5 Tips and Tricks to Help You Build a Strong Partnership with Your Executive Assistant

Recently, I had a chance to sit down with my former Executive Assistant; she was one of my first hires as I grew my company, and over the years she has worn many hats. In fact, she now runs a department! In the livestream that we hosted, she gave some incredible tips that she used to best support me – first as my EA, and over the years in multiple roles.

When she started as my EA, she asked lots of questions to help get to know me and learn how I work and start to anticipate what I will need (even when I might not be aware of it). This is a concept that is shared by many successful CEOs as a key to success.  In Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell, he shares how important it is for the EA to get to know how he works and start to anticipate his needs.  (Great book by the way!  His replacement ladder and his chapter on working with an assistant is awesome!)

The interesting thing is that the tips from my former EA are not just tips for an assistant, they frankly are relevant to every position to allow a person to grow in your company! I’m excited to share them with you – I hope they’ll be just as helpful to you!

Tip #1: Communicate Effectively!

Such easy words to say but it is a skill you must practice, especially with those you work closely with day in and day out.

Your EA is your right hand. They’re the person you’ll depend on to keep you organized, updated, and on track throughout your day. To accomplish this, you’ll need to set up clear, consistent lines of communication from the start.

In other words, you could have the best EA on the planet, but if you don’t communicate effectively, they won’t be able to help you. They’re not a mind reader!

Each business owner will have their own ways of communicating, but here are some methods that have worked well for me:

• Regular check-ins. I have a daily time slot set aside to meet with my EA, answer any questions, and make sure I’m set for the day.
• An ongoing checklist. Whether you prefer to keep this in something like Evernote or OneNote or would rather have it in your email or Slack, have a spot where your EA can easily keep you updated throughout the day as things are completed. This will allow you to just check the list whenever a question comes up and close the loops.
• Empower your EA by letting them know your preferences for scheduling, team questions, etc. How do you want them to handle or elevate specific types of questions?

Lastly, make sure your EA knows they can ask you questions – even ones that might seem “silly”. Often, those “silly” questions can save a lot of time and prevent frustration for both of you!

Tip #2: Embrace Technology – but be Flexible

Years ago, new technology would pop up a few times a decade; now, new technologies can pop up a few times a week. Your EA shouldn’t be afraid to tackle new platforms or tools, but at the same time, they need to be flexible enough to work with the tools that work best for you.

A tip my team member brought up to help your EA is for them to be proactive about learning the platforms and tools you prefer. While you can provide training if you want to use something specialized, it often just takes a quick search on YouTube.

To add in a pro tip…while your EA is learning a new skill, have them create an SOP or checklist for it! Not only will you be able to add to your systems manual, but your EA will solidify what they are learning.

Tip #3: Master Time Management

Time management is an important skill for everyone…but for an EA, it’s vital. Part of their job is to help you prioritize your day and calendar effectively.

In order to do that, they need to be amazing at managing their own time so they can help you manage yours.

One of the resources I and many of my clients have found helpful is a block calendar. It’s a simple concept, but so effective.

I also find it incredibly helpful when my EA is proactive in asking me about high-priority tasks, meetings, and any other important dates that are coming up. Because she’s on top of this, it’s one more thing off my plate. I have peace of mind knowing that things are calendared properly rather than worrying about them slipping through the cracks.

Tip #4: Anticipate Your Business Owner’s Needs

Being a superstar EA goes far beyond just maintaining a list and checking off items throughout the day. Completing those is important, but it’s far more important for your EA to be able to anticipate your needs.

Now, realize that this isn’t a skill they’ll have from Day 1. They do need to get to know you, your methods, and your needs first, and having some written procedures ready for them will help a lot.

My former EA worked closely with me for several months before moving to other departments, so she had the time to learn a lot about me. However, she was also incredibly proactive about asking questions, proposing solutions, and keeping track of what we did as the company grew.

Now, she’s able to create amazing resources from my notes. If a newer team member is looking for something, she probably knows exactly where it is. If I forget to communicate a step in a process, she can ask a question or fill in the blanks.

And if she doesn’t already know the answer, she knows exactly who to ask.

Because she’s able to anticipate my needs, a lot of things run more smoothly – and I appreciate it more than I can say. And because she’s already set this standard and the processes behind it, I’m able to quickly build a similar relationship with my new EA.

Tip #5: Build Discretion and Trust

Your EA will have access to your email, your calendar, and probably a lot of other resources that are otherwise private to you. They have to, in order to help you manage all the details of your day.

As such, it is essential that they have the utmost discretion when it comes to team and client communications, financial information, and your personal schedule.

It’s also vital for you to be able to trust them with handling many of the thousands of decisions that come your way throughout the day. Obviously, there are several that you will need to handle, but in order for you to be able to do that, you’ll need to delegate others to them.

This tip is meant to help you learn what and when to delegate. It’s an essential skill, but it’s also a scary one for many business owners.

I recommend starting small, providing clear direction for things like daily scheduling. As you see how they handle the smaller decisions, allow them to take on more complex or important ones. As you both grow together, you’ll find the cadence that works for you.

As your business grows, you’ll quickly find that you simply can’t do it all yourself. You need help, and that help will come from your team.

Part of being a profitable business owner is being able to give up control and delegate, and your EA is key to that process. If my team and I can help you build that relationship and the right systems more quickly, please let us know!