Ultimate Guide to Virtual Assistants, 10x Delegation & More | Sam Corcos | The Tim Ferriss Show #bigIdeas

In this enlightening conversation with Sam Corcos, CEO and Co-founder of Levels, he shares valuable insights into the power of delegation, the importance of transparency in the workplace, and the role of various tools in enhancing productivity.

He also emphasizes the potential of virtual assistants and the significance of understanding different roles within an organization.

An Executive Assistant performs consistent tasks like scheduling, while a Chief of Staff handles more complex projects.

Understanding the difference between these roles ensures appropriate task assignment, maximizing the efficiency of both roles.

One of the specific tactical things that I always recommend for people for getting better at delegating is just workflow recording. And this is really as simple as when you sit at your computer, turn on a Loom, and then that’s it. Just do your normal work. – Sam Corcos

A chief of staff is somebody where you say, we have this problem, go solve it. Where an EA tends to be somebody where it’s more consistent tasks. – Sam Corcos

Finding the right match between the delegator and the delegatee is crucial for effective delegation.

If the initial match doesn’t work, it’s important not to give up.

A different person with a different background might be a better fit, significantly improving output and reducing stress levels.

Imposter syndrome can hinder effective delegation.

It’s essential to remember that delegating tasks provides opportunities for others to prove themselves and grow in their careers, rather than simply offloading work.

Books like ‘No Rules Rules’, ’15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership’, and ‘Nonviolent Communication’ can significantly influence building a strong company culture and improving communication.

Levels has a team book club and a strongly recommended reading list for employees.

At Levels, the principle of treating people like responsible adults is fundamental.

This involves trusting that employees will complete assigned tasks without constant follow-ups, fostering a culture of trust and respect.

Loom, a screen recording tool, is extensively used at Levels for asynchronous communication.

It allows users to easily record and share their screens, enabling efficient communication that scales effectively.

Unlike time, content scales infinitely.

This is evident in tools like Loom, where a programmer can record their work process and narrate their thoughts, which can then be accessed and learned from by any engineer in the company, at any time.

At Levels, Notion, a note-taking and productivity app, is used to record tasks performed by executive assistants.

Each process has its own dedicated page in Notion, linked to a larger database of all tasks done by any EA, allowing for easy searchability and organization of tasks.