I didn’t realize it until years later, but the hardest thing I had to do being self employed was to tell people “no.” [I always had more work than I could handle.]
Although marginally so, if push comes to shove, one small diplomatic concession may be to allow the helper to do very limited tasks defined well before the job starts. Later, you may realize the junior assistant is competent in something unexpected, and allow some leeway, but I wouldn’t make that decision until it is blatantly apparent.
A problem can be that birddogging an unskilled person is much more work and takes a lot more time than doing it yourself. Another risk with “helpers” that comes up only later is that “a little knowledge is dangerous” and personal overconfidence to a hazardous level may lead to ignorant but perilous decisions by the new “expert.”
[This message has been edited by Bjarney (edited 05-14-2004).]
