Working Effectively with an Assistant
Working Effectively with an Assistant
First things first, if you’re considering working with an assistant, it’s important to know what type of assistance you need. There are several different types of assistants and it’s important to find someone that has the skill sets to adequately support you. Just a few examples include personal assistants, virtual assistants, executive assistants, administrative assistants, research assistants, marketing + social media assistants. Just to name a few.
- Personal assistants are professionals who work with individuals to help manage their personal and professional lives. They typically help with tasks like scheduling appointments, making or returning phone calls, booking travel arrangements, running errands, and other personal tasks.
Virtual assistants are remote workers who provide administrative or other support services to clients from their own location, through the internet. They can perform a wide range of tasks such as data entry, social media management, research, customer support, and much more.
Executive assistants work with high-level executives, providing administrative support and managing their schedules, screening calls, making travel arrangements, and other important, high level tasks.
Administrative assistants typically work in an office setting or in a hybrid capacity. They may answer phones, manage calendars, schedule appointments, handle correspondence, and perform a wide variety of other administrative tasks.
Research assistants provide support with research-related tasks, such as conducting literature reviews, data analysis, and summarizing research findings.
- Marketing and social media assistants provide support with marketing-related tasks, such as conducting market research, creating marketing materials, and coordinating marketing campaigns. They also manage social media accounts and engage with followers to build an online presence and increase visibility for a brand or individual.
The specific duties and responsibilities of an assistant will depend on you and your specific support needs. Therefore it’s important to have a general idea of what is needed before you begin working with your assistant. Of course over time your support needs can change but an exceptional assistant will be able to help you navigate these changes in an efficient and effective manner. They will also encourage you to delegate things that will strengthen your time management and take more off of your plate.
Obviously having an assistant will save you time but they can also help reduce stress, increase productivity and improve your overall quality of life. They will help you stay organized, keep you on track and help improve your work life balance. Trying to do everything yourself can lead to exhaustion, burnout, and missed opportunities among other things. Working with an assistant will allow you to focus on more important things or accomplish things you’ve been putting off.
A skilled assistant will be more than an assistant to you. They will become an invaluable, trusted partner. They will understand your goals, priorities, and work style. They will anticipate your needs and proactively offer solutions, allowing you to focus on your priorities and goals. They can also act as a sounding board, offering an outside perspective and helping you to make informed decisions. They can provide valuable feedback, advice, and suggestions based on their experience and expertise. In short, they will help you work smarter, not harder. They want to help you reach your full potential.
When you first start working with an assistant you will also be learning how and what to delegate. Your assistant will be learning more about you, your requirements, preferences and expectations among many other things. Don’t be shy. The more you get to know each other, the more valuable your partnership will become.
An assistant is not a miracle worker or a machine. The first few weeks working together will involve some trial and error. You and your assistant will have to work together to ensure it’s a beneficial and worthwhile relationship. You must become a team by both of you taking initiative and making a commitment to building your partnership. As your relationship develops your assistant will earn your respect and develop techniques for improving your life.
There are things you can do to ensure the relationship with your assistant is constructive and worthwhile. When you first begin working together, it will be extremely beneficial to communicate on a regular basis. Start by having regularly scheduled meetings or check-ins. Meeting or having a check-in call at least once a week can help keep you and your assistant on the same page and ensure everything is on track. They don’t have to be long; even a 30 minute meeting will make a big difference. Follow a simple outline to ensure this time is productive and doesn’t end up wasting your time. First discuss your current top priorities or urgent needs. What you need the most help with initially will be their first tasks or responsibilities. Second, discuss updates on ongoing projects and/or previous assignments or tasks. Get status updates, discuss progress and any challenges that may have come up or issues that need to be addressed. Make sure nothing is falling through the cracks. Last but not least, discuss any upcoming tasks and deadlines. Review any important information or resources that may be needed to prepare for these items.
These meetings can also be a good time to give constructive feedback on your assistant's performance and ask for their feedback on your own performance as well. Being able to give constructive feedback is another important step to a successful partnership. Feedback, whether positive or negative, should be looked at as an opportunity for growth. When giving feedback, it's helpful to lead with something positive, then be clear and constructive in your criticism. You should always prepare by having solid details or examples to back up your criticisms and think of reasonable solutions before addressing them. This will give your assistant the opportunity to make improvements, take problem solving actions and provide superior outcomes going forward. Being constructive about how you give feedback will definitely provide faster and better results. It’s also important that you’re prepared to receive constructive feedback. It’s crucial that your assistant is comfortable giving you feedback and suggesting ways to improve your partnership and performance. Encourage them to be honest and let them know their feedback is valued. They may offer insights or have suggestions for improving or making your partnership more effective. Try to remain approachable and be open to trying new techniques or ways of doing things. Most assistants are natural problem solvers and they may suggest more strategic processes and innovative ways of handling tasks.
Clear communication is vital to working successfully with an assistant. This includes the following:
Establishing clear boundaries and expectations
Setting achievable goals and explaining clear processes whenever possible
Communicating your objectives and preferences, including being very clear about due dates and time frames
Additionally, taking a little time to document your processes can also make a big difference in your assistant’s efficiency. Although most talented assistants aren’t afraid to jump into an unclear assignment and somehow make it work, you’ll get more out of your assistant and their time if your tasks are laid out with clear instructions and necessary steps. The more details you can document the easier it will be for your assistant to take over your tasks confidently. A training or processes and procedures document will be a useful tool that your assistant can utilize if they have questions or need to refresh themselves on how you prefer a task is completed. It will keep them from asking you questions and taking up more of your time. If your assistant does have questions it’s important to be timely and responsive if you want the task completed in a timely manner.
Working effectively with an assistant doesn’t mean that you should pile on the tasks and expect them to take on everything. It’s important to remember that just because you can delegate something doesn't necessarily mean you should. You shouldn’t delegate tasks that you can’t clearly describe. You will just end up spending more time answering questions and continually redirecting someone if the task is unclear. You also shouldn’t delegate any one time or non-repetitive tasks that would take hours to explain but less than an hour to do yourself.
To work together constructively you should also avoid micromanaging your assistant. This is definitely easier said than done when you first start working with someone. You’ll have to establish that trust and learn to let go. Keep in mind that initially it may take your assistant longer than you to complete new tasks. This is because you are an expert at what you do and your assistant is still learning. It’s not because they’re doing something wrong. Be Patient. If you have chosen the right assistant, and you’re delegating effectively, you will find that they quickly become competent & reliable. The right way isn’t to hand off all your tasks and never look back either. It’s ok to monitor the work that’s done in the beginning to make sure mistakes aren’t made or if they are made, they are corrected. Just make sure the monitoring doesn’t become a long-term habit. At that point it becomes micromanaging.
You should also be open to change or doing things differently. Your assistant may develop a new way of accomplishing your tasks that is more efficient for them. If the work is being done efficiently, don’t focus on how it’s being accomplished, just that it’s being accomplished. Focus on the results rather than getting stuck on how the work should be done. If you allow your assistant to control their own methods and processes it will facilitate success and trust between both of you. Once your assistant has become proficient with their basic responsibilities and that trust has been established you can expand their role and continue to grow with them.
Delegation and time management are learned skills but if you’re working with the right assistant, you should be excited and confident when it comes to delegating. Being deliberate and taking the steps needed to establish an efficient working relationship is key to a successful partnership. Over time your assistant will become more autonomous and you’ll both become a well oiled machine. You’ll both be comfortable with them making decisions on your behalf and they will have the ability to handle more ambiguous situations. Your assistant will also be able to help you navigate and accomplish your long term goals. Are you ready to create an indispensable and valuable partnership?