Gatekeeper/EA: Why YOU Need One
Written By Corey Ann Sherwood | Executive Assistant, BEC CFO & CPA
Some of you may be thinking, “Gatekeeper? Really?” Yes, REALLY. Do you actually think that a busy CEO who has back-to-back meetings AND a massive workload has time to manage his inbox and his calendar properly? The answer is NO – and this is precisely why every CEO needs an Executive Assistant. Gatekeeper might be a bit dramatic, but you’ll understand it more the next time you must get through me to meet with Marcus!
Zero Inbox
When I joined BEC CFO & CPA in February, I was tasked with organizing Marcus’ inbox and wrangling his chaotic calendar. Now, being busy is a great problem for a CEO to have; it means business is good. The one problem is that basic functions go by the wayside, as there simply isn’t enough time in the day. We delegated his inbox to me, and I immediately got to work implementing what I call, “Zero Inbox”; an organizational filing system that provides better inbox visibility. This also allows us to communicate within his inbox without speaking to each other.
Once we implemented this, we were able to get his inbox down from 12k to NO EMAILS, all within two months, achieving greater visibility and clarity.
Calendar Management
Next was his calendar. The first thing we did was eliminate Calendly. During tax season when he is jamming on returns, we did not need any surprise meetings popping up, so I took full control of scheduling for him manually. Of course, this takes more time, but we were able to design his calendar to be more functional and purposeful. From that point on, clients had to come through me to get to him; here’s where gatekeeping comes in. As an Executive Assistant, you need to protect your CEO’s time and safeguard their calendar; it’s a main function of the job. As I’m in his inbox, when clients request meetings I jump in to schedule without having to consult him, which is a huge time-saver. As time goes on, more clients reach out directly to me, which helps keep Marcus’ inbox clear. We have rules between us on how we schedule; certain meetings he prefers for the morning, and others in the afternoon. There was a learning curve here for me, but after a few months, we’ve finally hit our stride.
This kind of communication and style-development is very important for the CEO/EA relationship; we’re at the point now where we read each other’s minds and while that is sometimes scary, it makes everything easier!
Why you Need Me
Well not me, of course – I’m taken. But you do need an Executive Assistant. You need someone who can say “no” for you, who can deal with the back-and-forth of scheduling and communicate with clients on your behalf. And it’s going to need to be a strong, steadfast individual; it is NOT easy to guard a CEO’s calendar, because everyone wants their time, but I’ve found a way to execute that with a stern, yet graceful tone. I am the clients’ first point of contact; I’ve got to be on my game, and I need to be GREAT one hundred percent of the time.
If you can find that special EA/Gatekeeper who “gets it” you are setting yourself up for success in every way. Your daily productivity will be higher, your inbox visibility will improve, and instead of performing administrative tasks you can use that time to make big moves in your business.
Email us at hello@beccfo.com if you’re interested in learning more about Zero Inbox, or having your EA trained in this efficient CEO-management style.