The Executive Assistant checklist for Christmas
The festive season brings joy and festivity, but for business owners it can also bring added stress. For entrepreneurs the work never stops, leaving you working around the clock in the lead up to Christmas Day. This is where the help of an Executive Assistant comes in. EAs play a crucial role in supporting entrepreneurs all year round, and during these very busy periods their role becomes even more vital.
In this blog post, I’ll be providing you with the ultimate Executive Assistant checklist for Christmas. This will help you to navigate the festive season collaboratively and efficiently.
1. Collaborative Planning
The foundation of successful delegation is open and clear communication. You should have a conversation with your EA about expectations for workload and availability. It's essential for both parties to understand the needs and boundaries during the festive period. It’s also important to find a communication style that works for you both, utilising the most effective channels.
To prevent scheduling conflicts, being open about your schedule is important. Utilise digital tools like Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook to keep track of commitments, events and tasks. If you feel you need more assistance than in previous months make sure you make this known ahead of time and ensure that your EA has availability. Planning ahead of time and keeping up to date with changes will ensure projects run as smoothly as possible.
2. Delegation and Prioritisation
Work with your EA to identify the most important tasks, prioritising work that can’t be postponed. This makes sure that important projects continue seamlessly while allowing non-essential tasks to be temporarily deferred if need be. Focusing on the most critical tasks first will ensure that you don’t end up in a rush later down the line.
Delegating can be tricky, I know all too well that when it comes to your business it can be hard to let someone else step in. That being said you deserve to be able to take time off over Christmas and enlisting the help of an EA may just be the best thing you’ve ever done. Trust is a fundamental element of this process so make sure that you find an EA who brings value to your business and who you trust to deliver the results you require.
3. Seamless Communication
Consistency in communication is vital for collaboration so make sure to keep the conversation open with your EA. Arrange regular check-in meetings so that you are both kept up to date. These meetings allow for progress updates, issue resolution and adaptations to the plan as needed. This gives you peace of mind whilst ensuring your EA is effectively kept in the loop.
4. Ensuring balance for your EA
It's easy for an Executive Assistant to become overwhelmed during the holiday season. After all, chances are most of their clients are as busy as you!! Entrepreneurs should actively support their EAs in maintaining a work-life balance, recognising that there will be a limit on how much they can take on. The end of the year is also an excellent time to show appreciation for your EA’s dedication and support. Even a small thank you can go a long way!
I hope that this checklist helps you to have a stress free and productive holiday season. Collaboration, clear communication and the recognition of the hard work of EAs are the foundations of success during this period. With these steps in place you’ll even have time to sit back and relax, enjoying all that this time of year has to offer!
If you’re looking for someone to take the weight off your shoulders as we head towards a very busy couple of months let us step in and help you to assess and improve your processes! Book a consultation call with Karen Ritchie VA today to learn more.
