When we think of setting our team up for success, we think of things like SOPs, video tutorials, and job descriptions. A great leader takes the time to clearly identify and outline the expectations that each position carries. We examine our own task load and identify the ones that we’d like to delegate to our new team member.

However, there’s one more important step that is often overlooked! As we plan and prepare to ensure that all the pieces are in place and we’re ready for success, there are 6 things you MUST discuss with your virtual assistant!

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Simply put, your teammate needs to know YOU... who you are, how you function, your likes, dislikes, pet-peeves, and what truly makes you happy at work. Creating this simple document gives them a step-up on how to best support you in the day-to-day tasks as well as those challenging times that occasionally arise. Creating this users manual will not only help your teammate develop in her role, but it shows you’re also developing into the leader you were meant to be! Win-win!!

Let’s jump right in and get started! 6 thing you must discuss with your virtual assistant!

Schedule:

What hours are your most productive each day?
Maybe you’re an early bird and the early morning hours are your most productive. Perhaps working late into the night is when your brain is firing perfectly to create and dream! Letting your teammate know what’s best for you specifically allows her to make sure your time is protected and used efficiently!
What day do you prefer to catch up on “work tasks” without any client or team meetings?
This is an important one for me, personally. I need one day a week where I don’t have any calls or video chats to catch up on CPA emails, tax documents, and other mundane things that only I can do. Additionally, if I need to write a new blog or do anything in the more “creative space”, I can’t have meetings. My brain just doesn’t seem to work in both realms in one day. It seems ridiculous, I know. However, this is valuable for my team to know as it sets their expectations and allows them to help me work productively! What specifics can you share with your teammate to help her protect your time?
How much time do you like between meetings or to shift gears between projects? Why?
Here at Rock Solid, I prefer to “stack” meetings Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning. Wednesday afternoon is reserved for my team meetings each week. If possible, I prefer 30 minutes between meetings. This gives me time in case one of them runs long but also not too much time in-between as I find that time isn’t productive for me. I won’t hop into a big task because I will have to stop as soon as I get started and so then it feels like time spent in a waiting room… unproductive and wasted. Maybe something similar works for you! Discussing your needs and preferences with your team really helps them help you even more!

2. Communication:

What is your communication platform preference?
Some prefer email only, some hate emails! There are so many options from text-type communication like Slack to voice communication like Voxer. What do you prefer? What works best for you in your day-to-day routine?
If you’ve read past blogs, you’ll know I LOVE Voxer! It’s so much quicker and easier and I believe it builds the relationship. Hearing the voice of my team lets me know if they are feeling bombarded with too many to-dos, frustrated, or excited about their work. This is the same reason I choose this platform first and foremost to send them messages as well. I also love that if any of us are in a place where we can’t speak, Voxer allows us to send a message in text format. Everything is in one place and we can add as many members to each chat as needed! It’s so important for your team to know how and on what platform you prefer to communicate. I would never respond in a timely manner if I had to stop to type out every single message or answer. They’d wait forever and things would never get done! It’s so important to let your team know what you prefer!
What is your communication style:
I also think it’s valuable for my team to know that if I respond with a one-word sentence with a period at the end, it doesn’t mean I’m upset at anything they’re doing -- I’ll address that upfront and privately if those types of situations arise. It simply means I’m in a place where I can’t speak or I’m in a hurry. Because they know this about me, I don’t feel the need to send a paragraph when a one word answer will suffice.
What time of day do I prefer?
This is very important to discuss! For me personally, I am fine whenever they reach out to me. However, I also know my team well enough and have built strong relationships with them so I recognize that if they are messaging me after “normal” working hours, something important is going on. It’s also important to discuss expectations about your own messaging times with your teammate. Often, something will be on my mind and I need to send a message so 1. I don’t forget, or 2. I can get it off my mind and enjoy the rest of my evening. In this case, they know that I don’t expect them to even listen until the next day when they are back to work! Please make sure your team is aware of your preferences!

3. Values:

My Priorities
For my team to work effectively with me and help me build what I know I’ve been called to build, they must know what is important to me - both in a relational sense and in business, and what things take precedence! For example, if they don’t know that I REALLY value my Fridays off to maintain family days (and my sanity, haha!) they might assume it’s just laziness or a simple preference rather than a strong personal value. If they don’t understand that I highly value our teams and that if one of them is experiencing any type of difficulty, it’s priority #1 for me as a leader to get it addressed and handled quickly, then they may push that to the bottom of the list of priorities. The more they know, the more effectively they jump in to provide support! This also keeps the entire team working toward the same common goals!
My vision.
It is of utmost importance that your team understands your heart for your business. Why did you start it? What keeps you going when things aren’t easy? What are your goals? Sharing these simple things in your own User’s Manual begins to build a passion for you and your business within your new teammate’s heart from the start! It shows them why you need them and where they can provide the most support in the best way possible!
My plan.
How do you intend to make the vision a reality? What intentional steps do you have in place to get it done and where do you see them fitting in to help? For me, this looks like a lot of collaboration and brainstorming together. (If you follow us, you’ll know that is my absolute favorite thing my amazing team does for me!) I may have the vision, but I need someone to come alongside me and help me see the intentional steps that must be taken to get us across the finish line!

4. Processes:

During the onboarding time, you’ll need to list and be ready to discuss the processes in place. This is obviously a very important part of why you’re bringing on a team member. BUT… for your user’s manual, let’s shift that focus just a bit! I want you to consider if you’re okay with them making changes to improve those processes. Do you prefer them to make suggestions if they see that a process could be better handled with a different platform or in a different manner? How do you feel about your teammate implementing new processes in order to streamline the workflow and be more efficient with time and productivity? Maybe you have a system that you’d love to use but haven’t had time to properly set it up and learn all the things it can do. Would you like your teammate to set aside some time to really teach you all the capabilities it has to offer? These are important things to consider and express as you build your team!

5. Preferences:

This one is a little harder to describe as it’s obviously going to be very different for each person. The preferences you share might have gray boundaries rather than being a clear cut list. Begin thinking about the following:

How do I like things to be done within my systems and processes? This can include work + personal things.
Do I have any obvious pet-peeves?
What are the things that really make my day at work flow seamlessly?

I want to share a few of my things on this list just to get you started.

I don’t like lists. If someone gives me a list with 10 to-dos on it, I promise by #5 I’m skimming and by #7, I’m completely checked out. It’s not on purpose. I don’t see lists the way others do, I guess. Now, color code that list or put the items on my calendar with a due date… done!! You’ve got my attention! Could you imagine the frustration on both sides if I didn’t share this preference with my team?
I absolutely hate being rushed or caught off guard. Often I think my team lets me know of potential upcoming needs or projects just to give me a heads-up and time to consider what will be needed. This small buffer allows me time to get my thoughts in order and respond correctly.
Steph once said to me, “When I first started, Christina told me that email drafts are your love language.” Haha! Boy, did they nail that one! I absolutely love to get in my inbox and see that one of my incredible team members has started a response to an email that I need to reply to! I can hop right in, add my thoughts and it’s ready to go! Teamwork truly does make the dream work!
The last one is all about the details. This might look quite a bit different in the beginning than it will as your work-relationship grows! At the start, I paid far more attention to the details of what my team members were working on. I needed to know what the moving parts of each project were and if they were moving in the right direction. However, I now want the general overview of the projects, what my tasks are within that project, and if there are any possible problems that may arise. Be ready to discuss what works best for you - keeping in mind it just may change as time goes on!

6. Personality:

Again, this category is not clearly defined and will vary across the board! The fact that it is the last in this list does not signify its importance, either! Perhaps it should be the number one thing -- or the umbrella over the entire thing! It’s so very vital that you share YOU with your team!

Let’s look at a few questions that will get the ball rolling! As you’re answering these questions, really take the time to consider what you would like to know about someone you might be working with? If the roles were reversed, what bits of knowledge would make it easier for you to passionately work within their business?

What is most important to you in life and in business? Another way to look at this question: what drives you and influences your decisions?
What is your biggest weakness in business? Knowing this will help your team fill in the gaps and proactively take things off of your plate!
What is your biggest strength in business? Again, this helps your team encourage you in the areas in which you excel and enjoy as well as proactively manage your time for success in these areas.
How do you respond to stress? Some people grow quiet and distant when things feel overwhelming. Some people become ultra-focused and start micromanaging. What clues might your new teammate see in your behavior when you are feeling overwhelmed? Don’t forget to discuss helpful ways that she can step in and cause you to refocus!

Going over these things will make the difference between an ok working relationship with your virtual assistant and a great one!

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