How to work with your Virtual Assistant: Communication and feedback

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, solo startup or a more established business, bringing a Virtual Assistant to your team is a game changer. But we understand that working remotely with someone new can be a challenge, so we’re starting a new series of tips on how to create the best working relationship with your virtual assistant. Tips so you, your business and your VA can thrive.

Our number #1 tip for working with a Virtual Assistant? Communication and feedback.

Communicate your expectations and needs

As a rule: over communication is better than under. 

As you’re building a relationship with your Virtual Assistant, let them know how you’re feeling, it can be hard to delegate, identify the areas where you need help most and how you like things to be done. But the more open you are with your VA, the better they will understand you, your business and your needs.

Let them know where you have expectations in terms of communication, delivery, their availability and make sure that you are on the same page. The better you communicate up front, the better foundations of your partnership and the more productive and effective your working relationship will be.

Constructive and meaningful feedback

As your partnership and business develops, your needs, processes and goals will change. That means your relationship with your VA and the services that they provide will need to change and develop too. It’s important to create a space for open and constructive feedback from the outset, so as expectations and systems change, your VA can adapt and integrate your feedback and continue to improve their output.

In every employed role performance reviews are structured into the year, and you should have a similar or even more often formal review in place where both parties can discuss the work, the relationship and put measures in place to improve performance where necessary.

We understand that it can be intimidating to give direct feedback if it’s not something you’re used to! But as long as you’re open and constructive, your VA will be happy to hear it. They are invested in you and your business and want to make sure that you are getting the most out of your investment in them.

If you feel that you need some support in giving feedback to your Virtual Assistant, Caroline will gladly step in and help you to deliver it in the most effective and constructive way possible. Or, try Upsource Community Manager Soo Slade’s feedback tip: AID

ACTION: What your VA did
IMPACT: How it affected you
DIRECTION: What you’d like your VA to do the next time it happens

For example:
ACTION: VA emailed concerning an urgent matter
IMPACT: You didn’t see the email in time, and missed an opportunity 
DIRECTION: Next time, please call or Whatsapp me, even if I’ve said I am busy

Other feedback tips we love at Upsource: 

• The feedback ‘sandwich’ – bookend your constructive feedback with two positives 
• Find out in advance how your VA likes to receive feedback, written, via the phone or video call, make sure you plan for this in advance and ask them to schedule regular feedback sessions

Relationship Building

For Upsource, chemistry and rapport are hugely important factors in a successful Virtual Assistant/client relationship. If you put time and effort into a relationship with your VA, you will see the benefits. 

The better rapport you can create and the more trust you and your VA can put in one another, the more empowered your VA will feel to work creatively and proactively. We pride ourselves in a team that can hit the ground running skillswise, but remember: working with a Virtual Assistant is a marathon, not a sprint. Building successful working relationships can take time, but are always worth it.

As with every relationship, open communication is key in creating a successful working partnership with your Virtual Assistant. Setting expectations, constructive feedback and investing in the relationship long term are all going to help you and your VA thrive. 

If you need some support in setting up a feedback structure with your VA, let Caroline know and she’ll be happy to help.