4 Essential Tips For First-Time Delegators On Hiring A Virtual Assistant

"If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself. If you want to do great things and make a big impact, learn to delegate." -- John C. Maxwell, leadership expert

According to a study by Gallup, companies that delegate see a 33% improvement in organizational capacity and financial performance. The study highlights that when leaders effectively delegate, it leads to increased productivity and business growth.

This statistic proves that delegation isn’t just about offloading work—it’s about boosting your business’s bottom line.

1. Be okay with letting go of control: The truth is that the more successful you become, the less you'll handle day-to-day operations in your business. Entrepreneurs have put blood, sweat and tears into their business and they're used to overseeing every little detail. But the strongest leaders know that they need to focus on becoming more important to the business' success and less involved with the day-to-day operational and administrative tasks. A strong, successful leader should be focused on strategic planning, growth, revenue generation-- in other words, running their companies so their company doesn't run them.

2. Select the right tasks to delegate: If you were to break down exactly where your time goes each day chances are, most of it is spent crossing off the same tasks from your list, only for you to have to do them all again the next day, week, or month. Harvard Business Review believes that 25-50% of a CEO's tasks each day are recurring, administrative related tasks that can be automated or delegated. Our team of Virtual Assistants advise that you should outsource tasks that are easily definable, standarized and repeatable.

3. Define expectations early: It's important to remember that no one can complete a task exactly the way you would—and that's okay. The point of you delegating is to make time for the work that matters. Remember that you are delegating to a Virtual Assistant to free up your time-- not micromanage. This doesn’t mean sacrificing quality; it’s about recognizing that your Virtual Assistant will contribute their experience and strengths.

4. Set check-ins: We recommend that when hiring a Virtual Assistant that you schedule a regular, weekly chat - this is a valuable opportunity to sync up on task progress, provide feedback and your Virtual Assistant can also showcase new ways he or she can support you. And, this is an opportunity to provide clear, timely and constructive feedback so that your work together can improve and grow.

The most successful entrepreneurs eventually realize they can't do everything on their own. Having been in business nearly 20 years, these are some of our best tips on hiring a Virtual Assistant for the first time. As you've made it through this article, now it's time for the hardest part: relax and let go.

And now the most important part - hire an experienced Virtual Assistant.

And the best part - enjoy the new freedom that delegating gives you.