Why Are Administrative Professionals Being Left Out of the AI Conversation?

Administrative Profession AI & Automation Strategic Business Partner July 8, 2025

Why are so many assistants being left out of the AI conversation?

Last week, I asked my LinkedIn community How would you describe your organisation’s approach to Al adoption for administrative professionals?

Here’s what you told me:

🔹 32% of you are at an early stage of experimenting with AI
🔹 26% of you are using AI without a clear strategy
🔹 22% say there are no visible plans at all
🔹 Just 16% report a clear AI strategy in place for the admin function

Read that again.

More than three-quarters of assistants are either being excluded from AI strategy or navigating it without proper guidance or structure.

And yet, according to the latest PwC Global CEO Survey:

➡️ One third of CEOs say AI has already increased their profitability.
➡️ Half expect it to boost profits further in the next 12 months.
➡️ And most are now prioritising integration into platforms and processes.

So, where’s the disconnect?

Let me be blunt: in too many organisations, AI adoption is happening around assistants, not with them.

And that’s a critical mistake.

Administrative professionals are already using AI to manage calendars, optimise workflows, draft communications, summarise meetings, and drive efficiency across the board. We are some of the earliest adopters, yet we’re often denied licenses, left off implementation plans, or told to “wait and see.”

Why?

Because in many cases, organisations still see us as support staff, not strategic operators.
And that perception is holding everyone back.

So here’s what I want to say to you:

💡 If your company hasn’t given you access – ask.
💡 If you don’t know how to use it – learn.
💡 If they don’t think it’s for your role – prove them wrong.

This isn’t just about tools. It’s about visibility, influence, and future-readiness.

The profession is changing fast.
The only question is whether you’ll be shaping that change, or scrambling to catch up.

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If your assistant always agrees with you, you don’t have a partner.
You have a mirror.

And a mirror can’t warn you when you’re about to walk off a cliff.

Here’s the thing:

• The best assistants sense-check decisions and ask why.
• They push back on processes that waste time.
• They flag risks you don’t want to see.

That isn’t insubordination.
That’s what partnership looks like.

Many executives still confuse silence with loyalty. It isn’t.
Silence is fear. And fear kills performance.

If you’ve hired well, you already have someone who sees what you don’t. When they speak up, they’re not undermining you. They’re protecting you. That’s their job.

I tell every assistant I train: your role is not to be afraid of your executive, but to be afraid for them.

So the next time your assistant challenges you, pause before shutting them down. Ask yourself: What am I missing?

Because here’s the paradox: the voice you silence might be the very one that saves you.
The smartest voice in the room isn’t always the loudest.
Sometimes, it’s the one you’re not ready to hear.

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