Introduction

Giving feedback to your VA can be tricky. You want to correct mistakes, guide improvements, and align expectations - without hovering, nitpicking, or creating anxiety. The goal isn’t just to fix things. It’s to create a culture of clarity and ownership.

This guide offers simple, founder-friendly ways to give feedback that builds trust, encourages initiative, and helps your VA grow - all while keeping things async and low-friction.

Why It Matters

Most VAs don’t fail because they’re unskilled. They fail because they don’t know what success looks like - or they only hear about it when they mess up. Clear, consistent feedback is the difference between a task-taker and a proactive operator.

Done right, feedback creates momentum. Done wrong, it leads to hesitation, second-guessing, and burnout.

Use the Feedback Triangle

A simple framework to guide any piece of feedback:

• Clarify the goal – What was the task supposed to achieve?

• Highlight what worked – Reinforce what they should keep doing.

• Suggest a next step – Don’t just point out mistakes. Offer a better way forward.

Example:

“Thanks for sending the social tracker! The layout is clean and easy to scan (✅ what worked). For next week, let’s also include a column for engagement stats so we can compare over time (🔁 next step).”

Set the Feedback Cadence

Establish a regular rhythm so feedback doesn’t feel random or reactive:

• Weekly async check-ins (using Loom or Notion comments)

• Monthly strategy reviews

• Instant Slack nudges for urgent or teachable moments

Avoid saving all feedback for one big dump. Small, frequent touchpoints build momentum and reduce pressure.

Use Loom or Screen Share Wisely

Text feedback can be misread. When something’s nuanced, record a quick Loom explaining the why behind your suggestion. This humanizes the correction and gives your VA the full context - tone, intent, and reasoning.

You can also ask your VA to send you Looms walking through their work. It’s a great way to catch misunderstandings early.

Make Praise Public, Corrections Private

If you’re working in a team setting:

• Celebrate wins and improvements in public Slack channels.

• Give constructive feedback 1:1.

This builds confidence without putting your VA on the spot.

Ask for Feedback, Too

Feedback is a two-way street. Once your VA is settled, ask them things like:

• “What could I be doing better as a delegator?”

• “What task felt unclear last week?”

• “What process should we clean up together?”

This shows maturity, encourages open dialogue, and makes feedback feel mutual - not hierarchical.

TL;DR: Feedback That Builds Trust

• Be specific: What worked, what didn’t, and what’s next

• Use Looms for tone and clarity

• Give feedback often - not just when things go wrong

• Invite feedback on your leadership too

Feedback isn’t just about getting tasks done right. It’s about building a team culture where improvement is expected, welcomed, and safe.