As a business grows larger, the amount of work a leader handles increases as well. Between attracting potential customers, nurturing customer relationships and managing all aspects of the customer journey, this leaves leaders with little time to work on the business rather than in the business.
Hiring a virtual assistant can be a great way for leaders to offload administrative and routine tasks while also positively impacting efficiency across the organization. Here, 12 Newsweek Expert Forum members share how retaining a virtual assistant has helped them streamline their tasks and become more productive.
1. Foster a More Focused Workflow
My virtual assistant is invaluable in streamlining administrative tasks like purchasing, scheduling and email. This creates more time for the core tasks I love, including working with clients, research, teaching and creating programming for the Yale Mental Health & Spirituality Center. By fostering a smoother, more focused workflow, my VA enhances my productivity and enables a greater balance between my personal and professional life. - Anna Yusim, MD, Yusim Psychiatry, Consulting & Executive Coaching
2. Remove the Clutter
Delegation is difficult for many leaders as it typically challenges the high need to control and execute in a certain way. Once they get a few reps under their belts and see windows of opportunities to seize other tasks, they typically jump on board. A virtual assistant is an effective option for "clearing the clutter" and allowing more time for critical and strategic thinking. - Leah Marone, Corporate Wellness Consultant
3. Take on Repetitive and Time-Consuming Tasks
Virtual assistants can help business leaders optimize their productivity by reducing the amount of time spent on repetitive and time-consuming tasks. Research shows that the average professional in the U.S. spends 28 percent of work time or up to 2.6 hours per day reading and answering emails. Business leaders who streamline these tasks with support from VAs can spend more time on value creation for their companies. - Lillian Gregory, The 4D Unicorn LLC
4. Handle Emails and Calls
We all know virtual assistants automate repetitive tasks but to me, one of the best things a VA does is help with communications. VAs can respond immediately to emails and answer the phone. This helps me when I'm busy by ensuring that no potential customer is overlooked. With all of them getting an immediate response, there is a better chance of many of these potential customers turning into conversions. - Baruch Labunski, Rank Secure
5. Manage Duties Independently
After having enough time to clearly see processes and systems, a skilled virtual assistant helps to increase productivity by being able to predict responses and apply resources in a timely manner without having to go through me first. This helps to reduce the decision-making load for me as a CEO and founder. - André Blackman, Onboard Health
6. Do Administrative Tasks
I have been able to focus on high-value activities by delegating administrative tasks to a quality virtual assistant. My VA handles scheduling, email, graphics and CRM management, freeing up my time for strategic planning, decision making and client relations. This has significantly increased my productivity and allowed me to achieve more in less time. - Alan Wozniak, Business Health Matters (BHM) Executive Consulting
7. Manage Calendars
In the digital frontier, leaders are hiring virtual assistants to stay ahead. For me, the boon has been significant in calendar management where these savvy aides seamlessly integrate all my commitments, avoiding overbookings and ensuring a smooth, efficient schedule. Their skill in preempting potential conflicts has been nothing short of a revelation, revolutionizing time management in the C-suite. - Joseph Soares, IBPROM Corp.
8. Support Departments
We hire dedicated virtual assistants as departmental support for the various departments in my company. These assistants are as much a part of the team as anyone else. They make sure the whole team feels supported throughout each week. They also take on projects that might not be a fit for any one person on the team, making it easier for one-off projects to get done across the company. - Ryan Carroll, Wealth Assistants
9. Conduct Initial Sourcing Tasks
Good virtual assistants can save countless hours for us. Our VAs help us with initial sourcing tasks in our recruitment agency, which means that by the time our team starts working in the morning, they already have something to begin with. - Krisztina Veres, Veres Career Consulting
10. Sort Emails
To really supercharge your productivity, have your virtual assistant sort your emails into action folders. This will allow you to immediately focus on the most important emails and not waste time on low-priority ones that don't require input. - Gergo Vari, Lensa
11. Handle Meeting Scheduling
A virtual assistant is valuable for meeting scheduling, creating follow-up prompts and questioning which meetings need to happen and which meetings might need to be shortened, canceled or handled through an alternate channel. Working with a virtual assistant gives me back five to ten hours in any given week. - Karen Mangia, The Engineered Innovation Group
12. Categorize and Prioritize Duties
Consider adopting a priorities matrix, a framework where the virtual assistant is able to categorize tasks based on impact, urgency and personal expertise. This is meant to eliminate decision fatigue. It is rooted in the psychological principle of cognitive outsourcing, where people can outsource routine decision making and preserve cognitive resources for critical activities. - Dr. Kira Graves, Kira Graves Consulting
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
