Technology Didn't Save You Time

There was a point when having a PA was considered almost inseparable from being a senior executive. They answered telephone calls, typed correspondence, managed the diary, booked travel and maintained the many moving parts of a busy business life.

Then technology promised to make much of that support unnecessary.

When it all started to change

Direct-dial telephone numbers and voicemail removed the need for someone to screen every call. Email replaced dictated letters and internal memos. Microsoft Outlook gave executives control of their own calendars, while mobile phones, laptops and later smartphones made it possible to work from almost anywhere. Online travel sites, digital expenses, video meetings and self-service booking systems completed the picture.

Executives could now arrange their own meetings, answer their own messages and organise their own travel. Many businesses concluded that they no longer needed PAs.

The technology worked, but the conclusion was flawed because administration had not disappeared; it had simply been transferred to the executive.

There is no dependable universal statistic showing what proportion of business leaders currently have an EA, as the definition varies considerably between companies and countries. There is, however, clear evidence that executive support remains a substantial profession. US figures alone indicate that more than 300,000 people work as executive assistants, while the growth of remote working has made part-time and virtual support available to a much wider range of leaders.

What would up to 16 hours back a week do for you?

The time argument is even more revealing. Research cited by CoAdvantage found that executives spend an average of 16 hours each week on manual administrative work; the equivalent of two full working days. In a separate OfficeTeam survey, senior managers estimated that administrative professionals saved them an average of 101 minutes every day, or more than eight hours a week. 

Those hours disappear into familiar tasks: rearranging diaries, circulating meeting links, comparing flights, booking hotels, submitting expenses, formatting presentations, updating the CRM, issuing invoices, chasing payments and following up actions after meetings. Each task may take only ten or twenty minutes, but the interruptions fragment the day and erode time available for leadership.

A virtual executive assistant offers a practical way to buy that time back without employing someone full-time. Even a few hours of support each week can remove routine administration, improve follow-through and protect space for customers, employees and strategic decisions.

Technology gave executives the ability to do everything themselves. That does not mean doing everything themselves is a good use of their time.