AI will take the clerical tasks, but that’s not the death of the administrative profession — it’s the rebirth of it. Assistants have long been operating at a strategic level: translating ideas into action, safeguarding client relationships, and enabling leadership. The fastest-growing skills for assistants are project management, data analysis, financial literacy, and change management — not clerical, but business-critical. The risk isn’t AI, it’s outdated perception. Recognise assistants as strategic partners, and you’ll unlock one of the most cost-effective assets in the business.
Tag: assistant role
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.
The Power of the 10-Minute Daily Meeting: Maximizing Assistant-Executive Collaboration
A short, focused daily meeting can be one of the most effective tools for assistants. In just 10 minutes, you can align with your executive, cover key updates, and prevent time-consuming interruptions later. By making these check-ins a priority, assistants ensure their executives stay on track while maintaining efficiency in their own roles.
Maximizing the Assistant’s Potential: Why Leadership Needs to Step Up
While assistants are trained to add immense value to their organizations, many still feel underutilized and misunderstood. With 58% of assistants feeling they aren’t being used effectively, it’s clear that leadership and HR need to recognize the ROI of a well-structured administrative function. When businesses truly understand how to leverage their assistants, productivity and efficiency soar.
Why Language Matters: Rethinking How We Describe Assistants
Calling assistants “magicians” or “work wives” may seem harmless, but it can diminish the professional expertise they bring to their roles. These terms reinforce outdated stereotypes and overlook the strategic value assistants provide. To ensure their work is respected, it’s crucial to use language that reflects their true contributions.
The Assistant’s Core Mission: Maximizing Executive Efficiency
An assistant’s primary role is to give their executive back their time, ensuring their focus remains on high-value tasks. By working in sync, assistants and executives create a powerful partnership—two skillsets forming one highly effective unit. When leveraged correctly, this dynamic drives productivity and business success.