I’ve always been driven by freedom. It’s a primary motivator for me.
Time freedom.
Money freedom.
Responsibility freedom.
I always work towards systems which will provide me freedom.
Like, if there’s a task that takes too much time I either outsource it or say no to it completely.
Or, if there’s a business opportunity that I can see will require me to always be there, I say no.
Freedom requires consistently making conscious choices.
Training sets you up for freedom.
That’s why I encourage my kids to train for their biking competitions. I go with them because I know it motivates them. I give them all the tools they need so they’re confident whenever they compete. When you’re fit, you’re free to go fast or slow. You can climb any hill you want. It’s all doable.
When you have a trained team, it’s similar.
You can take on a project.
You can be more efficient.
You can hand tasks off easier.
If I need to train a new hire, I make time for it. I make sure my OFS gets what they need. Because even though it’s a lot of work for me right now, it saves me hours in the future.
But there are still some who think that setting aside time for training isn’t worth it. Instead, they have these misconceptions.
Misconception # 1: Training isn’t necessary if you hire the right person.
Here’s a reality check. In the Philippines, everyone expects to get “On The Job training”. It’s part of the culture.
Sure, you may not have to train them on things they’re an expert at, but you’ll still need to provide expectations, feedback, and help with what the output looks like.
Even if you do find that perfect hire, you still need to train them, at least a little bit, so they know how things are done in your business.
Misconception #2: Training takes too much time.
Yes, training does take time. But it’s also time well spent. Time working ON your business rather than IN your business.
Plus, if you use Snagit, training only takes the amount of time it takes you to talk through it. Then it’s permanently recorded and can be given to others in the future.
Spending that time today saves you hours in the future.
Misconception #3: My VA doesn’t need training. They can just learn on the job.
I’ve talked about the disappearing Filipino before. This happens when your OFS is placed in a situation where they feel helpless and they don’t know what to do. Instead of asking for help, they’ll just ghost you and disappear.
This can happen when you tell your OFS that they can just learn as they go.
When you tell them that, what your OFS hears is, “I can’t be bothered, just figure it out yourself.”
So what happens when they run into problems? They disappear.
They disappear because they feel like they can’t come to you when they need help.
They’re afraid to ask you to make decisions because they don’t know if they should.
But when you give them training, you’re showing them that you want them to do a good job. You’re showing them that you’re willing to invest your precious time in making this working relationship successful.
So when they do need your help, they’re not afraid to ask you.
I know training an OFS is hard work. That’s why, as I started hiring more people to work for me, I wanted to create a solution for this. So if you want an easier way to train your VA, just go to VAsMadeEasy.com.
John