In today’s globalized, decentralized, wireless economy, more and more businesses are hiring Virtual Assistants (VAs).
VAs are professionals who work remotely, often from home, and who may rarely or never come into the office. Needless to say, managing some one from afar can be challenging. Effective virtual management begins with hiring the right people and continues with regular, frequent communication and recognition of success.
1) Hire the right person. The successful Virtual Assistant (VA) is a disciplined self-starter who is productive in an isolated environment but is wise enough to maintain connections with other outside communities. The VA must also be trustworthy, self-reliant, organized, efficient, and dedicated to their own and the company’s success.
2) Get to know them. Hold one-on-one, 20-minute meetings (or longer) at least once every two weeks with direct reports. Let the VA set the agenda, and encourage him or her to discuss any questions or concerns. Assure him/her of your trust and respect, and ask questions about his/her aspirations, quality of work life, and sense of career advancement. Work to resolve any problems quickly, and keep the employee apprised of your progress.
3) Make them feel like a part of the team. Virtual Assistants should be included in all team meetings. Teleconferencing and web-enabled tools like GoToMeeting, webinars, live chats, etc. make team meetings easy.
Include some form of recognition in these meetings, such as acknowledging an insightful comment, remarking on small accomplishments that contributed to the end result, and praising those who honor their commitments.
4) Communicate, communicate, communicate – in as many ways as possible, including newsletters, electronic message/discussion boards, the company intranet, Skype, etc. The level of communication should correlate directly to the distance of the VA.
5) Set realistic benchmarks and expect regular status reports. Establish criteria for measuring progress and success – for example total contacts made or products generated. Reserve a particular time of day or the week for check-in chats and/or web-enabled meetings. Set interim deadlines for projects to avoid surprises or gaps.
6) Reward and recognize. Reward Virtual Assistants’ desirable behavior in ways that are meaningful to them. A VA might like a Starbucks gift card (since many of them work from coffee shops from time to time), learning and development opportunities, or simply time off.
Managing a Virtual Assistant can be challenging at first but gratifying, as they are among the most reliable and entrepreneurial professionals available. Give them room to innovate and grow, and you’ll be rewarded with success.
Training customers in this economy is a challenge! I think I’ll point would-be clients to this article to help!
Glad it was a good resource for you 🙂
Daily communication is the most important aspect of keeping a VA motivated for your projects.
However, I made the experience that it is also important to stay professional and not share too many personal details, especially about the future of your business.
It’s one thing to be polite and ask about the life of your VA. Discussing the big pictures, like the monetization strategies, with your virtual assistant is probably not such a good idea.
I agree that daily communication is important with a VA if they are a heavy hitter, putting in many hours for you.