You know that feeling when someone new asks you a question and you realize... there's no document for this? Nowhere that "how we do things" lives? Just you, scrambling to explain via Slack DM what should've been written down?
Yeah. That's the sound of your onboarding process (or lack thereof) coming back to haunt you.
Whether you're bringing on your first VA, looping in a contractor, or onboarding a client who needs to understand how you work, the absence of a solid onboarding experience isn't just inefficient. It's making people feel lost. And when people feel lost, they either bother you constantly or quietly struggle and resent the chaos.
Why New People Feel Lost (And Why That's On You)
Here's what happens when there's no onboarding:
Unclear expectations: They don't know what success looks like, when to check in, or how much autonomy they actually have.
Missing context: They can't see the bigger picture, so every task feels arbitrary. Why are we doing this? What's the goal? Who cares about this work? Why am I here?
No single source of truth: Information lives in your head, scattered Slack threads, or that one Google Doc from 2023 that nobody can find.
Uncertainty about who to ask: Is this question annoying? Should they figure it out themselves? Are they bothering the wrong person?
They feel confused. You feel irritated (understandable). And the work suffers because nobody has the context to do their best.
The Fix: Build the Onboarding Doc You Wish You'd Been Given
You don't need a 40 page employee handbook or client guide. You need a living document that answers the basics so people can get oriented fast. Here's what to include, no matter who you’re working with.
1. What We Do (And Why It Matters)
Start with a simple overview. What does your business/project actually do? Who do you serve? What's the vibe?
This isn't your "About" page. It's the internal version. Be real.
Example: "We're a two person design studio helping indie brands look legit without losing their personality. Most of our clients are DIY musicians and small business owners who are tired of Canva templates but can't afford a big agency."
Why this matters: Context helps people prioritize, make judgment calls, and feel connected to the mission.
2. How We Work
Spell out your actual process, communication norms, and decision making style:
What tools do you use and for what? (Notion for project docs, Slack for quick questions, email for external stuff, etc.)
What are your working hours/response time expectations?
How do you make decisions? (Collaborative? Async? Do you want their input or just execution?)
What's your meeting culture? (Standing check ins? Slack everything? Minimal meetings?)
Why this matters: People can't read your mind. Explicit norms prevent anxiety and wasted time.
3. Where Things Live
Create a simple map of your information architecture:
Client files are here
Templates are over here
Passwords and logins are here (please use a password manager)
Project briefs and SOPs go over there
Need to find something? Start here
You can literally make this a bulleted list with links. Don't overthink it.
Why this matters: When people know where things live, they stop interrupting you every five minutes.
4. Who to Ask (And When)
If it's just you, write: "Ask me, but here's the best way to reach me and when I'll respond."
If you have a small team, clarify:
Who owns what area (design, client communication, admin, etc.)
When to escalate vs. when to make the call yourself
How to ask questions without feeling annoying (Slack thread? Async note? Weekly check in?)
Why this matters: Clarity about communication = fewer bottlenecks and less resentment.
5. The Unwritten Rules
Every workplace has them. Write them down:
We don't work weekends unless it's an emergency (and here's what counts as an emergency)
We update the client every Friday, even if there's no news
We default to documenting things in Notion, not Slack, so future us doesn't have to dig through threads
If you're stuck for more than 20 minutes, ask
Why this matters: Making implicit expectations explicit eliminates confusion and builds trust.
The Reframe: Onboarding is Care
A lot of people resist "onboarding" at first because it feels stiff and corporate. But I’d argue that clarity is a form of generosity. When you document how things work, you're saying "I respect your time and brain space enough to not make you guess."
And it's not just for them. It's for you, too. Every question you answer because you didn't write it down is time you're not spending on the work that actually matters.
This Week, Try This
Open a doc. Title it "How We Work" or "Start Here" or whatever feels right. Spend 30 minutes writing down the answers to the four sections above. It won't be perfect. That's fine. You can update it as you go.
Then, the next time someone new comes into your orbit (client, collaborator, contractor), send them the link before they start. Watch how much smoother everything feels when people aren't constantly lost.
Your onboarding doc isn't extra. It's infrastructure. And infrastructure is how you scale without losing your mind.
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