Important Communication Do's and Don’ts

Proper communication is vital to success with any business relationship but especially true when you’ll be delegating work to a remote assistant. There a right and wrong way to do it and we’re here to help guide you.

These is are the communication Do’s and Don’ts when working with a Virtual Assistant.

Don’t rely solely on verbal communication. A phone conversation is great for maintaining a human touch but elements tend to get lost during a verbal exchange or misunderstood.

Do follow up with written communication. Send an email to go over the instructions and requests that you have given to your virtual assistant. It's always important to have things in writing.

Don’t assume your Virtual Assistant understands your instructions. While what you would like done may seem clear to you, your assistant may not agree. Many times enough information or details are not given when delegating tasks. It’s your responsibility to be specific on what you need.

Do be clear in your communication and explicit on what exactly you’d like accomplished.

Virtual Assistants are pretty amazing but they are not mind readers. You’ll save yourself time and money by clearly communicating the full scope of what you’d like your assistant to do rather than assuming they will naturally know.

Don’t change the rules without letting the team know.

Make sure your Virtual Assistant is clear on what his or her responsibilities are and what is expected from them in the end. If something changes while they are working on a task and you need further work, let them know immediately.

Do give them the freedom to accomplish the task.

Your job is to delegate the results needed. Your assistant is free to choose the process they will use to get to that result. Micromanaging won’t help you free up your plate. By trusting your assistant to accomplish the task the best way they see fit, you are communicating your confidence and trust in them.

Don’t withhold information. Provide all the necessary information to complete a task at the beginning. It will save both of you time and prevent unnecessary work from being done. Names, locations, dates and phone numbers are all things that should be provided immediately so there isn’t a delay in finishing a task.

Do make sure your Virtual Assistant has the big picture. Beyond providing necessary information on a single task, make sure your assistant is aware how the pieces fit into the big picture. They may be able to accomplish multiple tasks at once that will speed the process along for you.

For more information on my Virtual Assistant services, contact me!