How To Train Your Online Assistant For Bigger Responsibilities

Working with an online assistant involves trust and accountability. These are earned over time and proven consistently. At some point, you might feel the need to delegate bigger responsibilities to her. Before you make her do large-scale tasks, make sure you train her properly. Your assistant’s performance is heavily dependent on the training and guidance she receives. Here are some ways you can effectively train your online assistant.

Business knowledge.

Online Assistant - Business Knowledge

From the time you hire your online assistant, make sure you brief her about your core business. She needs to know what your business is all about along with the company’s work ethic. Your online assistant should be familiar with your core values, mission, and vision so that her work is aligned with the things you believe in. Your assistant should feel that she is really part of your company and not merely an offshore service provider. A sense of ownership always brings out the best in people.

Systems mastery.

Online Assistant - Systems Mastery

Your online assistant needs to master your business processes to make her competent to take on bigger responsibilities. These systems may be part of her current job. If not, have her trained on these processes. The important thing is that she’s fully knowledgeable in using the platforms you’ve provided her. She should be able to contact someone if she has questions regarding the system. Knowing the ins and outs of your business processes will also give her the confidence to accomplish her tasks.

Shadowing.

This simply means that your online assistant will observe you or your employee while doing the actual task. You need to set specific days for this. This may involve video chatting and screen sharing. Encourage your online assistant to ask questions and not be intimidated with the new responsibility she will be taking on. Seeing how others do it helps your assistant learn techniques that will make her more efficient in her new responsibility.

Test projects.

Simulation tests are great for gauging your assistant’s capabilities. It’s best not to let your online assistant know that it’s a simulation project. Knowing that a certain test is not real gives a person a certain allowance for mistake. However, if a person knows that it’s the real deal already, his or her productivity will be taken a notch higher. Another kind of test you can do is by giving her responsibilities directly related to her new task. You need to choose the assignments with the most minimal risk so as not to jeopardize your big project.

Being assigned bigger responsibilities is both a privilege and a challenge. It’s a validation of your assistant’s performance and capabilities. It also shows your trust and confidence on the skills of your online assistant. Training her well will propel your online assistant to successfully perform her new tasks. You still need to give allowance for an adjustment period. Mistakes may happen initially but once your assistant becomes more competent and confident in doing her work these will stop altogether. The important thing is you provide her with the training and tools she needs to make sure she’s ready and capable to take on big responsibilities.