How Much Time Does "It" Take? and Second Guessing
"Once you have mastered time,
you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate
what they can accomplish in a year -- and underestimate what they
can achieve in a decade!" Anthony Robbins
We've all been guilty of second
guessing how much time it should take for someone to complete a
task, start a project, do the shopping, fix the car and so on. We
do it in our daily lives, at work and at home, when we're shopping
and even when we are eating. We even second guess how long it
takes to boil a pot of water!
Working in a virtual business
partnership presents daily opportunities to second guess the
amount of time needed for our partner to complete a project or get
back on an issue or respond to an email or to type the document.
Remember, just because one partner is working on the project,
doesn't mean that the other partner must be working on it at the
same time. Schedules and priorities are different.
Avoiding second guessing will save
a lot of worry and perhaps needless anger. There are as many
reasons as there are personalities for one person to complete a
task at a different speed than another. One person may be an
expert and has done the task over and over creating an efficient
routine. Handing the same task off to your VBP doesn't mean your
partner has the same expertise nor has she/he developed the
routine. Although your virtual partner may know the software, the
content and approach will be new. It will take your partner time
to gain the same expertise. Something as simple as setting up a
spreadsheet format and getting the software to do what you want
may be a factor. Delays in receiving content for a project could
be the result of extra time needed for thorough and complete
research on the subject, others supplying parts of the project,
scheduling, or editing and so on.
The worst kind of second guessing
is when one person goes through the process of doing a task in
his/her mind and thinks, oh, that shouldn't take much time at all.
Well, let's see, our mind thinks at lightning speed. Try going
through the task in real life...did it take a little longer?
Probably. Even though we all think at lightning speed, we all work
at different speeds for different tasks, and performing the task
physically is a whole different story. I type at lightning speed,
but for the life of me I can't use a 10-key by touch.
We should stop and consider that
people work at different speeds and that your virtual business
partner will do some tasks faster than you and perhaps other tasks
slower. Ultimately you must feel confident that your business
partner is working professionally, diligently and competently on
your projects. That trust is essential to a successful virtual
business relationship. It doesn't hurt to send off a quick email
if there seems to be delays or perceived delays...yes, back to why
it is possible to work virtually...communication.
The next time you catch yourself
wondering why it's taking sooooo long, consider:
-
Does your business partner speed read?
-
Is the software new?
-
Does your business partner have the same
expertise as you? I hope not...that's one of the reasons you are
business partners!
-
What kind of problems can arise? Is it being
edited by someone else.
-
What are the details I'm not thinking about that
are involved in the project.
-
Is it an unfamiliar subject or special research?
-
Have I sent an email to ask?
Kathy Sparks, Professional Virtual
Assistant and Online Business Manager, has partnered with clients
nationwide in a multitude of professions and is a past editor and
contributor for "The Virtual Advantage, " an online newsletter for
VAs and their clients. Publications include, "Internet Business
Management, How to Find and Work with a Virtual Assistant, " found
at www.vasecrets.com, "The
Virtual Assistant: A Guide to Creating, Filling & Sustaining Your
Virtual Assistant Practice, " "Connected Virtually, an E-memo."
Visit: Your Virtual Resource
www.yourvirtualresource.com
