Feeling overwhelmed by your never-ending to-do list? It’s time to take control and explore how delegating your low-level tasks to a virtual assistant can save you time and money. Virtual assistants aren’t new; however, they remain a game-changer for many small- and medium-sized businesses. By delegating tasks to virtual assistants, these businesses can scale faster. Such is critical if you are in a fiercely competitive environment and must make rapid progress. The key is applying effective delegation if you want the benefits of reaching your goals and boosting your productivity.
Delegation Is Not Easy. Be Warned
If you are new to delegation, this can be a challenge. Nevertheless, view delegation as distributed management of tasks that will be able to be completed well. Delegation involves trust and letting go of total control. Many solo entrepreneurs struggle with the latter; you need a growth mindset, which means learning to let go. Instead, focus on your end goal. The people you hire and the tasks you delegate to them will be there to achieve that goal.
Fortunately, there are several benefits to letting go. More than reducing stress levels and avoiding burnout, you can avoid missed opportunities. Also, shifting focus by having more time available allows you to focus more on your core competencies. However, the biggest benefit is that you change your mindset from being merely a worker to becoming a leader who empowers others.
Identify the Tasks to Delegate
This process might require a deep dive and might not be that comfortable initially; however, you will find it invaluable. Start off by thinking about the tasks you enjoy the most and those you want to retain. But keep this in mind, as newbie delegators do not delegate much: Which tasks impact your revenue most? Filling out a spreadsheet with email addresses is not one of these. The goal is to identify which tasks to delegate and which would be your most time-consuming and low-level tasks. Typical tasks in this group would be data entry, email management, and social media management. Your core tasks that involve strategic decisions would remain yours to deal with.
Consider What Type of VA You Need
To know which virtual assistant would work best for you, you must identify the required skills. For example, if you are looking for a more independent thinker who can take the lead, you state to your virtual assistant that you need 30 leads. A South African virtual assistant would be your better option as this nationality type is more independent and can compress complete problems. If you need someone for data entry, which means following the process step by step, a virtual assistant from the Philippines would be better. Hiring from the Philippines would involve having a well-designed standard operating procedure available and providing clear instructions. Short video clips can help provide instruction, and you can always reuse these clips for later virtual assistants.
Set Clear Expectations
As you define the tasks and the deadlines, you must also set your expectations. Use collaboration tools such as Trello or Slack to help you manage the goals that must be met for your project. Goals are essential as they keep people on track and remind them of the level of output you require. Moreover, expectations can help to influence behavior, and expectations set boundaries upfront; nonetheless, communication remains the glue. Remember, it is not that people will get up one day and say, “I will perform utterly badly today.” That is not human nature. People will want to do their best. You just need to indicate the benchmarks so that people can see whether they are meeting the targets.
Moving Beyond Delegation
After delegating a few tasks to a virtual assistant, you have developed an approach for you and your virtual assistant to adapt to the working relationship. There will be some learning curves, such as adjusting to working with a virtual assistant, but be patient. Build on the working relationship by obtaining feedback and questions, and celebrate the wins. Never underestimate motivation: your virtual assistant will be more productive.
The Bottom Line
Delegation isn’t just about achieving the tasks. It is about growing as a leader and being strategic in how best you manage your time. Many businesses are overworked, burned out, and want to abandon their entrepreneurial dreams. Such can be avoided by delegating your low-level tasks to a virtual assistant. Moreover, delegating can boost productivity in your business. It can help you focus on more critical work, therefore scaling your business faster. If you want to see results, you must start delegating today and watch your productivity skyrocket.
