Photo: @cikstefan
Onboarding a virtual team member or admin can be daunting if you don’t know where to start. And onboarding inefficiently can greatly decrease workflow and productivity, leaving you worse off than you were before.
Ever said to yourself - “Eh, I’m not going to delegate this because by the time I explain how I want it done, I could’ve completed it myself?” This is a mentality you are going to have to let go. (I know, easier said than done, trust me - I was right there with you.) Think of it this way -- if you take, let’s say, 5 hours to properly onboard your VA, even though you could finish this ONE task in the time it will take you to explain how you want it done, it will save you countless hours in the future when this task (that you hate doing) pops up in the queue again.
Taking the time to train your VA does two things - 1. It alleviates pressure when things get busier than normal by giving you a peace of mind that when you delegate tasks you know those tasks will get done in a timely and correct manner. 2. It sets a tone for your working relationship and allows proper rapport to be built. And for those of you thinking Um, why do I need to build rapport with my VA? You need to understand that if your VA is invested in you and your goals, and vice versa, the ‘above and beyond’ work ethic becomes warranted and you, as a client, will become top priority on your VA’s roster of clients (don’t let that shock you either, 99% of VAs have multiple clients).
One way to take the headache out of onboarding a virtual admin or team member is to create reference docs for them to bookmark and refer back to. This way you know your preferences and current methods are recorded in their entirety, allowing you to rest easy knowing if you’re mid-flight and your VA has a question on a time sensitive task - 9 times out of 10 they can find the answer in the reference docs you’ve already provided them. The more detail you provide, the better this process will work.
I know (especially if you are anything like me) you are an extremely busy entrepreneur with little to no time to sit down and write out everything you do on a day-to-basis, much less take a bathroom break. So - let me take some of the work out of it for you. I’ve created four detailed delegation guides for popular delegated tasks that you can use to get your reference docs up to speed. Easiest thing to do - open the link (it will open in Google Docs), click File >, Make a copy, and whalah you have an editable doc you can customize to your processes and share or send to your VA! The first two, Email Outline and Scheduling Overview, are posted below. I’ll dive deeper into our Travel Guide and Event Rundown next week!
Remember, these can be used even if you already have a VA on your team. We Type A personalities love receiving well formatted, helpful information to keep us organized. It’s like winning the lottery, seriously.
I’d love to know what other areas of work you’d like help delegating - comment below! Miss Part 3? ‘The Invisible Line You Shouldn’t Cross’ Check it out here.