So you know you need to get some of those tasks off your to-do list, but do you know how to transfer responsibility to someone else? Here are some tips on how to delegate effectively.
You’re feeling overwhelmed with all the hats you wear in your business and the seemingly insurmountable list of tasks and projects that *need* to be completed. You simply don’t have time to do it all, and there are probably a few items on that list that you’re either not good at, or you really don’t like doing. Then there are some tasks that you don’t mind – and maybe even kind of like doing – but they are not the best use of your time or energy.
You know there are a few things that you must take care of, but there are likely a large number of tasks that you could hand off to a Virtual Assistant – and what a relief that would be!
But, what’s the best way to go about doing that without having to spend a whole lot of time answering questions? Here are some pointers on how to delegate effectively:
1. First things first: Write down everything you do in a week (or in a month, if there’s a lot of variation) in relation to your business. Then, everything on the list into two columns: “you” and “someone else.” The “someone else” column should end up being much longer than the “you” column.
2. If you have a Brand Style Guide (a document showing logo, brand colours, typography, details of your target audience, keywords, etc.), send that to your VA. It will answer a LOT of questions right off the bat. If you don’t have a Style Guide, I recommend that you create one ASAP (or work with your VA to create one). It seriously saves everyone *so much time* and eliminates a lot of back-and-forth.
3. Provide all relevant website, email newsletter, social media account etc. details (URLs, usernames, passwords, etc.), that you will need your VA to access, and provide it all in one single email or document – or better yet, ask your VA what project management tool(s) he or she uses, and upload all that information there. This saves a *lot* of time, rather than having to search through ten different emails for this password or that username.
4. Provide as much detail as you can think of in terms of your preferred scheduling of everything i.e. “post to FB every M-W-F @ x am/pm; schedule blog posts for every Tues. @ x am/pm; schedule newsletter to email list every Thurs. @ x am/pm, and so on.
5. If you need to send images and/or large documents, upload them to Dropbox or similar cloud-based storage platform, and message your VA with one link, so your emails don’t get hung up in spam filters or blocked because of huge attachments. This also eliminates having to search through numerous emails.
6. Be open to your VA’s suggestions about things like hashtags, keywords, image styling etc. Chances are, he or she probably knows what they’re talking about. Just as an example, on Instagram, don’t use super-generic hashtags such as #smallbusiness, which has, as of this writing, nearly 12.7million images. When you use tags that have millions of images, your post will literally vanish into the feed before you can even blink, and the chances of anyone ever seeing it are rather slim. Instead, use drilled-down, relevant hashtags that have activity but aren’t being used by a gazillion people every minute.
7. When giving instructions to your VA for a brand new task, be clear about what you want. Don’t make them guess. After working together for a while, they may be able to anticipate your needs, but they’re still not mind-readers.
8. Delegate not only the task but also the responsibility and authority. This translates to “don’t micromanage.” If you’ve communicated the tasks clearly and given them all the details they need, your VA shouldn’t need much (or any) “babysitting.” Just let them do the work – if they need clarification on something, they’ll ask.
I’ll bet your “task list” gave you a bit of a shock, didn’t it? If you’re having trouble figuring out which column a task or project should go under, one question to ask yourself is this: “Is this a revenue-generating activity?” i.e. is it directly tied to or integral to growing your business (networking and following up with potential new clients, for example)? If the answer is yes, it’s most likely something that you need to handle yourself. On the other hand, things like updating your website; creating images to post on social media; proofreading, editing and scheduling blog posts and email newsletters; photo editing; adding new or potential clients to your “electronic rolodex” – those are all tasks that take you away from actively growing your business.
Delegate effectively and save yourself several hours of work every month, or even every week.
Questions? Contact me now.