Let's talk about why delegation isn’t currently working for you and what to do about it. First, most of the time, higher-level executives may not have the patience to work with an assistant to teach them step-by-step what to do for specific tasks. Your time is valuable, and it may be perceived that spending that time training an assistant may not be in your or your company’s best interest. Why not just do it yourself so it’s right the first time? Can you really delegate to save money?
Secondly, you may have already tried delegating a task to your assistant, but it didn’t work. What they gave back to you wasn’t right, wasn’t in the format you needed, and didn’t really get the job done. Now, you have to spend extra time re-doing it and fixing their mistakes. So why delegate at all? Simply because your time is valuable and is better spent expanding and growing your business.
The purpose of having a Virtual Assistant is to pass on those types of tasks so that you can focus your time and energy on bigger projects. By not taking the time to train your assistant, you waste your time on tasks that you don’t need to handle. It’s also important to remember that getting into a flow with a new assistant takes time. It may take more than once for them to understand how you want a task done and your specific needs. But over time, this will become easier and will allow you to hand over more and more tasks to your Virtual Assistant, leaving your time open. It also helps to have all of your standard operating procedures written down so that if a new assistant comes along, it will save you time and money, and you won't have to worry if those administrative and operational tasks are getting completed correctly.
What is the number one piece of advice when starting to delegate? Have patience! Keep in mind that hiring and training an assistant is a learning process. You are both learning how the other operates and how the other communicates. This will be key in finding a strong Virtual Assistant that you can work well with and continuing a working relationship with that assistant.
One of the best tools for hiring an assistant is the DISC Assessment. The DISC is similar to Myers Briggs in that it teaches you about your communication style and how to communicate with others who have different styles. This will help you build a relationship with your assistant and can make the training period easier.
Having the stress of being a CEO, COO, CFO or other C-level executive makes patience and time hard because you have so much responsibility. Typically, the higher level executive is visionary and not so detail-oriented, like the best Virtual Assistants usually are, so communication styles are already starting out as opposites. Understanding both the communication and behavioral style that your assistant has and letting your assistant understand yours will significantly improve your delegation, thus allowing you to focus on what really matters most… growing your business.
Listen in for more advice on Not Your Average CEO: Lifeline Podcast.