Building a strong working relationship with your Klone is key in a fast-paced start-up. In order to achieve this, we have an easy way to remember the basics, the five C’s: Consideration, Clarity, Counsel, Confidence and Comprehensiveness.
Consideration
This might be an obvious one, but the underlying principles of a healthy relationship are consideration and courtesy. This ensures both sides feel valued and want to produce the best work for one another. Examples of this could be acknowledging an Assistant’s valuable work by giving positive feedback for a well-completed task, or a quick glance at the clock before setting a deadline. Sometimes it’s as simple as asking how their day has gone.
Consideration can display itself in many different ways, but the important thing to remember is that despite being virtual, your Klone is a real person, and treating them as such is the first step to a thriving working relationship.
Clarity
Being clear with your Klone is imperative, they are constantly looking out for ways to make your life easier. To do this, your Klone will examine your working style and schedule, and will soon learn to think on your behalf. Soon, you will both will be on the same mental page, which makes for a great working relationship.
However, for that to happen, your Klone will need input from you: they will need to understand who you are, how you think, and what’s important to you. Therefore, you should inform them about your company: the good, the bad and the ugly! We find that when clients share their vision, it helps our Klones to better understand their motives and tailor their role to help achieve those goals.
Counsel
Nowadays, Assistants are so much more than clerical and administrative workers, they are proofreaders, translators and travel agents. They are diplomats, analysts and researchers. They are their own specialists, and a valuable resource for any Executive.
Klones are not just there to take orders from their clients, they are partners in your work – by their very nature, they are an extension of you. Asking them for advice, or running an idea by them will show you treat them as an equal, sowing the seeds for a fruitful relationship.
Confidence
Being able to trust your Klone with any responsibility, and empowering them to act on your behalf is key to a rewarding working relationship. Knowing when to hand down a task is essential for any leader, and having confidence in your Klone makes this an easy decision.
From organising your calendar to ceding control over your inbox, the more faith you invest in your Klone the bigger the benefit you will reap.
Comprehensiveness
It’s not easy to give someone full access to your pride and joy as an entrepreneur, but once an Assistant has proved their worth, you should start to consider how they can help you more and how this can benefit you – both inside and outside of your working life. Being transparent about your work and home life will allow your assistant to identify areas where they could step in.
A good assistant, by definition, thinks and acts on your behalf. As such, the more responsibility that you delegate, the greater the relationship and the greater the return.
