“We just send info back and forth–it never seems to get finished” Frustration written all over client’s face. He was referring to a QuickBooks report given to him from his bookkeeper that he had written an additional request on and given back to her. She gave it back to him…. and he vaguely remembered her saying that she had taken care of it… but where was it?

“We need a system to make this easier,” he lamented. Now we’re talking! A few thoughts of tracking systems went through my head, but then I re-read the request he had written to her. A-ha! It was missing a crucial element: the conclusive action request. It was missing a final line that said, “Return to me with this note.” This means that the bookkeeper would fill in the blank for final instructions, and it might not be what he had in mind.

Few and far between is the assistant-business owner relationship in which the assistant can anticipate her client’s thoughts. This seems to be one of the recurring issues for Creatives, that is, nailing down what the end result should be for some of the more “boring” paperwork kinds of things. Unless they are interested in the subject, in which case they’ll be doing it themselves, they seem to find it quasi-painful to think through to the end result. Which is why they have someone to help them.

While I’m all in favor of calling on an assistant for those tasks they don’t want to do, developing a positive relationship with an assistant is crucial for continuity. Frustration and ambiguity do not make for happy helpers.

How terrible would it be to be given a recipe for a delicious chocolate cake that only had the first 80% of the directions? Either you come to a stand still, guess, or go hunt down someone who might know (which makes the process take a lot longer than necessary!)

Thinking through a delegated task or request all the way to the end is GREAT practice for honing your intentions to be in line with what you want to achieve. Sitting down to your own work with a clear understanding of the finished product lubricates the gears to get there.

And really, isn’t that what getting work done is all about? Identify, define, do. Nix unnecessary revisiting of tasks by being clear at the beginning.