I have been the person receiving the brief for years — from business owners, school heads and coordinators. The tasks that come back perfect almost always started with the same five ingredients. If you are about to delegate something, this is the brief I would love to receive.
1. The outcome, not just the task
"Clean this spreadsheet" is a task. "Clean this spreadsheet so I can send it to our accountant on Friday" is a brief. Knowing the purpose tells me which details matter, what "done" looks like, and when to use judgment instead of asking.
2. An example of good
One sample — a previous report, a listing you liked, last month's post — teaches more than a paragraph of description. If you have ever approved something like this before, attach it.
3. The non-negotiables
Every task has two or three things that must not change: the format, the deadline, the tone, the source of truth. Say them plainly. Everything not listed, I will handle sensibly — and check anything that feels risky.
4. Access and materials, upfront
Half of all delays are just waiting for a login, a file or a logo. A brief that arrives with its materials attached starts immediately. (And a password manager share beats a password in chat, every time.)
5. When to ask versus when to decide
Tell me your preference: "ask me before contacting anyone" or "use your judgment and summarise after." Both are fine. Silence on this is what creates hesitation — and hesitation is what owners actually experience as slow work.
The honest secret
Your first briefs will be imperfect, and a good VA will ask two or three sharp questions and then quietly turn your answers into a checklist — so the second brief barely needs writing. That is how delegation compounds. If you would like to try it, my Services page explains how we start with one small, well-briefed task.