Fact: Effectively delegating tasks to a virtual assistant can reap rewards like cost savings and higher productivity. It also enables you to focus on core business activities instead of non-value repetitive tasks.

However, the real challenge is in determining what and how to delegate. Because getting it wrong can result in wasted time, effort and resources.

Giving instructions to a remote worker might be harder than it seems though. If you aren’t specific enough, you may encounter problems in miscommunication. This leads to tasks left incomplete or outright botched.

Worse still, your own clients won’t be happy with the quality of the work and you’ll be suffering losses where you should be gaining profits.

This post will help you successfully delegate tasks and harness the full potential of the VA you have hired.

1. After you’ve written down the instructions for a task, read them out loud to yourself. Listen to check if they sound correct or not. Review the instructions again to ensure you’re clearly stating your needs. See to it that the VA will understand even if they skim through the instructions the first time. You can get someone else to double-check them too, in the case of highly technical tasks.
   
   
2. Be concise when it comes to what you want from your remote virtual assistant. There’s no need to use flowery words even if you’re planning to send instructions through email. There’s no problem with including greetings but get straight to the point right after that. Any additional comments or small talk may confuse (if not distract) the VA.
   
   
3. Increase clarity by using bullet points or numbers. This is highly recommended when you’re thinking to send more than one task per email. However, it’s always better to give each assignment separately so it’s easier for either party to track what’s been completed. You can see which emails have been replied to as well.
   
   
4. Categorise according to what must be prioritised over others. You can try colour-coding, e.g. red for high priority, orange for second priority, green for low priority and so on. You can also just number each task based on what has to be done first – or label them with HIGH, LOW and etc. Doing this allows you to easily set filters in your email inbox for more efficient monitoring.
   
   
5. Use verbs in your instructions. For example: “Modify the 6-month SEO road map for ABC client” or “Proofread the content for the scheduled social media post to go on Instagram”. These make more sense than just stating ‘ABC road map’ or ‘Instagram post’. You’ll save time from entertaining their queries about the details since you’re already providing them. You’ll seem more approachable like this too.
   
   
6. Keep it positive with actionable verbs. Expanding on the previous tip about using verbs, avoid phrases like “Don’t forget to…” and “Avoid…” as they sound negative and give the impression that you’re always finding fault with your remote workers even when you’re not. To remind them of certain aspects of the task, use “Always” instead.
   
   
7. Include a link wherever and whenever you can. Provide references for the type of work you want done to save your VA some time from research. For content-related tasks, you’ll find this extremely useful since you can control the sources you want them to use or the tone of voice you want them to emulate in their own write-ups.
   
   
8. Remain consistent. If you’ve named the project Alpha Bravo Mocha, then you must call it such in any succeeding communications to avoid any confusion. Do the same for specific tasks within the project, e.g. “vision casting” must be “vision casting” in all documents. Hold off any changes in the workflow for after the project unless absolutely necessary.
   
   
9. Seek confirmation that they have all of the information they need to finish the job. Ask if there’s anything else you can provide them or if there are any parts that need clarification. Don’t assume that they understand each aspect of the project if they haven’t replied to you. Send a follow-up email on whether they’ve received the previous email if you have to.
   
   
10. Set a deadline for when you want the work done. Let’s say you have 3 months to complete a simple 1-hour task; you shouldn’t be lenient during this time. Your remote assistant might forget about it as it gets buried under all of the other jobs. You never know if you’ll run into a snag either and may have to make numerous changes in the span of those 3 months.

How We Can Help

We at Remote Workmate can brief potential VAs about your company and industry before we endorse them to you. This helps them understand your instructions more quickly, should they be hired.

At the same time, you can rest assured that we screen every candidate to determine who is the best fit for the role you need to be filled. This is how we provide you with online workers who are quick to the uptake for the instructions you give.