Eliot Gattegno, Athena’s Chief Learning Officer, has built a strong partnership with his executive assistant (EA), Jane. By ramping up his delegations over time, Eliot has built a strong foundation for him and Jane to operate on. Here’s his approach to effective delegation and how Jane has helped him improve work-life balance.
Create Calendar Blocks for Dedicated Focus Time
Eliot’s high-priority activities are planning, exercise, and reflection. Jane blocks time at the start of each day to help Eliot be more mindful and productive.
Delegation in Action: Send your assistant your high-priority activities and ask them to time-block your calendar.
Delegate Lower-Leverage Tasks
Inbox, calendar, and travel management are important, but you shouldn’t spend precious brainpower on these activities. By delegating these three responsibilities to his assistant, Eliot freed up more than six hours per week. Now, he has more time to focus on strategic initiatives and new opportunities.
Delegation in action:
- Give your assistant inbox and calendar access.
- Ask your assistant to set up a quick sync to log your preferences for email, schedule, and travel management.
- Choose a communication channel for updates, approvals, and feedback.
Build a System for Success
After getting to know Eliot’s preferences and the way he works, Jane now proactively anticipates his needs and creates processes on her own. Jane supports Eliot in every area of his professional and personal life, and their partnership continues to grow.
Delegation in action: To help build a solid foundation for you and your assistant, ask them to do things like record your preferences, create templates for recurring tasks, and establish clear communication channels. Also, give feedback often and create an environment where your assistant feels empowered to take initiative.
Give Consistent Feedback
Eliot wanted to spend more quality time with his son and get more restful sleep. Through regular feedback sessions, Jane uncovered different ways she could help Eliot accomplish these goals.
Delegation in action: To help your assistant continuously improve and meet your expectations, you should:
- Provide feedback for improvement
- Acknowledge when a job is well done
- Support your assistant’s professional development to enhance their skills
Investing in an assistant is an investment in yourself. Let Athena uncover your unique working style and find the right executive assistant for you.