Working with a virtual assistant – getting the job done

When you take the step to work with a virtual assistant, you empower yourself to accomplish so much more. You hand off the tasks that someone else can do, so you can do more of what you do best. One of my clients came to me recently, conce ed about how her VA wasn’t getting work done. Her virtual assistant had a very hectic life including children, going to school and working. She suddenly became unavailable because she had a a virus. As a result, deadlines were being missed. My client started blaming herself for her VA not showing up, thinking it must be her own mindset causing the problem. She had a lot of fear around confrontation and being seen as mean or unreasonable, when she preferred to be seen as understanding. Showing up to do your job is non-negotiable. I show up 110%, go above and beyond as much as I can. This is what I expect from myself and it’s important to me that my team shows up the same way. Otherwise, and I’m not a big meanie, they simply can’t stay. This is how I do things and what has made me successful, so there can’t be any slacking or sense of entitlement. The same is true for your business. While being understanding is important, it’s okay to expect your team to perform well. So, if your virtual assistant or other team member is not doing what they should be, you need to address it. When this happened to me, I had one conversation with my virtual assistant who started out doing an amazing job. For some reason, things changed and details started falling through the cracks. I talked to her about it, asking what was going on and she assured me things would change. When the problem persisted, I thanked her for her work, told her that things just were not working out and wished her success. This is not being mean, it’s business. If you want to serve your clients at 110%, then you need your team members to do the same. Otherwise, you might hold yourself back from the success you deserve and you cannot show up for your clients in the way you want to. Don’t shy away from doing what you need to do. You don’t need to provide any excuses, just have the conversation, thank the person for the work done, wish them well, change the passwords and move on. Your Client Attraction Assignment: If you have a virtual assistant, have you talked about expectations? Does your VA know what you need done and your preferences? Be sure to communicate clearly on a regular basis. Good communication can keep everything working well. and, if and when a problem crops up, address it right away.