I think I need an Executive Assistant, but where do I even start?

Dear overwhelmed leader,

So you’ve reached the point where you know you would be more successful if you had dedicated support, but you don’t know where to start. Now–more than ever–leaders like you need to leverage strategic support so you can focus on leading your organization through this pandemic. At 33Vincent, we match high-caliber, virtual Executive Assistants with strategic leaders (like you) to help you focus on the things that matter most.

A trusted partner in a high-quality EA could be the difference for you between surviving and thriving, but you keep stopping yourself with one of the seemingly legitimate barriers below.

I’m here to break those down and encourage you to invest in executive support today.

Barrier 1: “The cost of an EA is too high.”

Hiring an Executive Assistant is no doubt an investment, but the cost is far less than that of you adding administrative work to your own plate. Let me break it down for you in an example where your base salary is $150K a year.

• You have 1880 working hours/year (assuming 10 holidays and 15 PTO days).

• Studies show that workers are only productive three to six hours a day. Let’s assume six for this example, bringing the productive working hours down to 1410/year.

• Beep boop beep (calculation noises)… That makes your productive hourly rate $106/hour on the low end.

Now, are administrative tasks the highest value work you could be doing? The answer is surely no. Are you even effective at administrative tasks? Probably not as effective as an EA.

• I’m confident that an EA could complete the same scheduling task in half the time of most executives. That’s $212/hour for you to schedule your board meeting, and $59/hour for an EA to do the same task.

• None of these rates consider the cost of your office space, benefits, or payroll tax. That bumps up your hourly rate even more while your remote, part-time Executive Assistant rate remains the same.
  

Imagine a world where the majority of your time was spent working on strategy, growing your business, and serving your clients and stakeholders. Investing in an EA optimizes your time and attention on high-value work at a fraction of the cost compared to doing administrative work yourself.

Barrier 2: “It’s faster if I do it myself.”

It may feel faster to do a task yourself, since you know your own preferences better than anyone else. But once your preferences are understood, a high-caliber EA will do administrative work more efficiently, saving you both time and money. On top of that, they’ll also find ways to do it more effectively by streamlining your process and communicating flawlessly with your contacts.

Take this example of what could happen with an email to stakeholders for an upcoming board meeting:

Before an EA, the email is messy and unclear, and your attendees don’t quickly grasp what’s required of them prior to the meeting.

With an EA, the communication is clear, organized, and efficient, and your meeting attendees have everything they need to focus on discussion and collaboration.

I know what you’re thinking: it’s such a pain to explain everything!

To get started, list out the recurring tasks that you’re doing now but could delegate to an EA (think scheduling meetings, updating your CRM, expense reports, etc), and use a screen recording tool to record the next time you complete the task (Loom.com is our favorite). Voila, you have a recorded SOP! Your new EA can watch, document a written SOP, and own the task from that point on. No need to try to explain over a live meeting.

Barrier 3: “I’m just not sure what to delegate.”

At 33V, our Executive Assistants own project areas like email & calendar management, contact management, expenses, travel, and research.

If you can come to the table with some ideas of what you’d like to delegate, a good EA will manage up from there.

Start with these questions that our CEO, Casey Putschoegl, suggests:

• What tasks or projects, if done well, would clear my plate and help hone my focus?

• Which gaps on our team (capacity, focus, or skill) are holding us back?

• How would my impact change if I had someone managing my time, my workflow, and my many inputs? If someone else managed the chaos for me, where could I direct my energy?

Barrier 4: “I don’t want to manage yet another person.”

Can you imagine a world where your Executive Assistant is your gatekeeper and manages YOU, instead of the other way around? This world exists! As a remote part of your team, a 33Vincent Executive Assistant must be intentional and clear in every communication. The best EAs have already answered your next question, roll up information in easy-to-consume digests, and are always consultative. When we need your input, we provide 2–3 decision options for you to choose from, instead of asking you to “let us know what you think.” While we take on tasks that you delegate, we are not just task-takers. We‘re proactive partners who ensure that your focus is on your most strategic work.

Wait… there’s more!

If you’re now convinced that you’d like to take the leap and add an EA to your team, there are two things that you must bring to the table:

Show Up

• Access to you is key to your EA’s success, especially as they are getting to know you and your workflow. Attending scheduled check-ins and dedicating time to them in the first 30 days is very important. Responding to communications in a timely fashion will also help your EA help you take your work to the next level.

Set Expectations

• Provide clarity and context about tasks, turnaround times, and goals. For example, when requesting a meeting do your best to clarify the meeting purpose, length, attendees (optional + required), and timeline (i.e. land before EOY).

• Treat your EA with respect as the professional and partner that they are, not like a stranger who does menial work.

• Be ready to share access to important tools and your personal/professional goals/milestones for the next quarter/year. The more you share with your EA, the more they can take off your plate effectively.

At 33Vincent, we are deeply invested in your success without being an in-house member of your team. Our days are not bogged down by all-team meetings, office issues or repairs, or other FT employee duties. We balance protecting executive priorities with coordinating the chaos of email, calendar, expenses, and more. We understand your preferences and make tactical decisions so that you don’t have to.

Are you ready to elevate your impact by investing in an experienced Executive Assistant? Let’s talk.

33Vincent has many other resources to help you maximize your time and communication with your executive assistant.