How an Executive Assistant can Help with Email Efficiency
For a busy executive, managing a never-ending email inbox can be overwhelming. According to a study by McKinsey Global Institute, the average business professional spends about 28% of their workweek reading and responding to emails, which equals more than 100 emails per day. Additional research indicates that excessive email demands leave people feeling overly burdened, and, whether accurate or not, that they are falling behind in their goals.
Trying to cope with too many emails while simultaneously juggling other tasks and commitments is not only frustrating, but potentially creates a larger margin for error, which can result in missed meetings, lagging responses to clients, or accidently deleting a necessary document.
The mere visual clutter of thousands of emails can negatively impact one’s concentration and mental clarity. Add in trying to keep up with other communication platforms such as Slack, Teams, and of course, texting, and you’ve got a recipe for high stress levels, burnout, mental fatigue, and lower productivity.
So, what’s the best way for a CEO or other executive to manage emails? Hire an executive assistant!
Why Hire an Executive Assistant to Manage Emails?
Hiring an executive assistant to manage your inbox can be the perfect way to streamline your workload. Delegating email creates more efficiency, an organized flow of work, and a lower risk of what is commonly known as “email overload.” Depending on your needs, you may want to consider a virtual assistant or an in-office assistant to manage your inbox.
Some of the things your assistant can do for you include:
Filing and categorizing emails: Rather than having an inbox packed with a hodge-podge of miscellaneous messages, your EA can create folders and sub-folders for each topic. Specific items you might need to address can be moved to a folder marked for your review, as well as ones for upcoming events, clients that need special care, or outstanding invoices that require attention.
Triaging and flagging time-sensitive communications: Sorting through emails and trying to decide which ones need an immediate response can be extremely time-consuming. A well-honed assistant can determine which inbox items are pressing matters and which can be pushed aside for later, following up with you to determine how each should be handled.
Setting up email filters: An experienced assistant can set up filters or other systems to automatically send inbound emails to specific folders, block spam, or move urgent messages to the top of the inbox. The result is an inbox that is curated specifically for you, with organized folders that are easy to sort through.
Archive old inbox items: If you’ve found yourself in the habit of holding onto emails that aren’t important or necessary, your assistant can sort through your read messages and file away those you no longer need.
Manage meeting invites and accept/decline on your behalf: Never miss another Zoom meeting because you didn’t see the email invite. Your executive assistant can quickly respond, checking your calendar for availability and organizing your day.
Determine which emails need your input, and which ones do not: With a VA or EA handling your email, you’ll only have to review those messages that are truly important, while they handle less critical items and communication. They can respond to emails for you, delegate to other team members, or assist in decision-making by offering a curated, easy to read inbox.
Manage sent items and address any that need follow-up: If you’ve reached out to clients or other business partners and have yet to receive a response, your assistant can do weekly follow-ups, going through your sent emails and noting which ones need a second inquiry. This reduces your workload and minimizes time spent waiting to hear back.
Monitoring Important Communication: For professionals who have key clients, investors, or other VIPs with whom they need to maintain regular contact, an assistant can stay on top of email threads or set up alerts that can notify you when an email from an important contact lands in your inbox.
Allowing a virtual or executive assistant to take over your email management not only reduces the stress of an overflowing inbox, it gives you more time for growing your career and business. You’ll find you have more freedom to cultivate business relationships, conduct meetings, and plan future corporate strategies, while knowing you have a reliable assistant who is there to manage the day-to-day.
Tips for Onboarding an Executive Assistant
When hiring an EA, there are a few key factors to consider and discuss during the onboarding process:
Roles and Responsibilities: Make sure you agree on the responsibilities of the job and to what level your assistant will control your inbox. Are you going to be completely hands-off, allowing them to respond to any and all communications, or do you want them to flag items that you’ll answer on your own? Should they open what might be personal emails, or leave them? Will you have them also handle your calendar, responding to and adding any meeting invites that come through? You’ll also want to discuss other actionable emails and how much responsibility you’d like your assistant to take on when responding.
Email Style and Tone: If your executive assistant will be answering emails on your behalf, discuss style and tone. An experienced assistant should be able to quickly learn and understand your personal communication style, and be able to respond to both casual emails and those that are more formal.
Communication Objectives: Discuss how often you’d like to check in with your assistant, and in what manner. If you’ve got a virtual assistant for email management, will you plan on daily phone calls, or prefer to text? Maybe you only want to communicate within your email inbox, or you’d rather have someone who can work more directly with you on a daily basis. Regardless of the communication style you agree on, making sure there is a consistent, ongoing dialogue on your scope of work as it pertains to incoming emails is a vital part of the job.
Privacy and Discretion: It’s not uncommon for a CEO’s emails to contain sensitive or classified information, and you’ll want to discuss the importance of dealing with these types of emails properly. Many professionals will have their assistant sign a non-disclosure agreement, which helps protect all involved, or you can have your EA set up your inbox so that certain emails go directly to a folder only you can access.
Determine the Best Way to Share your Inbox: Allowing your assistant full access to your inbox provides them with the tools they need to be successful in managing your email. Setting up a shared inbox can be as simple as sharing your password and having them add your account to their own, or you can use programs such as LastPass or Bitwarden to share your passwords while keeping them secure.
How Lambent can Help
As a niche staffing firm that focuses on personal and executive assistants, Lambent Services assists business owners, CEOs, and private households find both virtual and in-house executive assistants to meet their needs. You’ll have the opportunity to explain exactly what you need, which, in addition to email management, could include office organization, travel coordination, or event planning.
Once the team at Lambent has determined what type of executive assistant you need (virtual or in-office) they’ll get to work on selecting potential candidates for the job. Dedicated to delivering potential assistants who closely match your requirements, Lambent employs a rigorous screening process, which includes conducting initial vetting and interviewing before you interview any assistants directly. And because the company is small and exclusive, you’ll always be working with one of the company’s directors, ensuring a personalized experience.
Testimonials from Lambent customers cite how their lives have improved upon hiring an assistant, such as one client who said, “My assistant has streamlined my workflow and saved me from postponing important activities,” and another who calls their assistant “personable and smart, with a brilliant eye toward organization.”
Hiring an assistant through Lambent Services not only helps you create a more effective day-to-day workload, putting you back in charge of what is one of the most valuable commodities in the business world—your time. By handing your email management off to an executive or virtual assistant, you’ll no longer have to deal with the pressure of hundreds of unopened emails, and as a result, you’ll feel more in control of your daily schedule, client communication, and future career endeavors.