Nobody tells you this when you start the job but assistants are usually the first to know when something's off... Not because we're all senior. Not because we're always in the right meetings...Because we see a lot before it becomes "a thing" The diary that hasn't had a chunk of white space in weeks. The decision has been made and seen a redirection a few times over. The new process that was launched in a meeting that received approval but was never mentioned again. The scope of the job has steadily grown, while the job description remains exactly the same as it was 15 years ago. Nobody announces these things do they? They just accumulate. In the inbox, in the tone of messages perhaps and in how often "quick chat?" has started replacing actual conversations. We don't diagnose it or flag it in any report. We just feel the change and start adjusting, usually before anyone's realised there's something that might need an adjustment. Yet our role stays the same and the work keeps moving. And I think what gets missed (genuinely missed) is the pattern; recognition, reading the room, and knowing what's really happening beneath what's being said... That's not admin, that's the kind of intelligence organisations say they want to build. It just happens to sit in a role that doesn't always get asked. If you want to know how your organisation is really running, ask the assistant. We noticed it months ago. #ExecutiveAssistant
It’s the sixth sense without dead people.
We noticed it months ago, we saw it coming, prepared for it, changed direction a few times ahead of it, and continued to hold valuable institutional knowledge through it all ...just ask an assistant 😉
Such a great post, so well said. Assistants have an incredible ability to pick up on the subtleties and shifts within an organisation long before they become visible. It’s a skill that really helps everything run smoothly, yet often goes unnoticed.
This is so true!! The most valuable executive assistants bring emotional intelligence and have great interpersonal skills. Qualifications are great, but the ability to read people and a room is what sets you apart.
It just happens to sit in a role that doesn't always get asked. 💥
This is so true it’s almost uncomfortable to read. You start to notice the tiny things. The calendar shifts. The tone changes. The projects that quietly disappear. Nobody says anything out loud, but you can feel it. I’ve learned to trust that instinct over the years. It’s rarely wrong. Assistants are like the early warning system that nobody officially installed but somehow always works. And most of the time, we just adjust and keep things moving.
Yes we are often overlooked and unnoticed operating like ninja’s behind the scenes. Without us I struggle to think what would happen but still our abilities go unrecognised. I must say I am noticing more and more people are speaking up about it now. EA’s are calling it out, recruiters are aware and most are really advocating for us and the value we bring. This week I also saw a post from a CEO praising us for our work. Slowly we will rise to the place we deserve to be and with the right recognition
Completely agree. Assistants often see the patterns before they become visible to everyone else. The ability to read the room, sense shifts in priorities, and adjust quietly is a skill that’s rarely written in a job description but makes all the difference.
So true. Assistants pick up on the shifts long before they’re spoken out loud. The calendar, the inbox, the tone: they all tell us something about what’s really happening. That goes beyond admin work; it’s awareness and pattern recognition. This perspective is often overlooked, yet it’s exactly the kind of intelligence organizations say they value. Love how you captured this! If you want to understand how things are really running, ask the assistant. 😎
Just this week I asked one of my execs "are you okay, what's going on?" - so obviously we already know, and it was what I suspected, but a little extra layer (I hate to say it, I was unaware of).. but then I was asked how I knew, and it's a hard thing to put into words when your gut is telling you something is off - it's not, as you say about words, or a slight sudden frown - but subconsciously we notice the shoulders ever so slightly stooped.. the laughter you haven't heard in a while, less chatter (and this is beyond the written responses, lack of white or focussed space in the calendar).. and then let's not forget that I work for some amazing leaders who also carry the weight of their leads around daily. A great post that's given me some food for thought this Saturday morning 👏