Why your VA keeps asking questions (and how to stop it in a week)
Constant questions almost always mean one of four things is missing: decision rights (they do not know what they are allowed to decide), a quality bar (they cannot tell when it is good enough), access (they are blocked and asking is the workaround), or context (they do not know why the task exists). Fix it by writing a one-page decision rights list, a definition of done per task, and a question protocol that batches non-urgent questions into one daily message.
The four root causes
- No decision rights — every judgment call becomes your judgment call
- No quality bar — "is this good?" is the only available check
- Missing access — asking you is faster than waiting for a login
- No context — without the why, every deviation looks risky
The decision rights page
List the ten decisions that come up most and mark each: decide alone, decide and inform me, ask me first. Include money limits and tone limits. This one page removes most questions within days.
The question protocol
Agree that non-urgent questions are batched into one message at a fixed time, each with the person's own proposed answer attached. You reply "yes" or correct it. This trains judgment instead of dependence, and protects your focus.
When questions are a good sign
In the first two weeks, questions mean engagement. If the same question returns in week four, the answer belongs in the SOP, not in a chat message.
Common follow-up questions
Should I answer immediately?
No. Immediate answers train immediate asking. A predictable daily window is faster for both of you within a fortnight.
What if they never ask anything?
That is usually worse. Silence often means guessing. Ask for exceptions and blockers in the weekly report explicitly.