Consistency Is the Currency of Trust for Assistants

Administrative Profession Strategic Business Partner August 12, 2025

Consistency is what turns one good moment into a reputation.

On holiday last week, we found a restaurant so good we went back twice.

The first night was flawless. Perfect setting. Beautiful décor. Food to die for. Service that made us feel like the only people in the world.

The second night? Same setting. Same décor. Same food.
But the service was off. Distracted. Inconsistent.

And suddenly, everything felt different.
The magic disappeared. Our whole perception shifted.

That’s the danger of inconsistency.
Excellence isn’t about doing it once. It’s about proving people can rely on you every time.

For assistants, this matters more than anything.

Reliability is your reputation. People remember how consistent you are far more than they remember one-off moments of brilliance.

Consistency sets the standard. Every time you deliver at a high level, you reset expectations. The challenge is to keep meeting or exceed that standard again and again.

Trust is the true currency. Executives make decisions, delegate authority, and rely on you based on one question – can I trust them to deliver every time?

One ‘off’ night totally changed our perception of that restaurant. It would have taken several more exceptional evenings to change it back.

Don’t let inconsistency change the perception of your professionalism.

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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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Assistants don’t just manage diaries — they keep businesses steady when disruption strikes. From cancelled trains to failing tech, scenario planning is the underrated skill that turns chaos into continuity. AI can schedule, but it can’t improvise. Strategic assistants map out Plan B (and C) before the crisis even hits — and that’s what makes them indispensable.

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