How to Delegate to Your Executive Assistant: A Senior Manager’s Guide to Building Trust and Efficiency

Working with a new Executive Assistant (EA) can be both exciting and transformative for your productivity. However, learning to delegate effectively and easing your EA into their role requires a thoughtful approach. For senior managers just starting to work with an EA, the key lies in building trust gradually, providing clear guidance, and empowering them to take on more complex tasks over time. Here’s how to get started and progress effectively.

Step 1: Begin with Simple Tasks

When you first start working with your EA, the goal is to familiarise them with your preferences, priorities, and style. Start with manageable tasks that establish a foundation of trust and understanding.

• Calendar Management: Share access to your calendar and ask your EA to organise appointments, schedule meetings, and set reminders. Be specific about your scheduling preferences, such as preferred times for meetings, buffer periods between appointments, and non-negotiable personal commitments. Encourage them to start pre-authorising tasks based on your guidance, which will save time and reduce the length of meetings by ensuring only essential discussions occur.

  
  

• Travel Arrangements: Delegate the responsibility of planning your travel. Provide clear instructions on preferences, such as preferred airlines, seating arrangements, hotel types, and ground transportation options. Over time, they will learn to anticipate your needs, leading to stress-free and seamless travel experiences.

  
  

• Inbox Prioritization: Teach your EA how to highlight critical emails in your inbox. For instance, they could flag high-priority messages, group less urgent correspondence for batch responses, and filter out spam or irrelevant emails. Provide examples of what you consider high priority to help them develop a sense of your workflow.

  
  

Step 2: Provide Structured Feedback

As your EA takes on these initial tasks, provide regular and constructive feedback. Let them know what’s working and where adjustments are needed. For example:

• If they schedule a meeting during your “deep work” time, explain why that period is reserved for focused tasks.

  
  

• Praise their accuracy when organising your inbox but guide them on improving the categorisation system if necessary.

  
  

  

  
  

Step 3: Gradually Add More Responsibility

Once your EA is confident with simple administrative duties, it’s time to introduce tasks that require more critical thinking and autonomy. These could include:

• Document Proofreading: Delegate the review of reports, presentations, or memos. Share your preferences for tone, formatting, and style, and encourage them to flag inconsistencies or errors. Providing templates or examples can speed up their learning curve.

  
  

• Team Meeting Preparation: Ask your EA to prepare agendas, gather supporting documents, and summarise key points for upcoming weekly/monthly meetings. 

  
  

• Generating Reports: Over time, involve your EA in creating and generating reports. Provide a clear structure, the necessary data sources, and instructions on visualisation styles or key metrics to highlight. Learning this step is beneficial as it equips your EA with the ability to present information clearly and concisely, which not only saves you time but also ensures decisions are based on well-prepared data and insights.

  
  

Step 4: Foster Initiative and Autonomy

As your EA becomes proficient in handling delegated tasks, encourage them to take initiative. This might include:

• Suggesting changes to optimise your workflow, such as automating recurring tasks or improving email templates.

  
  

• Proactively handling small decisions that align with your guidance, reducing the need for your direct involvement.

  
  

Regular check-ins are essential during this phase. Create a feedback loop where they can share challenges or questions, and you can address them promptly.

Step 5: Build a Partnership of Trust

A productive relationship with your EA is built on mutual respect and trust. By the time they are managing complex tasks and anticipating your needs, you’ll see them as an extension of yourself.

• Empowerment: Encourage your EA to voice ideas and suggest improvements. Their fresh perspective can lead to innovative solutions.

  
  

• Recognition: Acknowledge their contributions—a simple thank-you can go a long way in maintaining morale and motivation.

  
  

Closing Thoughts

Delegating effectively to your Executive Assistant is not an overnight process. It’s a gradual journey that starts with simple administrative tasks and evolves into a highly efficient partnership. By investing time in training, providing clear expectations, and building trust, you’ll empower your Executive Assistant to become a pivotal force in your success as a senior manager. Start small, communicate often, and watch as their role transforms from supportive to indispensable.