When I think about what sort of person I would most like to have on a retainer, I think it would be a boss. A boss who could tell me what to do, because that makes everything easy when you’re working.” – Andy Warhol, The Philosophy of Andy Warhol
Reading this made me chuckle! And …. there is truth in it because it’s quite reflective of how my clients think about me, their Virtual Assistant. And ….., every once in a while I’d like a boss too ….. but only sometimes.
But Seriously! My clients don’t really think of me as the boss but they do want me to hold them accountable. They want me to remind them what they need to do next, by email, in our productivity application, or just during our weekly calls; we strategize together so we are in sync about the business’ goals and how to go about reaching them. We divide the workload so that each of us does what she/he is best at. For me, it’s the administrative side of the client’s business. It is part of my role, and I love it.
I love it because it’s an indicator of our relationship, of how we work together, how we respect each other. None of that employer-employee BS ……; no, we are a team and have one goal: that the client makes more money while gaining more time to spend with family and friends; to go on a vacation; or to attend conferences; and do their marketing.
My clients know that their business is treated as if it were my own; and because we are a strong team it also assures them that someone is holding the Fort when they’re unavailable.
If you are self-employed and work with a team, what do you value most about your team members and what criteria did you apply when choosing each of them?