The ultimate guide to motivating your virtual assistant

In today's fast-paced and competitive business world, virtual assistants (VAs) are essential to many small businesses. They can help free up your time, provide expert knowledge, and save you the cost of hiring a full-time employee!

But keeping a VA motivated can be a challenge as they work remotely and have little direct contact with you. It can be hard for them to remain enthusiastic about their work, especially if they start to feel underappreciated.

So how can you motivate your virtual assistant?

This post aims to answer this question by providing you with some top tips on how to inspire your VA and ensure a productive working relationship.

1. Understand your virtual assistant

To effectively motivate your virtual assistant, it's important that you take the time to understand them. Getting to know who they are as a person will not only make your VA feel valued, but it will also help you understand what will inspire them to do their best work.

Although it isn't always possible to tailor your VA's workload to suit their needs and preferences, it is a great way to show them that their help is highly appreciated. This can lead to a more engaged, productive, and satisfied virtual assistant.

Here are some factors to consider:

Learning about their strengths and weaknesses

Knowing your virtual assistant's strengths and weaknesses can help you assign tasks that align with their skills and interests. It can also help you provide targeted feedback to help them improve in areas where they may need support.

Understanding their goals and aspirations

Understanding your virtual assistant's goals and aspirations allows you to tailor their role in line with their goals. For example, if your VA is interested in marketing, you can assign them marketing-related tasks to help them gain experience and build their portfolio.

Knowing their communication preferences

Knowing your virtual assistant's communication preferences is essential to building an effective working relationship. For example, some VAs prefer regular check-ins, while others prefer more autonomy. By understanding this, you can find a way to communicate that works for both of you.

2. Set clear expectations

Setting clear expectations is crucial when working with a virtual assistant. Vague outlines of tasks or inaccurate guidelines will only cause you and your VA confusion and dissatisfaction with the work being done.

By communicating clearly from the get-go, you can avoid this issue, as your VA will be able to understand their role and responsibilities better. This will help to limit the number of errors made when completing tasks, helping them feel more confident and motivated in their role.

Here are some tips to help:

Defining specific goals and targets

Clearly defining specific goals and targets for your virtual assistant can help them understand what they are working towards. It can also help you track their progress and evaluate their performance. 

Establishing timelines and deadlines

Establishing timelines and deadlines for tasks and projects can help your virtual assistant prioritise their workload and manage their time effectively. Just make sure that your deadlines are reasonable and communicated clearly.

Clearly communicating the scope of work

Clearly communicating the scope of work can help your virtual assistant understand the boundaries of their role and what they are responsible for. This can also help prevent misunderstandings or confusion about their responsibilities.

TOP TIP: Struggling with setting expectations and systematising tasks? Our SOP Guide + FREE SOP Blueprint can be your roadmap for streamlining this process. The guide offers a step-by-step approach to creating Standard Operating Procedures that clearly outline what needs to be done. This can be invaluable in setting clear expectations with your VA.

3. Create a positive work environment

Creating a positive work environment will help to improve your VA's job satisfaction. No one likes working in an environment where they feel undervalued and excluded, even when it's happening remotely.

Instead, try building positive relationships between you, your virtual assistant, and the rest of your team.  This will help you form a more collaborative and productive workforce that enjoys working together.

Here are some things to consider:

Encouraging open communication

Encouraging open communication between you and your virtual assistant can help build trust and understanding. Regular check-ins, meetings, and feedback sessions can all help foster a great relationship.

Building a sense of team spirit

Even though your virtual assistant works remotely, you can still build a sense of team spirit. Encourage collaboration and team-building activities, such as virtual social events. This can help your virtual assistant feel more connected to your business and the rest of the team.

4. Provide constructive feedback

By providing constructive feedback, you can help your virtual assistant improve their performance, feel supported and motivated, and develop a growth mindset. It will also help you monitor their progress and ensure they're meeting your expectations.

Just make sure to give some positive feedback too! No one likes to be constantly critiqued, and your VA will be no different. Any positive comments are sure to boost their confidence and put a smile on their face, making them feel much more comfortable in their role. 

Here are some tips to help:

Giving feedback in a timely manner

Providing feedback in a timely manner can help your virtual assistant understand how they are performing and what they can improve on. Regular feedback sessions, such as weekly or monthly check-ins, can help ensure that feedback is provided consistently.

Being specific and objective in your feedback

Providing specific and objective feedback can help your virtual assistant understand exactly what they need to work on. Avoid vague or subjective comments; instead, provide specific examples of what they did well and what they can improve on.

Providing guidance on how to improve

Providing guidance on how your virtual assistant can improve their performance can help them feel supported and motivated. Offer suggestions on how they can improve their skills to help them develop their abilities.

Encouraging a growth mindset

Try to encourage your VA to embrace challenges and view mistakes as learning opportunities rather than failures. This can help them develop a positive attitude towards feedback and continue to improve their performance.

5. Offer incentives and rewards

Offering incentives and rewards is a really effective way of motivating your virtual assistant to perform at their best and achieve their goals. They can also help you build a positive relationship with your VA and foster a culture of appreciation and recognition in your business.

Here are a couple of ideas to consider:

Monetary rewards

Monetary rewards, such as bonuses, can be a powerful motivator for your virtual assistant. You could offer bonuses for meeting targets and achieving exceptional performance, or pay them a surprise birthday or Christmas bonus to show them how much you appreciate their support.

Non-monetary rewards

Non-monetary rewards can also be effective in motivating your virtual assistant. For example, you could offer access to training and development opportunities to help your virtual assistant feel valued and supported in their role.

TLDR: Motivating your VA is crucial to ensure a successful working relationship. By understanding their needs, setting clear expectations, offering incentives, creating a positive work environment, and providing constructive feedback, you can help your VA feel valued, engaged, and motivated.

If you found this blog post useful and are looking for a virtual assistant to support your business, I can help! My team of experienced VAs can provide the support you need to grow your business and achieve your goals. Get in touch today to learn more.

Want more content like this? Subscribe to my monthly newsletter for ambitious business owners. It's choc-full of recommendations and resources to help you run your business more efficiently.