There’s a fine line with delegating. No doubt about that. It’s a slim range of balance between the under-delegating and over-delegating when using a virtual assistant. Not to mention the execution of such, ushering another thin space between micromanaging and a surrendering of control.
If I had to guess, it’s these thin spaces that turns people away from delegating or using a virtual assistant service like Zirtual. That or, a predisposition to think “I’m just not good at delegating”.
But I truly don’t think those spaces are that thin. The balance is FAR from unachievable. And I think anyone can be a good delegator, he or she just needs to understand how to find their way into those spaces that allow for an efficient process of delegating. Because once you find yourself in that space, the perfect balance of delegating, you’ll realize how easy it is to stay there.
Personalization in Delegation
Delegating is a customizable and personalized process. Sure, there are some general rules and habits to abide by – the core of Zirtual’s different plans – but you and your assistant should have a relationship that you created. When you start, you may not know how to establish this relationship, and that’s jut fine. I tell each new client I have that it’s a process that takes a few weeks to mold. More often than not, it’s formulated before you’ve realized it, but as a virtual assistant I make sure that formulization is based on your preferences.
Don’t like to send a lot of e-mails? Fine, let’s limit the number we have to send. Get inspiration from throwing ideas back and forth? Great, let’s brainstorm. Essentially, what I mean to say is that delegation should be less “what tasks do I have to give away?” and more “How can I use some help to succeed?”
Delegating With Proper Communication
The most basic form is simply being there and available. If you want something done quickly, be there for quick communication. Some tasks may not be as simple as you think, they might require some Q & A from your assistant. The same goes for tasks you think are complicated but are handled with relative ease by your helper. (Don’t like the Q & A aspect? I’ll get to that in a second). Either way, the more communication the better. This goes back to my point of delegating being about execution instead of handing off. Handing off is not what we’re about. Getting things done right is what we are. To get things right, often that meanscommunicating goals and problems, from both ends.
Okay, you say. Communication helps – that’s rather ambiguous and general. Yes, it is. So here’s to tips to help. With your assistant, communicate the larger goals of what you’re working toward. What are the goals of your business? What does your business do for that matter? What, specifically and in general are you looking to get out of the virtual assistant/delegating relationship? These background points help.
More, communicate your experience, and any changes you want to make. Remember when I said that often times the relationship materializes before you realize? Well that’s great, but sometimes it formulates as the way you conduct your business/delegating relationships but not the way you want to be doing so. Before you were that Q & A guy, now you just want to let the work flow more freely. Great. You were looking for something different, new, original, etc. Tell your assistant. Especially here at Zirtual, we can be different new AND original.
Become A Pro In Delegating
Of course, none of this beats the power of experience. Or, more specifically, the helpfulness of setting precedence. As I’ve gone through, the first few days/weeks with a virtual assistant is a feeling out period. And then there’s a day when something amazing happens. Things just click. If you have the right VA, and withZirtual you probably do, they start to latch onto the operation and, having gone through some tasks already, establish a very good idea of how things are going to go. Precedence reigns king in delegation. Once you’ve done something, and confirmed that it was done successfully, the cues all subsequently similar tasks to follow the same path. Success.
I’m shocked by how many people doubt their delegating skills. Try it out. Give it some time. You’ll get it, and more importantly, your assistant will get where you’re coming from and where you want to go.
They may seem like thin spaces from the outside – these spaces that exist in between the fears of delegating tasks. But we’re swimming in them from the inside, and with all that Zirtual offers, it looks we can swim all the way out to the sunset.
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