The art of delegation …

One of the key aspects to a great working relationship with a Virtual Assistant is delegation.  You want to be able to hand over and piece of work or project and trust that it will be carried out as you need it, in a timely manner and to a great standard.  A VA can do that however there are a few things you should know about delegation in order to get it right.

1. The person you are delegating too is not a mind reader.  It sounds so simple, but unless you give clear, specific instructions to the other person, they are not going to achieve your aims.

2. Instructions need to be complete and easy to understand.  No point including the need to log onto a website or into a document that has a password, when the other person doesn’t have the password, or having complicated, detailed instructions on precisely how the job needs to be done.  Remember the KISS principle – Keep It Short & Simple!

3. Ensure all parties are informed.  Communication is a lot easier when all parties understand their roles/participation.

4. Ensure that progress is monitored.  Try not to micro -manage though!  Ask for updates at specific times/dates rather than call constantly.

5. Be available for clarification.  I’ve had someone had a project over to me with unclear instructions and then never return phone calls and emails when I have asked questions (see point 1)

Sticking the points above should make things run smoothly, there will always be the odd hiccup, but the five points above should be used as a basis.