The Cracked Foundation : Rethinking the Executive Assistant Role

Undervaluing executive assistants is like weakening the foundation of a building - eventually, the cracks are felt by everyone.

Executive Assistants are often underestimated. Yet if the head of the human resources doesn't recognize the strategic leverage they provide, the organizational framework can unconsciously relegate them to purely transactional work.

When assistants are labeled as "admin", it limits their development, rewards, and career progression. Instead of being seen as thought partners and enablers of executive efficiency, they are reduced to logistics and clerical functions.

The human resources drive job architecture, pay bands, and career ladders. If the executive assistants' contributions are underestimated, the system undervalues them - impacting salary, development opportunities, and succession planning.

High-functioning executive assistants extend a leader's capacity by 30-40%, acting as multipliers of impact. Ignoring this value means losing productivity without even realizing it.

If the role is undervalued at the top, it creates a cracked foundation. Even the most skilled assistant will struggle against a narrative that their work is peripheral rather than pivotal.

Treating executive assistants as interchangeable encourages the assumption that they can be "shifted around" like parts. Their effectiveness, however, relies on relationship capital, trust built over time, and knowledge of executive rhythms - intangibles that cannot simply be reassigned.

Rotating assistants amongst executives without considering fit, history or workload balance shows a fundamental lack of respect for the role.

The truth is clear: An executive assistant is not a paper clipper, not just a scheduler, not simply a support function. They are relationship builders, protectors of executive bandwidth, and multipliers of impact. To overlook this weakens the very foundation of effective leadership.