How often do you tell your Virtual Assistant that you appreciate them? While it isn’t necessary to throw a parade every time your VA does their job, it is important to thank them for supporting you. When you take time to recognize the efforts your VA puts in every day for your business (and you know you couldn’t do it without them!) morale is high and you’ll see productivity rise by simply showing gratitude.
Keep scrolling to read 3 reasons you should encourage your Virtual Assistant.
Creating a Positive Culture
Happy workplaces are the best workplaces. It doesn’t matter if you share an office or work a few states away, your leadership will either create a positive culture or a negative one. Within a positive culture, your team members will feel the freedom to share ideas and input. In a toxic, negative environment, your team members will be there to punch the clock… nothing more, nothing less.
Increase Efficiency
Encouragement leads to motivation and motivation leads to efficiency.
A poll by Tjinsite, a division of TimeJobs.com, found that more than 35% of the employees consider lack of recognition of work as the biggest hindrance to their productivity. According to them, rewards and recognition for achievements within the workplace act as a morale booster, which in turn increased their productivity. When your remote team feels valued rather than simply the “hired help” your company yields better results.
A New Level of Respect
Don’t be a toxic leader who only demands their needs be taken care of without recognizing the person(s) who is keeping your life together.
When you take time to personally thank your VA for supporting you and recognizing specific tasks and projects you didn’t lose sleep over, they’ll feel a sense of pride in their work and have a deeper respect for you.
How To Encourage Your VA
Now that you know the “why”, let’s talk about the “how”.
Encouraging your VA doesn’t have to be an extravagant gesture. We recommend finding out how your VA accepts appreciation. One of the quizzes we use at Priority VA is the 5 Love Languages based on the book from Gary Chapman.
We have several team members at Priority VA and each one is different and accepts praise in a variety of ways. The last thing you want to do is buy someone a gift, when what they really want is for you to post a video on social media about how amazing they are.
Others would cringe at the thought of public accolade, but perhaps Acts of Service is how they receive praise. This would be a great opportunity to order a one-time house cleaning service for your VA after a big launch.
Ask your Virtual Assistant, whether they’ve been with you for years or are new to your team, to take the 5 Love Languages test. Find out how they receive praise and then ask what they like. Find out their favorite restaurants, stores, color, local spa… the list could go on. The bottom line is, find out how they like to be appreciated. Then find out their favorite spots.
Gifts don’t have to happen everyday. In fact, try sending them at random times… it’s more fun that way!
However, one thing that should happen often is a simple “Thank You”. A spontaneous text on a Tuesday to say how much you appreciate their work will speak volumes and help build a relationship for life. Try it! You’ll be amazed at how far that will go in encouraging your VA.
If you’re interested in learning more about what a Virtual Assistant can do for your business, contact us here. Our team will help you determine how your business can benefit from a VA.
