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You’ve heard about people who have worked with Virtual Assistants and love it, and you’re dying to try it out. You’ve gotten your recommendations, had your initial consultation, and decided to jump in, but now you are a week into your contract and wondering if you’ve made a mistake.

You may be having a delegation complication. (See what I…tried to do there?)

I have noticed that often new clients get stuck when they begin working with a Virtual Assistant for the first time. They have great intentions when we chat about their needs, and they are excited about all of the work they can delegate, but they don’t always know how to take full advantage of their new partnership.

Delegation is somewhat of an art, and it takes some practice to become proficient in it. My hope is that these tips will help you start the make the most of your new partnership, no matter who your Virtual Assistant is.

Four Roadblocks That Stand in the Way of Delegation

1. The client is nervous about sharing personal or confidential information.

How to conquer this roadblock:

Make sure that you trust your Virtual Assistant!

Anyone you do business with should be someone that you trust, and that’s even more true when that person is as involved as your assistant will be. One way to find a trustworthy VA is to get peer recommendations! You can also check out a VA’s online presence (do a “Google background check”), and you will definitely want to look at his or her reviews (look for a name and a picture).

Always verify that the contract you sign with your Virtual Assistant will include a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), and find out what happens to the confidential information you share with your VA.

2. The client is used to trying to do everything herself, so she spends precious time doing tasks that are better off delegated without even realizing it.

How to conquer this roadblock:

Train yourself not to waste time working on tasks that can be handled by your Virtual Assistant.

If you need to create a design, hand off all other work that gets in the way of your creativity. Ask yourself why you are paid the big bucks. If your specialty is not “paying invoices” or “customer service” or “travel planning,” why are you spending time on those tasks? Remember, you have a skill set and an education that makes you irreplaceable. Does the next item on your to-do list require your special touch?

Make it a habit to check in with yourself; every time you start working, ask yourself whether you are spending your time wisely. Eventually, it becomes much more natural to delegate, but in the beginning you must make a dedicated effort.

Another great way to start is to share access to your email — especially if you have trouble keeping your inbox under 50 emails. Your VA can help you organize your inbox, schedule meetings, filter out unwanted messages, and more. Email access a really quick way to incorporate your new partner into your work flow. (With some email services you can “delegate” your email account to an assistant so that emails she opens will still show as unread in your account.)

3. The client keeps her to-do lists in her head, so it’s harder for her to sort out what can and should be handed off.

How to conquer this roadblock:

Keep communicating with your Virtual Assistant regularly.

Communication is key! As you talk with your VA, you will remember things to delegate, and your VA will get a sense of your needs and goals from your words. I suggest that you consider scheduling a regular check-in call either weekly or bi-weekly. This has helped many a client get into the delegation groove!

Sharing access to your digital calendar (and to-do lists) will also help with this roadblock and create transparency into your schedule and work process. If you don’t keep a calendar but know you should, your VA can help you get set up and organized. This will help both of you make sure you are where you need to be when you need to be without anything slipping through the cracks.

4. The client is hesitant to be vulnerable.

How to conquer this roadblock:

Be human, and remember that your assistant is as human as you are.

You don’t have to pretend to be perfect. It’s okay (it really is) to expose your messy inbox and your unbilled clients. An experienced VA is an expert in administrative support and is used to working with people who need help in those areas. (In other words, they’ve seen it all before.)

At the same time, your VA is not a magician or a mind-reader, so while your expectations should be high, they should still be realistic. Again, communication is key. The more you communicate, the more real and human you become to each other.

Do you have any other great ideas to help newbies master the art of delegation? If so, share your best tip in the comments!

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