There’s something to be said for nurturing your relationship with your assistant, and yet, many entrepreneurs and corporate managers aren’t exactly sure how to do that. An excellent assistant can simplify your life in so many ways (and complicate it in so many others if you’re not careful!) that it is definitely worth the time and effort to cultivate a strong, loyal relationship with him or her.
So, as someone who has worked in both the corporate world and the online entrepreneurial world as an assistant, let me share some tips with you today on how to help nurture that relationship.
1. Be realistic
This may seem obvious but one thing that is essential is to set realistic expectations and stick to them. By setting realistic expectations when it comes to turnaround times and workflow, you show that you value the work your assistant does and understand all that is involved in getting it done. This will only help endear you to your assistant since it will help them feel valued as a team member.
It is also important that these expectations are clearly communicated. If you’d like all of your customer service emails to be responded to in 48 hours, be sure your assistant knows that. If you’d like a response to any questions you have within one business day, be sure that they know that. The things that are important and obvious to you may not be the same to an assistant until you tell them.
For instance, one of my clients has a very specific policy about how to give out appointment availability to leads. When scheduling a getting acquainted call, he likes to only offer 5 slots and no more than 2 slots per day. Plus, he only wants these getting acquainted calls scheduled on 3 days per week. There’s a few reasons behind these policies – productivity, scarcity, and value – but, with those specific parameters in place, I am better able to serve his request when communicating with leads. Had he not informed me of that, I would not have been able to meet that expectation since it was by no means obvious.
2. Be flexible
This is a tricky one, because obviously there are deadlines involved in getting work done, and those should be stuck to whenever possible. But it is important to remember that your assistant may have other clients too and probably has a life outside of work. Assuming your assistant is generally reliable and meets deadlines 95% of the time, a one-off missed deadline should not cause an immediate catastrophe. Ask why the deadline wasn’t met and see if there’s an explanation because more than likely it wasn’t just ignored or forgotten.
The more important way to be flexible is when your delivery impacts deadlines. If you are the cause of the delay, it is important to communicate that to your assistant so they don’t feel undue pressure to meet the prior deadlines. There is nothing worse than expecting content on a Monday for a Wednesday deadline and then getting it on Tuesday night at midnight with no acknowledgement of the tardiness. Ultimately, a good assistant will bend over backwards to accommodate the original deadline even if they’re internally seething. Too many repeated instances of this will definitely impact your relationship with your assistant and not in a positive way.
3. Be kind
Again, this may seem very obvious but it is something that will go a long way with an assistant. My clients that take the time to thank me for my work or acknowledge that I provide excellent service are always going to stay on the good list. In the hustle and bustle of everyday business, it is very easy to forget the pleases and the thank yous with someone you work with day in and day out. But remembering that your assistant provides a valuable service to you and your clients is key in nurturing that relationship.
It’s also important that you have their back in any sticky situation. In the case of an error with a client or a vendor, outwardly back up your assistant from the get go. I’ve seen it happen so many times when someone throws their assistant under the bus for something the assistant had nothing to do with, and this can crush the relationship. Presenting a united front with your assistant shows that you value their work and trust them. This also shows the client or vendor that you value your team. This is not to say an error is impossible, but the go-to reaction if a client or vendor is attacking your assistant should be to spring to their defense. You can always rectify a mistake later through more training or information, but throwing your assistant under the bus when they’ve done nothing wrong will cause irreparable damage to the relationship.
Remembering to nurture your relationship with your assistant will certainly help your bottom line, because their support is what helps you grow your business. So your action step for today is to make one specific positive action that acknowledges what your assistant does for you on a daily basis.
Action Step: If you have an assistant, schedule an appointment to check in this week and keep this resource handy. Don’t have an assistant? Check out our free video training 5 Days to Finding Fabulous Help for Your Online Business by clicking here.
Tressa Beheim is a corporate administrator turned entrepreneur. As a virtual project manager and assistant to online business owners, Tressa works with a variety of coaches, mentors, and speakers. She specializes in Infusionsoft, marketing support, and creating structure in the midst of chaos. She provides excellent support that is both timely and responsive to entrepreneurs who are just starting out or looking for more structure as they grow. And she knows the value of balance, spending time with her husband and two young daughters in their new hometown of Albuquerque, NM when she’s not working.
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