If you are thinking of hiring an executive assistant, then you are probably acting as one yourself. That’s a clear sign that you need an EA.
As the boss, your job is to focus on high-impact initiatives that drive value. To help accomplish that, you probably use a suite of productivity tools—and those well-optimized tools allow you to check off a few administrative items on that never-ending to-do list.
And there’s the problem: Day-to-day productivity habits, while making you feel productive, do an excellent job of hiding the reality of a never-ending to-do list. Since it’s never-ending, it can keep you from investing your time in activities that genuinely add value to the business.
Being busy isn’t the same as being productive. As an entrepreneur, I’ve made this mistake myself. And that’s where an executive assistant comes in handy.
If you’re still not convinced—or are worried about the cost of an executive assistant—here are six compelling reasons that might just change your mind:
1. Getting to the bottom of your inbox feels impossible.
Most of us spend 28% of our workdays checking email. On average, people need around 23 minutes to get back on track after checking email. All-in-all, email takes up 1,048 hours every year, or 52% of your time at work.
Even as you invest more and more time managing emails, your to-do list keeps getting longer, not shorter. Not to mention, there’s no guarantee essential emails aren’t regularly slipping through the cracks.
Most importantly, all the time you spend responding to emails is time not invested in more essential items on your to-do list.
2. Yes, scheduling apps help, but they don’t schedule for you.
A well-managed calendar needs constant attention and can get quickly out of hand:
- Double-booking yourself.
- Work spilling over into personal time.
- Booking your own flights, hotels, transportation, meals, and meetings.
- Sometimes you block time off to use, but your scheduling app does not recognize it.
At first glance, these may not seem like a big deal. But they all add up, and then suddenly something changes—something always changes—and you’re stuck dealing with a cascade effect and an out-of-control calendar.
3. You’re neglecting your partners or business relationships.
One of my earliest mentors told me I should always maintain a list of 50 people I want to actively nurture relationships with. That becomes harder and harder the busier we become.
Day-to-day tasks can be challenging to let go of—productivity can literally become an addiction. But, once you do, those business relationships you have unknowingly neglected suddenly stare right at you.
If your colleagues aren’t top of mind for you, it’s unlikely you’re top of mind for them—and that might cost you more than you think. (Word of mouth is still the most effective form of marketing.)
4. Suddenly, you’re a project manager again.
When a project is your idea, it’s only natural to want to be 100% invested in it.
But leading doesn’t mean investing your time into managing a potentially lengthy project—especially if it takes you outside your zone of strength.
Even the best-managed projects often take longer than expected, making the compound effect of all your misplaced focus hard to overcome.
5. Being the face of the company doesn’t mean being everywhere all at once.
As the primary face and voice of the company, you care about your messaging. But that doesn’t mean you must write it all yourself. Creating slide decks, social media posts, and key messages—all while maintaining a running list of website updates—can add up.
AI tools make it easier than ever to leverage an executive assistant to help extract ideas and formulate content. Such tools allow you final editorial oversight but don’t force you to be a writer.
6. One word: Expenses.
Even glancing at your accounts receivables and payables can magically eat up hours of time. It’s easy to forget invoices and bill payments—but an executive assistant can turn a stressful situation into standard operating procedure. And don’t even get me started on unsubmitted expense reports.
Just like money can cause problems at home, the same strain can show in all aspects of your business.
The answer to all six problems: An executive assistant.
Executive or virtual assistants are anything but glorified secretaries; they do so much more than just free up your time. Skilled executive assistants can significantly increase your capacity by handling repeatable and administrative tasks so you can invest your time where it matters.
Staying on top of your email, calendar, travel, and expense reports, and serving as your project manager on key initiatives are just some of the use cases that justify the investment. From managing social media, sourcing job candidates, creating onboarding materials, and generating financial reports to handling invoicing, accounts receivable, and bookkeeping—the diverse functions of an executive assistant improve not just executive output but also that of your marketing, HR, and finance teams.
Now, a word of caution: Hiring an executive assistant with the experience, competencies, and work style that matches yours takes time. Waiting until you are desperate makes it easy to shortcut the attention onboarding demands. So, even though the right assistant could dynamically change the way you work, if you can’t make the time or your work is highly technical, a virtual or executive assistant should probably wait.
That said, unless you can solve your capacity problem by reducing your workload or working longer hours, don’t let money keep you from hiring an executive assistant.
As one client says, “I have an executive assistant to ensure I am invested in those things that are the highest, best use of my time.” If you’re all-in as the boss, do yourself a favor: Make sure what you do daily is near and dear to your heart.
David Nilssen, an EO Seattle member and EO Global Board Director, is the CEO of DOXA Talent, which helps businesses build and scale high-performing, borderless teams leveraging talent from across the world. David has over 800 team members and ZERO office space. He is also the co-founder of Guidant Financial, which has helped 30,000 entrepreneurs secure US$7 billion in funding to start or buy a business in each of the 50 U.S. states.
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