How Do I Manage A Small Team When I Hire A Virtual Assistant?
Managing a team is a whole job on its own. Sometimes people confuse a smaller team as an easier task. Or feel that a smaller team requires less nurturing than those in a larger organization.
Creating a culture that is going to move your business forward is not something that’s done once your team reaches a larger number. In fact, I would argue that the smaller the team, the more important it is to culture. Let me explain why
Think about it like this: If you were on an ocean cruise and there were four or five hundred people there and a crisis ensued, it would be your hope that some of the people on the cruise would be helpful in the rescue attempts.
However, if you were in a row boat with two other people and something happened, you better be sure that everyone in that rowboat could contribute.
So let’s talk about how we can create an amazing team that works independently instead of you running around and checking on them.
Faulty Set Up: Change Your Entrepreneur Mindset
Traditionally, when someone is hired, they are assigned small business tasks and then you check on their work. This sets up a very parentified system. Like a parent checking on a child or his teacher checking on a student. And this becomes a whole job on its own. This has been the frustration of all organizations for years. It’s why small business owners believe it’s quicker to do things yourself than to have more people to manage.
When you have effective business processes in place (like our super tool kit), your outsourcing administrative can work very independently. This means that work constantly moves forward without your hand in it. Many of my clients find this to be a complete game-changer. It allows you to easily scale your business.
Some are still hiring Filipino virtual assistants for data entry, but you can have highly skilled social media managers, digital marketing assistants etc. When done correctly, hiring a VA these days lets you grow your business.
Leadership Skills And Virtual Assistant Outsourcing
Your number one job is to teach your outsourced Filipino virtual assistant leadership skills.
It’s easy to tell someone that you want them to bring ideas to the table and that you’re looking for team players, not task monkeys, but you need to cultivate that on a daily basis.
We’ve all had experiences where employers said they wanted one thing, but when we delivered it it was not warmly received.
So it is your job to encourage and inspire your assistant in the Philippines to take a leadership role. Sometimes it can be a simple redirection of how they even asked a question.
If someone is new to our team, they politely raise their hand and ask if they can ask a question during our brief meeting. I addressed it immediately. I let them know they’re here because we want their ideas and their input. They don’t need to ask permission to ask questions. It comes off as submissive and passive.
Companies in the Philippines are used to frantic small business owners that are struggling with burnout. You need to show them that you have a different entrepreneurial mindset.
Systems and Process: Scale Your Business With Outsourcing
One of the best things you can do for your business and your team is to have systems and processes. This allows your outsourcer to work independently and also without fear.
Because everything that we do, or our clients do with their teams, is built around systems and processes, when there is an issue, we all look at the system or process. We’re not in the habit of looking to see who could be blamed. We fixed the system and are moving forward.
This means everyone feels safe because it’s not a matter of who’s going to be blamed. We all have a common goal of fixing the systems and processes.
One of the benefits of outsourcing for small businesses is that you can scale your business instead of trying to keep up with the growth. It’s how to win the day. It has become so much more than basic outsourcing admin work.
There are many benefits of outsourcing virtual assistants. Mostly, they can let you get to the real work that brings you revenue and allows you to influence your marketplace.
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