In order to ensure a successful implementation of a project, it is important to have a dedicated project manager who’d be in charge of co-ordinating and managing different aspects of the project. As an entrepreneur, you may act as a bonafide project manager in your starting days, but as the business grows, so will your workload and responsibilities. And soon enough, it’d be impossible for you to handle everything on your own. This is where hiring a virtual assistant as your project manager can help.
Hiring virtual assistants as project managers is perhaps one of the most common reasons for hiring them. A dedicated virtual assistant is indeed well equipped to manage various aspects of your ongoing project and ensure that everything gets done seamlessly. Wondering how you can enable your VA to successfully manage your project? Read on to find out!
Steps for enabling VA as Project Manager
Inform about the project: This is the primary step before your hired VA can begin their work as a project manager. You need communicate with them in thorough details regarding the project and what it entails. You need to tell them clearly what would their role be as a project manager. And be clear about your expectations regarding the results and the deadlines . This would help you VA get a clearer picture of the work they’d be doing.
Introduce your team: Your virtual assistant will be working from a remote location, but in order to get the project done they would still have to work in sync with the rest of your team. So, before the VA begins his work, it is imperative to tell the VA about your team members, what business hours they work in, how to handle them or how to have access to them for any project related query. This will ensure a glitch free performance on the part of your virtual assistant as a project manager.
Use a project management tool/software: There are plenty project management tools that enable the team working on the project to keep all project related details in the same place and within the access of every member, stay in touch with each other in order to share updates or address concerns on a common platform and track the progress of the project together. This keep the project moving a consistent pace, helps the virtual assistant to be on the same page as the rest of the team and thereby gets the work done faster and better!
Tips to ensure good project management by the virtual assistant
Once your virtual assistant has begun working as your project manager, there are a few steps you can take in order to ensure that you get maximum value out of the VA’s services and efforts.
Choose the tasks with care: Your virtual assistant is going to be a skilled professional, no doubt. But, there are certain tasks that may require skills that are beyond your VA’s expertise. It may require your personal intervention. Delegating them to the VA will only result in mediocre results. So, delegate the right tasks to your VA – as per their expertise – and you will be able to ensure better results.
Keep the communication lines open: Your virtual assistant is already working from a remote location and will not be meeting you face to face like your other regular employees. Hence here, communication becomes even more important, due to the lack of physical presence or interaction. Make sure both you and your virtual assistant communicate with each other clearly. This must include the progress of the project, any observations or even any queries. This keeps the project on track.
Instruct clearly and in detail: As your project manager, your virtual assistant’s only guide is going to be you. The assistant is simply going to do what you instruct them to do. So, make sure you give them detailed instructions regarding anything and everything that may be related to your project. Do not leave out any point.Put every information out there. So you can achieve a zero-confusion work environment. Tell your assistant the exact deadlines. Break down the procedure of doing the task in steps and do keep following up regularly to ensure the progress.
Your VA gets acquainted with your company’s unique style and strategy soon. After that you will not have to monitor as much as the first time. Thereafter, your virtual project manager will be able to carry your projects to their completion, without any glitch!
So hand over your next project to a virtual assistant. And see the perks of having more time to focus on your business and less things to worry about! New to virtual assistants? Sign up for an FREE TRIAL with TASK VIRTUAL today!
