How to Train Your VA: Hand over that schedule!

In case you missed last week's post, I'm taking you through simple steps on how to quickly get your VA up and running quickly so you can feel relieved instead of OVERWHELMED. You can read that post and find my tips on handing over your inbox here! Today we will discuss the next important piece of the VA puzzle- releasing control of your schedule!

From now on, you are not the keeper of your own schedule.

That is the job of your VA. Have your VA schedule meetings, zooms, appointments, and keep up with important deadlines for you!

Before you start training, do this:

1. Gather all passwords so your VA has immediate access to your zoom, work calendar, and personal calendar. Don't have a safe way to store your passwords? Sign up for 1Password or Bitwarden for as little as $3 a month for secure storage of everything in one place. Have your VA set it up for you and feel the stress of remembering passwords melt away.

2. Have a simple way to communicate with your VA when you need an appointment made or changed. For instance, set up a free Slack account or their own work email address (use google mail and keep it simple) and let your VA know that you will message them anytime you need something scheduled or changed. Tip: Don't use personal texting for work messages! It sets a bad precedent and doesn't allow you to ever get a break.

In order for this to work, you must stop scheduling things yourself and start immediately messaging your VA for all appointments that need to be scheduled. Have your VA add alerts to your calendar, set video calls that are tied to all invitations, and have your VA confirm appointments for you in advance. It’s not a bother to a good VA.

It’s their job, and they probably love it too!

Pro tip: Schedule weekly focus meetings with your VA!

By having a focused meeting with your VA each week, you will free up more time in your schedule.

These meetings should be short- less than an hour- and focused! Come prepared with objectives for the week ahead and let your VA know what updates you want he or she to bring to your meeting each week. That way your time will be well-spent and you will leave feeling like you can take on the world! Here's a sample of what to include in your weekly meetings:

1. Outline what your VA needs to accomplish for the week- Take a few minutes to think ahead of time about what you need help with. Don't be tempted to get on the call and just waste time thinking on the spot. Look at your calendar and pick out any manual tasks your VA should be doing instead of you.

2. Ask the VA what they have on their list - Ask your VA what questions they have concerning what you just asked them to help with. Communication goes both ways and now is the time for you to invite clarifying questions.

3. Create a weekly check in report your VA will bring to you at each meeting- Do you need sales data from the week before? Do you want updates on which accounts were reached out to the previous week? Are there tasks or outreach goals your is expected to do each week? Outline a simple list of what you want your VA to report to you each week. They will feel good knowing they are accomplishing what you ask and you will feel good knowing exactly where they are at in their work.

Your weekly meeting will soon become the most important meeting of the week and will set the tone for everything you do each week!

Added Bonus! When you start to trust your VA, they will be able to make adjustments to help you focus your work in better ways. They can schedule all your meetings to just one or two days a week so you will be more efficient and focused, eliminating wasted time. Your VA can offer helpful tools and suggestions to improve your efficiency! Speaking of efficient systems...

Next up in the series: Let your VA streamline your systems! Subscribe to my newsletter so you don't miss a single post, released each Thursday!