Assistants are long term partners. They’re very competent people who are there to help you. They also work directly next to you and have visibility on everything. What a great situation to learn and grow.

Don’t have your blinders on. They can grow into more than just simple task-taking.

Some EAs end up taking over departments or moving up to Chief of Staff.

Encourage this and give yourself a chance to benefit from their upside as a professional.

For our assistants, we always encourage giving them a stretch goal.

Why stretch goals make a difference.

Builds Autonomy. You don't want to make it a norm where your EA always needs a list of things given to them to work on. Stretch goals allow them to always have things to work on. If there's ever any downtime, they can default to pursuing their stretch goals.

Upskilling. Stretch goals are an opportunity to help encourage people to level up on their own. They're expected to learn, figure things out, and improve over time with less guidance.

Motivation. It shows your confidence in their abilities. This creates a more engaging and inspiring work environment.

Efficiency. As your EA grows, they can proactively contribute. They won't need to wait for instructions. They can take more tasks off your plate. Over time, you'll be less of a bottleneck if your assistant becomes better at recruiting than you.

How to Set Stretch Goals

Identify Growth Areas. Pinpoint areas where your assistant shows some strengths that are relevant for your business. For instance, when my EA started supporting me with ops and recruiting tasks. She seemed to enjoy it and the area of work was growing. So we decided to embrace those areas. We teamed up to read a book on recruiting, Talent by Daniel Gross and Tyler Cowen. This got us aligned and she's taken ownership of more ever since.

Give Some Space. Don't cram their schedule or try to make sure they're "utilized" 40 hours per week. Dedicate time for them to explore and work on these stretch goals. Encourage growth beyond their usual scope.

Set Objectives. Define the broader vision but maintain clear objectives. If you focus on sales automation, for example, set targets. Aim to understand value propositions and to compile lead lists.

Feedback and Iteration. Bring up stretch goals during 1-on-1s. Give regular updates and constructive criticism. This will help them align their efforts and improve.

Stretch Goals in Action

Here are some practical examples of common areas to set stretch goals:

Recruiting and Operations. Let your EA propose changes in the recruiting process. This could be better initial sourcing, outreach, or interview process.

Sales and Marketing. Involve them in tasks like sales automation, CRM management, or lead generation. Encourage them to think of new customer profiles to target.

Client Experience. Many people get EAs to amplify their own personal life. Encourage your assistant to hold you accountable to your goals. Spot and identify inefficiencies while recommending solutions.

Conclusion

Setting stretch goals unlocks your EA’s full potential. It fosters independence and adds value to your business.

Remember, showing confidence and investing in your EA’s growth creates a motivated partner.

Just make sure to hire an experienced assistant that you'd want to partner with long term!

Happy delegating.

As always, your thoughts and experiences with delegation and your EA are invaluable. Share your feedback so we can continue to learn and grow together.

Related links:

Cloning yourself with implicit learning - The post talks about how assistants end up becoming an extension of yourself. From decision making to email writing style.

About the Exec Ops role by Matt Mochary - Exec Ops is a natural role that a lot of our remote executive assistants fill. In this post, you can get an idea of how they operate at a higher level than what most people think of when they hear, “virtual assistant”.

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