After my post about micromanaging, Maria reached out with a terrific question:
Anastacia, you said that MY systems and processes need to support me well. But I work in my CLIENT’S systems and processes and I don’t feel like they support me well in the work I do, so I don’t see how I can change anything about that.
Got it. And this might blow your mind a bit, but here it is: You don’t have to manage your work in someone else’s system. In fact, I would suggest that you don’t, unless their systems are the same ones that you use and love in your own business.
Here’s a story from one of the AssistU VAs that illustrates this:
She has a client whose work has a TON of moving parts. The client loves Google Keep, and wanted to work exclusively in Google Keep.
If you’ve ever worked in Google Keep, you know there’s no way to really manage anything in it.
But even if it were possible, the VA is not in love with GK. She’s an Asana super-user. That’s her platform of choice, it’s what works well with her brain, and it’s what best supports her and the work she does for clients.
So, the client puts stuff in Keep, and the VA moves it over and sets things up for herself in Asana.
Asana keeps her straight and makes it possible for her to show up brilliantly in the work.
And, yes; that’s using two systems, and some duplicate work.
But that’s ok because it’s all billable.
You have to use the tools that support your brilliance, even if they aren’t the same tools the client uses.
That’s part of the work. You are the one who decides how YOU manage your work, just like you decide when you’re available, what your fee will be, and everything else about how you do what you do.
You need to bring the calm to your work, not play in what makes you crazy.
