One of the biggest challenges in managing a virtual assistant is maintaining visibility without becoming a micromanager. You want to know what's getting done, catch blockers early, and stay in sync — but you don't want to check in every hour or schedule back-to-back video calls.
The daily standup solves this. When structured well, a standup takes 5–15 minutes and gives you the clarity you need to trust your VA to work independently the rest of the day.
What Is a Daily Standup?
The standup is a short, structured check-in borrowed from agile software development. In software teams, it typically happens live every morning and covers three questions:
- What did I do yesterday?
- What am I doing today?
- Is anything blocking me?
For VA relationships, the same structure applies — but the format may shift depending on your working styles and time zones. Many VA standups happen asynchronously through Slack or a shared task board rather than live video.
Live vs. Async Standups
Live standups (video or voice call) work best when:
- You and your VA are in similar time zones
- Tasks involve a lot of back-and-forth or decision-making
- You're in the early stages of the relationship and building rapport
- Same-day adjustments are common
Async standups (written updates) work best when:
- There are significant time zone differences
- Your VA works independently on well-defined tasks
- You want a written record of daily activity
- You prefer not to start every morning with a meeting
Most seasoned VA relationships settle into async standups after the first few months, with occasional live check-ins when needed.
The Three-Question Framework
Whether live or async, keep your standup structure consistent. The three core questions are:
1. What did you complete yesterday (or today so far)?
This gives you a record of completed work. It also helps your VA develop the habit of tracking their own output — which builds accountability.
2. What are you working on today?
This is your opportunity to course-correct priorities if something has shifted. It also ensures your VA is working on what matters most, not just what was left on the list.
3. Are there any blockers or questions?
This is the most valuable question. A blocker left unaddressed wastes hours. A quick "I'm waiting on your approval to proceed with X" message in the morning can prevent a full day of stalled work.
Setting Up Async Standups in Slack
If you're using Slack, you can automate async standups with workflow tools or keep it simple with a dedicated channel.
Simple Channel Approach
Create a #daily-standup or #va-updates channel. Ask your VA to post their update every morning (or at the start of their working day) using a simple template:
Daily Update — [Date]
Yesterday: [What was completed]
Today: [What I'm working on]
Blockers: [Any questions or blockers]
You review it, respond to blockers, and everyone moves on. No meeting required.
Automated Approach
Tools like Geekbot (a Slack app) automate the standup by sending your VA a prompt at a set time each day and posting their responses to a channel automatically. This removes the friction of remembering to post and gives you a clean feed of daily updates.
Setting Up Standups in Project Management Tools
If you use Asana, Trello, ClickUp, or Notion, you can build standup functionality directly into your workflow:
- Asana: Use a recurring task or project template for daily updates
- ClickUp: ClickUp's Goals and Pulse features show real-time activity feeds
- Notion: A simple daily log database works well for teams already living in Notion
- Trello: A dedicated "Daily Update" card that your VA moves through columns (Planned → Done) provides a visual standup without extra tools
The key is to pick one place and stick to it. Scattered updates across email, Slack, and project tools create chaos.
How to Respond to Standup Updates
Your role as the manager in a standup is to:
- Acknowledge receipt: A quick thumbs-up emoji or "Got it, have a great day" goes a long way for morale
- Address blockers immediately: If your VA flagged a blocker, respond before they lose hours waiting
- Adjust priorities when needed: "Actually, hold off on X today — Y is more urgent" gives them the direction they need
- Avoid over-questioning: Don't interrogate every item on the task list. If it's on the list and aligns with priorities, trust them to do it.
Common Standup Mistakes to Avoid
Making it too long. A standup that turns into a 45-minute meeting defeats the purpose. If conversations are regularly running long, take complex topics offline into a separate call.
Skipping it when things are going well. The standup isn't just a problem-catching tool — it's a communication rhythm that builds trust and keeps both parties engaged.
Only focusing on problems. Start with completions. Celebrating what got done is motivating and gives you a clear picture of output over time.
Not following up on blockers. If your VA flags a blocker and you don't respond, you've created a trust problem. They learn that raising issues doesn't help, so they stop raising them.
Weekly vs. Daily: Finding the Right Cadence
Not every VA relationship requires a daily standup. For part-time VAs (under 10 hours per week), a weekly update may be sufficient. For full-time or near-full-time VAs with complex workloads, daily is the standard.
You can also combine: a quick daily async update paired with a more in-depth weekly review call. The weekly call is where you discuss performance, reprioritize, and give meaningful feedback to your VA — not just operational updates.
Ready to Hire?
A simple daily standup routine is one of the most effective tools for getting the most out of your virtual assistant. Ready to hire a virtual assistant? Virtual Assistant VA connects you with trained VAs who specialize in professional remote communication — so your team stays aligned and productive from day one.