Hiring a Virtual Assistant (VA) is one of the smartest moves a business owner or team can make today. Whether you’re drowning in admin tasks or simply need help staying organized, a VA can take a huge weight off your shoulders. But here’s the thing: if you really want to get the most out of your VA service, you need to do more than just assign tasks.
The real key?
Let them into your world and ⬇️
Not necessarily every corner of it, but enough so they understand how you work, what matters to you, and what your day-to-day looks like.
Why That Matters
Imagine being told to handle someone else’s emails, calendar, or processes without knowing the bigger picture. It’s doable, sure—but far from efficient. When your VA understands your priorities, tone, workflow, and goals, they can work smarter, anticipate needs, and make decisions that align with what you would have done (sometimes better!).
It’s like giving someone a recipe instead of just asking them to make a dish. A little background makes all the difference.
What Happens When You Don’t Share Enough
We’ve seen it happen. A VA is hired, tasks are assigned with minimal direction, and a week or two in, things feel off. The work might be technically correct, but it’s not quite what you envisioned. The VA doesn’t take initiative, and you find yourself doing more explaining than you hoped.
The problem usually isn’t the VA—it’s the lack of context.
When VAs don’t have visibility into how your business really works, it slows everything down. They hesitate, you correct often, and nobody’s working at full capacity.
How to Give Your VA a “Peek into Your World”
You don’t need to share every last detail of your business. Just enough to give them confidence, direction, and a sense of ownership. Here’s how:
1. Share the Big Picture
Even if your VA is mainly doing admin tasks, it helps to know:
What your business does
Who your ideal clients are
What your current goals or pain points are
What a “win” looks like in your day-to-day
You’d be surprised how many times VAs spot things you might miss—just because they understand what you’re working toward.
2. Walk Them Through Your Tools
Tools like AppFolio, Asana, QuickBooks, or even your inbox—these are part of your daily workflow. Instead of just telling your VA what to do, give them light access (or even just a screen share) so they can explore and understand how you move through your workday.
This doesn’t mean they have to touch everything—just giving them a feel for the flow goes a long way.
3. Use SOPs or Create Quick Guides
If you have SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), that’s amazing—share them! If not, no stress. Start by recording a few short Loom videos or writing quick bullet lists explaining how you handle recurring tasks. Past examples help, too.
Better yet, ask your VA to document as they go. That way, you’re building a playbook together over time.
4. Let Them Observe, Not Just Do
Especially early on, it helps if your VA can shadow you—even virtually. Let them see how you respond to emails, how you organize your calendar, or how you run a meeting. The more they see, the more they’ll pick up on your style and expectations without you having to spell everything out.
5. Be Clear About Communication
Do you prefer Slack or email? Do you like daily check-ins or a weekly recap? Should they let you know before they take initiative on something, or just go for it?
Setting those expectations upfront avoids a lot of back-and-forth later on. And if something feels off? Just talk about it—tweaking your system is totally normal.
What About Trust?
It’s completely valid to feel hesitant about giving access, especially in the beginning. But you can build trust gradually:
Start with non-sensitive tasks
Give limited tool access
Review work regularly
Communicate openly
Once your VA proves dependable (and they usually do), you’ll feel more comfortable opening up more of your world.
So, What’s in It for You?
Giving your VA this kind of insight pays off—big time. Here’s what you’ll likely notice:
They work faster because they “get it”
You answer fewer questions
They start to take initiative (yes, really!)
They catch details or suggest improvements
You stop micromanaging and get more space to focus on bigger things
And honestly? They’ll enjoy the work more, too. People do better when they feel trusted, included, and part of something that matters.
Real Talk: A Quick Example
Let’s say two clients hire the same VA.
Client A gives a list of tasks and nothing else.
Client B spends 30 minutes showing their calendar system, explains what’s important to them, and shares a few SOPs.
Who’s going to see results faster?
Exactly. Client B gave their VA a chance to succeed.
Hiring a VA isn’t just about offloading tasks- it’s about building a working relationship that adds real value to your business. The best way to do that? Let them into your world, even just a little.
Show them what matters. Let them explore your tools. Give them context, not just commands.
It might take a bit more effort at the start, but it’ll save you time, energy, and stress in the long run. More importantly, it turns your VA from a task-doer into a true partner in your day-to-day success.