5 Key Elements to Quick-Start a High Payoff Virtual Team

Once you realize you are ready to delegate to other you are probably going to want to get started quickly. That’s how we work as entrepreneurs, an idea gets in our head and we leap forward.

Typically we rush to bring a new team member on board because we need help now – we can’t wait to get rid of the overwhelm and start making more money and having some much needed time off! But somehow the workflow just gets worse – what we delegate doesn’t get done properly, we continue to drown in a sea of unfinished tasks and our new team member wonders why we aren’t delegating very much to them.

But leaping forward will not get you more time off, money in the bank and much needed sanity! Leaping can get you and your new team frustrated and overwhelmed because you are missing the foundation for a high performance ramp up!

How can you quick start your team without taking your eye off the money flow? Here are five key elements that can easily remedy most common hiring mistakes.

1. Create a vision statement. Make sure you have written out what you want your life and business to be like when you hire the person. Don’t skip this step – it really is crucial to attracting the right people to co-create the experience you want.

2. Develop a role description. Map out exactly what you want the person to accomplish for you. This will also help with estimating the number of hours to plan for. This one step can save you tons of mistakes.

3. Identify your standards, values and vision for your company. If your standard is to respond to phone calls within 24 hours and your VA’s is to return calls within 5 days, you could have a problem. Communicate your vision of how things should happen up front to ensure tasks are done the way YOU want them to be done.

4. Create a checklist of skills, work style preferences and resources team members must have. Do they need to have experience in your particular trade/ industry? Do you use Microsoft Outlook and need to be compatible? Do you prefer to work with self-starters who need little guidance or want to be intimately involved in the day to day operations with them?

5. Take time to interview and check references. Interview at least three to five candidates. Ask questions like, “Tell me about a time when you didn’t know how to complete a job, what did you do?” or “How did you learn how to perform your duties at your last job?”

Every entrepreneur I know resists this process at first. And within a few months, they can’t figure out why this “team thing” isn’t working. I have a saying, “slower + smoother = faster.” Slow down and do this “team thing” right the first time, things will go smoother, and you will get to the million + bank account in record time.