If something does go wrong book some time with your virtual assistant and do a postmortem on the situation and implement changes to make sure it doesn’t happen again. This shows support on your side and will get your virtual assistant on your side and want to go that extra mile in service for you.
Just like any type of relationship the Virtual Assistant/Client relationship takes work. Communication is one of the key elements to make it succeed.
Did I miss something? Do you have a bit of advice you’d like to add? Take a moment and leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!
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“Renee has helped me get some big projects done and out of the way, as well as some copy writing and editing work, plus social media items that I needed to contract out. She exceeds at prioritization of tasks and projects, and didn’t let me get away with anything: exactly what I asked for! She does this all in a friendly manner with a great sense of humour, which is why I’ve gone back to her over and over again. Renee rocks!”