The Secret Sauce to your EA Partnership: Art of Feedback

Picture this — You've hired on a rockstar Executive Assistant to help take your business to the next level. You're pumped. They're pumped. But how do you make sure this partnership reaches its full potential?

Fear not. The answer is simpler than you think.

It all comes down to the fine art of giving feedback.

Feedback and how it's given can be the difference between an EA partnership that's "meh" or "heck yeah!"

Here are 4 pro tips for more productive feedback:

1. Create a space where they're not afraid to fail: Celebrate wins. Give positive feedback alongside your constructive criticism.

   Make sure it's a safe space for them to express their thoughts. Ask them for their thoughts and feedback.

   Do the corny positive-negative-positive feedback sandwich... It works.

2. Go for growth: Encourage them to have their own goals and align with them. Create a shared vision. Frame feedback as opportunities to grow towards this vision. It's about leveling up.

3. Normalize feedback: No one flinches when you go to a weekly check in with your boss. But if your boss calls for an ad hoc check in, you sweat.

   Create weekly recurring checkins with your EA. Have a continuous conversation on their performance and how they're improving.

4. Be specific and timely: When you’ve got feedback, don’t sit on it like a secret. Hit while the iron’s hot. Specific and timely feedback is actionable and meaningful.

   Generic statements are useless. Be specific about what’s working and what needs a tweak.

   Say things like:

   “I would’ve done something like this…”

   “Next time try giving me 3 different options before we move forward on …”

   “Nice work catching this ahead of time. Let’s keep doing that. It helps me …”

   Pinpoint specific instances or tasks where they excelled or areas of improvement.

Mastering feedback is a game-changer for building a strong partnership with your EA. Put these tips into action. Your business (and your sanity) will thank you for it!

Tool of the Week: Claude 3 Opus — a GPT4 alternative

AI tools that have helped amplify the EA and Client productivity

I used to be skeptical about AI writing assistants. The writing often sounded generic, and I discouraged EAs from using them too much. But Claude 3 Opus changed my mind.

What I like about Claude 3 Opus:

• Writes in a human-like, engaging way

• Outputs are interesting and nuanced

• Cuts my newsletter writing time in half without sacrificing quality

• Makes me rethink my stance on EAs using AI for writing

I still use Hemingway Editor to tighten up Claude's outputs and ensure clarity. But the time savings are huge.

Claude 3 Opus has shown me that AI can be a powerful tool when used wisely. In fact, I used Claude to help write this newsletter. The words you're reading right now? They're the unedited output from Claude 3 Opus.

If you want to streamline your writing process without losing the human touch, give Claude 3 Opus a try. It might just change your perspective on AI writing assistants.

Full disclosure: This entire "Tool of the Week" section was written by Claude 3 Opus, with no editing on my part. Pretty cool, right?

Here are screenshots of my prompting:

EA Playbook of the Week

Bills, bills, bills — You've got a million and one things on your plate. The last thing you want is to play a never-ending game of keeping up with your bills and expenses.

Enter your trusty EA. While they won't replace your accountant (we'll leave the heavy lifting to the pros), they can be your secret weapon in the battle against billing chaos.

They can help you track due dates, spot sneaky errors, help you make sure you're not wasting money on unused SaaS, and more.

Your EA can help you navigate the world of your expenses with finesse and make sure you keep an eye on your costs.

Bill Management (Instructions for EAs)

Task Overview

Handle monthly billing processes such as reporting on expenses, billing through invoice creation or sending invoices, and managing budgets and expenses. While it can be really detailed, you can support your EA by having them learn about the existing financial workflows and context with payments and expenses through shadowing or sending a Loom video.

Required access

• Calendar or bill management app

• Payment methods

• Account numbers

• Information of biller

• Account logins

Process

1. Collect all relevant information regarding the bills to be managed. This includes utility bills, subscription fees, rent/mortgage payments, insurance premiums, and any other regular expenses.

2. Develop a calendar that outlines the due dates for each bill. Can be done manually or use digital tools such as calendars or specialized bill management apps.

3. Where possible, encourage client to set up automatic payments for recurring bills. This ensures timely payments and minimizes the risk of late fees.

4. Establish a filing system for bills. Label folders for different categories of bills.

5. Maintain a spreadsheet or use budgeting tools to track expenses. Categorize expenditures to provide a clear overview of where money is being spent, what card is being used and also a label once bill is due or paid already.

6. Work with client to establish and maintain an emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses. This helps prevent financial strain during unforeseen circumstances.

7. Generate regular financial reports detailing the client's cash flow, expenses, and savings. These reports can help in making informed financial decisions.

8. Analyze past expenses to identify any patterns or areas where costs can be reduced. This could involve renegotiating contracts, canceling unnecessary subscriptions, or finding more cost-effective solutions.

9. If client approves, set up automated reminders for upcoming bill payments.

10. Schedule regular meetings to review financial goals, assess progress, and discuss any changes in the client's financial situation.

Tip:

Prioritize security when dealing with financial information. Use secure and encrypted channels for communication and transactions.