How To Get More Done With An Executive Assistant
It’s no secret that business owners have their hands full. Between team meetings, client management, keeping up with your calendar and incoming emails, financials, marketing, and sales, and trying to have a life, it can feel like you are never able to get anything done. You are probably wondering, how to get more done with an Executive Assistant.
There is a solution, though.
I talk with busy executives almost every day. I hear the stories of frustrated business leaders who have a big vision and not enough time in the day to make it all come together. One of my top recommendations for every entrepreneur – regardless of which stage of business you are at – is to hire an Executive Assistant.
The right Executive Assistant can help you get much more done in far less time!
The question I hear most often is, “What does an Executive Assistant actually do?” While each business owner will have different detailed action items and needs, the overall job description remains largely the same.
What Does An Executive Assistant Do?
How many times a week do you receive unexpected requests for “just a moment” of your time? How often do phone calls come in at the most inconvenient times, pulling you away from something that needs your focus?
These “little” distractions rarely end up being “just a moment.” Rather, they often end up throwing you off track and taking up time you don’t have – and the result is that essential tasks and client management can suffer.
How often do your incoming emails get out of control? Is your calendar and schedule under control, or are you frantically trying to keep up with all of your routine tasks and commitments?
Your email and calendar are necessary parts of your business, but that doesn’t mean that you have to be the one to keep up with them. These are tools that should work for you, making you more productive!
However, when you are busy building your business, you honestly don’t have time to keep up with managing every detail – and you don’t have time to serve as your own gatekeeper. You also can’t afford for any of these things to slip.
This is why your Executive Assistant should be one of your key hires!
Your EA has amazing gatekeeping skills for your calendar, schedule, and the urgent tasks that pop up on your “to-do” list. When someone needs a “moment” of your time, they schedule it with your EA. When an “urgent” call comes in, your EA handles it – and if it actually does need your immediate attention, they alert you. They become the go-to person.
Your EA also handles your calendar, making sure that everything is up-to-date and complete. They also guard your time, making sure that you are not double-booked or overbooked! And if your email is getting out of control, your EA will organize and prioritize it for you. This ensures that you quickly get the emails that you need without having to wade through all the spam.
And there are even more ways your EA can help you get more off your plate.
All of this frees you up to focus on higher-level management tasks and client care, knowing that the details are taken care of!
So what needs to happen so you can get more done with an Executive Assistant?
Make Onboarding a Deliberate Process
Investing time in training and onboarding your Executive Assistant is crucial for ensuring long-term productivity and effectiveness in your working relationship. A well-structured onboarding process will minimize misunderstandings, set clear expectations, and help your EA integrate seamlessly into your workflow.
Before your EA comes on board, outline their specific roles and responsibilities. This includes essential tasks such as managing your calendar, screening emails, handling meeting requests, and booking travel arrangements. Clearly defining a list of tasks helps set boundaries and expectations from day one, reducing any ambiguity that may arise later.
Make sure you equip your Executive Assistant with all the necessary tools, access, and resources. This might include login credentials for your scheduling software, email platforms, and project management tools.
Provide Context When Delegating Tasks
An essential part of effective collaboration with your Executive Assistant is providing context when delegating tasks. EAs thrive when they understand the bigger picture behind their assignments; this not only empowers them to complete tasks efficiently but also allows them to anticipate your needs and act accordingly.
Begin by sharing your professional goals and priorities, as well as the strategic direction of the leadership team and who it is aimed towards. Your EA will be better equipped to make decisions if they comprehend your overall, and company objectives. This information can guide them in prioritizing tasks, especially when sudden interruptions or urgent tasks arise.
When assigning a task, explain why it needs to be done and what impact it has on your schedule or the organization’s operations. Providing this context helps your EA understand the importance or urgency of a task, enabling them to allocate their time and resources effectively. For example, instead of just saying “Send out the weekly reports,” explain that these reports are crucial for the upcoming strategy meeting and need to highlight key performance metrics.
Once you’ve provided the necessary context, give your EA the freedom to take ownership of tasks. Encourage them to make decisions within the boundaries you set.
Do Core Tasks and Delegate The Rest
Ensure that you’re doing the more critical work that requires your unique expertise. Identify the core tasks that only you can handle—strategic decision-making, high-level meetings, and crucial relationship-building activities. By focusing your energy on these priorities, you can maximize your productivity and leverage your EA’s capabilities for other action items.
Team Communication
Communication is critical for any working relationship. Decide on how you will communicate—whether through email, Instant Messaging platforms (like Slack), or weekly check-ins. Establishing these channels early ensures that your Exec Assistant knows how to reach you when important issues arise without feeling intrusive.
Your EA can send out meeting notes, agenda items, email notifications, and reminders. If a team member is behind on a task or project, your EA can follow up with them and keep you in the loop. If questions need to be answered when you are in an internal meeting or external meeting with a client, your EA can step in and help.
Your rockstar EA is not only there to guard your time and keep you organized, but to be your right hand. Imagine being able to calmly and productively work through your day, knowing that all the behind-the-scenes details are handled!
Keeping consistent communication in place with your team is important, but again, you don’t need to be the one handling all of it.
Creating Raving Fans
Fostering positive relationships within your organization and with clients is key to building a loyal support system. This is where your Executive Assistant can shine as an ambassador for your brand and a liaison between you and your team.
To create raving fans, it’s essential to empower your Executive Assistant to take initiative on your behalf. As your right hand, your EA is privy to information such as client wins to celebrate, client issues that must be handled, and more. They are in a position to quickly and smoothly communicate that information to the right team members so that your clients are well taken care of – without you having to step in. When people feel valued, they are more likely to become raving fans.
Allow them to interface with clients and stakeholders, respond to common inquiries, and represent the entire business. This trust not only helps your EA grow in their role but also enhances the overall team’s morale and client satisfaction.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the daily demands of running your business, the right Executive Assistant can be a game-changer. By handling scheduling, email management, and other essential tasks, they free you up to focus on high-impact work that drives growth. With clear communication and strategic delegation, you’ll quickly see how to get more done with an Executive Assistant—without getting caught up in the details yourself.
If you’d like help hiring, onboarding, and working with the right EA, we have developed a resource to help you have excellent time management for your entire business.
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Kristen David, a former trial lawyer and partner who went from working 85 hours a week and taking home way too little money in her law firm built it up to a million-dollar-plus business, then sold her shares and pivoted into a business coach guru. She is now an international speaker, best-selling author, and operates a successful business, empowering business owners to build thriving, profitable businesses that are self-managed with systems. She helps busy business owners build those systems by implementing policies and procedures the Fast Track Way.