Communication is key
In every relationship in life how well we communicate is key to how well that relationship works. Some relationships can survive poor communication because there’s a deeper bond like families or really close friends but when communication fails in a workplace it can cause huge problems for everyone involved.
As soon as a work place is more than one person, communication becomes a key element of day to day and week to week work. How that communication takes place and whether it happens at all will be what makes or breaks a business.
Hiring a Virtual Assistant
Often when it feels like it is time to get a Virtual Assistant it is when the business owner is going from being on their own to working with someone and so it can be a big shift for them. They probably haven’t had to share details of how they work before and they need to decide what they can hand over to a Virtual Assistant and how to communicate this.
Once they’ve found a Virtual Assistant, communication as they work with Virtual Assistant is key to it thriving. (Are you noticing the repetition?! Communication is key!) Hiring a Virtual Assistant has many benefits but the nature of virtual can be tricky for communication if both parties are unprepared.
There are so many tools that can be used for the owner and VA to communicate and it’s important that both are happy and comfortable. A VA may find themselves primarily communicating with one client via email but another may prefer tools like Slack or Asana. Many VAs will not use their phone for their work and are more likely to use Zoom or Google Meets for meetings. The key to good communication is that the tools are used.
It is important that the business owner and the VA agree how frequently they will communicate using different tools. It may be that they speak on Zoom each time there is a new project or once a week for a check in. Remembering that this time would count as working hours for the VA. It may be that the business owner and client decide that they will use asynchronous communication the majority of the time where one person shares information and expects a time lag. The key is that it’s been agreed.
Bad communication from both perspectives
As a Virtual Assistant there is nothing more frustrating than when communication breaks down between the VA and the client. If I have put time aside to work on a piece of work but find I don’t have the clearly communicated necessary resources, I am going to lose valuable working time and be unable to move forward. If you’ve asked for 10 hours a month but have only shared 5 hours of work then as VA I have to find a balance between chasing for more work and knowing that, depending on contractual agreements, I will either lose money that month or may frustrate you as the business owner at you losing hour but still paying for them.
An unresponsive working relationship is never going to end in a positive experience for either party. As a VA I want to hear from you so that we can work together and build your business stronger and achieve the goals you’ve set out.
For the perspective of the business owner I approached Penny Clemmow, a business owner who uses Virtual Asisstants to help her. Penny runs 3 very busy business; ScreenPop, Life Magazine and The Business Success Company. I asked her about her experience of poor communication with a VA and this is what she shared with me:
““I run a few businesses and couldn’t do it without the help of virtual assistants, but that hasn’t always been smooth-sailing. It’s crucial to find a VA who is a good communicator so that using their services feels like having an amazing team member who has all the skills that you lack, hate or just don’t have time to do yourself. It’s a two-way relationship; I need my VA to be responsive to my requests, clarify when the job will get done and the cost associated with that but, equally, I appreciate that I need to communicate my needs and expectations clearly and be open to suggestions from my VA who has a wealth of knowledge and experience which I feel very fortunate to be able to tap into to.
It can be frustrating outsourcing to a VA who either doesn’t communicate as to when they will get the work done or doesn’t let you know that the task is outside their skillset, which can create resentment, confusion and a poor working relationship going forward.” ”
As Penny clearly states, finding a VA who is a good communicator is crucial. She also makes it clear that business owners also needs to communicate well.
Takeaway
Primary take away about communication as or with a Virtual Assistant: Communication is key.
For both a business owner and Virtual prioritising communication is the best thing you can ever do for a working relationship to work. Work will be completed more quickly, both sides will be more effective and as business owner, you will find that you gain a team member who is working to help make your business thrive!
I’d love to communicate with you and help you and your business to thrive. Pop me an email and we can chat.