How to Tell You Need an Executive Assistant

Have you ever felt like, no matter how many things you check off your to-do list, you just can’t keep up? Maybe you’re proficient in some specific areas of your business but aren’t the greatest in others, so they take up more time. The challenge is, even the areas you aren’t proficient in still have to get done.

If the majority of your time is spent working on tasks that you’re both proficient and passionate about, maybe you can do without extra help. But if you constantly find yourself in a juggling act, struggling to do tasks that are holding you back from your most important and fulfilling work, you might need help. Here are four key indicators that you could benefit from an executive assistant (EA):

1. You’re overwhelmed. We all go through seasons when there’s more work than time, when you have to push through to get it all done. But that shouldn’t always be our reality. If being regularly overwhelmed and trying to go it alone is the norm for you, you’ll drown in your own success. To be at the top of your game, you need to be alert, healthy, and clearheaded. An EA can help carry some of the burden so you can stay at the top of your game.
2. You’re distracted by administrative work. When you go it alone, you have to do everything. From booking travel to making appointments, it’s all on you. But if you want to maximize the time you spend on your high-leverage work, this one-person act isn’t sustainable. Sure, this might just be what you’re used to and you might even be very capable at completing the tasks. That doesn’t mean it’s the best use of your time, especially if you find administrative tasks draining.
3. You’re not focusing on your strengths. Whatever business you’re in, there are some things that only you can accomplish. If you’re not focused on these, you’ll be in trouble. A good rule of thumb is that if you can teach someone else to do a task, you shouldn’t spend your time doing it. Your EA should be doing it while you focus on your unique contributions to your business.
4. You feel too stressed to get help. Stress is caused by a lot of things. One of them is always being behind no matter how hard you work. But this does not have to be the case, and there’s a simple solution: stop. Stop trying to do everything. If you’re honest with yourself, there’s probably three to five things right now that are hindering you from maximizing your time. Stop burdening yourself with those things and let somebody else work on the things that are slowing you down.

EAs empower us to leverage our two most valuable resources: time and focus. The high-leverage work they do frees us to do our high-leverage work. What is your lack of focus and the accompanying loss of productivity costing you? How could an EA, even a part-time one, help you create the margin you need to get things back on track?