No matter who or how you plan to give, pass, or allocate tasks on your current to-do list, to ensure the best chance of success, and avoid having to take back tasks, have them rebound back in the form of 101 questions take the time to prepare for success.
Identify
Document
Delegate
Delegating well is a skill honed over time. Start with clear guidelines, expectations, and timelines.
Learn to know when to coach, check in, celebrate, change tact AND accept errors. Be curious, not furious remember this is a learning experience for both parties and NOT an opportunity to prove only you can do it.
So have you decided why you need to delegate, what you are going to start with and what success would look like for you? If yes then keep reading
If not, you need to get ready first - it does not need to take hours but you do need to be clear on what you would a) love less of b) more of as a minimum.
Now on to working with an Assistant, Partner, Virtually or in Person - here are my top 3 steps to success.
#1 Align expectations
A good VA will lead this conversation, exploring with you what success looks like and agreeing on a set of deliverables and timelines, and documenting them so you both can keep on track and expand, or decrease scope, as you work together.
#2 Become an expert at delegation.
This is the hard part for many Founder-Owners, letting go of tasks, accepting that they might not be done the way you would do them, the ' I could do it faster, better, easier, quicker mentally. You can, but unless it is your Zone Of Genius, then it can and should be delegated so you can spend your time in your Zone Of Genius.
Just because you can, does not mean you should be doing it, as you grow business administration starts to take up bigger chunks of your time, look a the task you and your business need to grow, be profitable and rethink the 'only I can do it' mindset.
The mindset in delegation is important - you need to trust, let go and accept there will be mistakes. Remember the uncomfortable part is short-lived and the benefits can be life and business-changing as you get the space to focus on what you love, the reason you started your business.
#3 Preparation
Start documenting the process, create an ordered filing system, get your inbox working for you so you can see where your time is going so you know what would give you the most space back.
The better you are at detailing your tasks, the easier it will be to have a predictable output. If you clearly explain the process you wish to have accomplished, then your VA can create improving iterations.
Share the specific tips and tricks you use daily, to enable your VA to succeed. It is not cheating, delegation is not a test, give them a running start to get you to where you would love to be faster.
4 ways to document
Video - Open Zoom Loom, Searchie.io screen share and record what you are doing,
Voice - Use otterai to record voice notes as you work, walk, think of them
Write - write down all the steps you take to complete the job
Record - allowing your live instruction to be recorded for review, reference and avoid repetition
Top tip: Time yourself - you will soon see what is consuming your time and it will give you an idea of what the maximum amount of time your VA should be taking to do the task. (since you are documenting as well as doing it).
Sharing tips for success
Share | Give Access | More is More | Be open, honest and trusting. By sharing everything you save time, avoid miscommunication or your priorities being missed.
Where and when possible share passwords, links and template. Share existing policies, processes and people charts.
To build your confidence start with the relatively short and non critical items .
If you are getting ready to outsource, remember you are only paying for the hours a VA works AND you can have as many different VAs as you like, all with different skills
Original Linkedin Article with a VA focus posted on 14 Feb 2023