Standard Operating Procedures

How you own and manage your executive's calendar — not as a scheduling coordinator, but as the person who protects how their time is spent. The VA handles auditing the calendar weekly for conflicts, g…

The complete scheduling workflow — from initial request through confirmation, reminder, and conflict resolution. The VA handles processing all incoming scheduling requests through the time-block frame…

The daily inbox triage process — the system that turns a chaotic, high-volume email inbox into a controlled, low-stress environment where your executive only sees what needs them and everything else i…

The folder and label structure used to organize your executive's inbox so that any email can be found in under 30 seconds when needed. The VA handles setting up the folder/label structure in Week 1, f…

The complete meeting lifecycle — with special focus on what happens after a meeting ends. The VA handles preparing meeting briefs 24 hours before external meetings, sending pre-meeting confirmations t…

The written communication standards every EA is expected to apply across all professional channels — email, Slack, and text. The VA handles writing all internal communications (updates, summaries, esc…

The daily morning check-in message — the brief, structured communication sent to your executive each morning before beginning reactive work. The VA handles sending the morning check-in every work day,…

The process of writing emails, messages, and other communications that sound as if your executive wrote them — a practice known as ghostwriting. The VA handles drafting routine and recurring emails yo…

How you communicate with external parties — clients, vendors, partners, prospects, and other contacts — on behalf of your executive. The VA handles scheduling and rescheduling requests from any contac…

How you handle emotionally charged, high-stakes, or sensitive communications — whether with external parties (clients, vendors, prospects) or within your working relationship with your executive. The …

The absolute confidentiality standard every EA is required to maintain throughout their engagement — and after it ends. The VA handles identifying when information is confidential and treating it acco…

The foundational identity and operating philosophy of the Executive Assistant role. The VA handles defining your daily work through the lens of the Three Categories of Value (Section 3), applying proa…

How you build a working understanding of the solo business owner you support — their operational reality, psychological profile, working style, and stress points. The VA handles conducting your own on…

The daily priority sweep — the 10–15 minute orientation process performed every morning before any reactive work begins. The VA handles executing the daily priority sweep every morning, without except…

The first 30 days of a new EA placement — the most critical window for establishing trust, understanding the executive's world, and building the foundation for a long-term effective working relationsh…

Two of the most judgment-intensive skills in the EA role: knowing when to act vs. The VA handles making prioritization decisions using the task hierarchy [SOP-CEA-FOUND-03] without needing direction, …

How you write, format, and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the business you support. The VA handles writing SOPs for any recurring task you perform or have learned, documenting your …

How you maintain, update, and version-control the SOP library over time. The VA handles updating SOPs when you discover a process has changed, flagging SOPs for review when a tool or platform changes,…

How you set up, maintain, and manage the task and project management system for your executive's business. The VA handles setting up and maintaining the task management system, adding all known tasks …

How files are named, organized, and maintained in the business's digital environment. The VA handles establishing and applying the naming convention to all new files, maintaining the folder structure …

How you manage your executive's cloud storage environment — the permissions, sharing settings, access controls, and structural integrity of the digital infrastructure that holds their business's files…

The habit and practice of proactive support — the discipline of looking ahead at what's coming and acting on it before it arrives. The VA handles executing the daily three-step look-ahead during your …

How you prepare briefing materials that make your executive look and feel thoroughly prepared — for meetings with new contacts, prospects, existing clients, partners, and any other external interactio…

How you conduct research and present it to support your executive's decision-making. The VA handles conducting targeted research using publicly available sources, synthesizing research into a clean, u…

How you protect not just your executive's time, but their energy and focus — the two resources that determine the quality of their most important work. The VA handles enforcing the time-block framewor…

The weekly planning and debrief rhythm — the recurring structure that keeps you and your executive aligned, catches anything that fell through the cracks, and ensures the coming week is set up well. T…

How you assess, set up, master, and manage the technology tools in your executive's operational environment. The VA handles auditing and confirming access to all required tools in Week 1, mastering th…

How credentials, system access, and account security are managed throughout your engagement. The VA handles receiving credentials through secure channels and storing them in the approved password mana…

The professional standards that apply to the EA role beyond specific technical skills: confidentiality, conflict of interest, professional boundaries, and ethical judgment. The VA handles maintaining …

The specific operational practices for handling sensitive information — beyond the general confidentiality standard in SOP-CEA-TOOLS-03 and SOP-CEA-COMM-06. The VA handles applying secure handling pra…

How you maintain and grow your professional capability as a Certified Executive Assistant. The VA handles investing in your own professional development without needing to be prompted, staying current…

Manages a client's calendar and all scheduling activity on their behalf. The client opens their week on Monday morning with a clean, conflict-free calendar, a prep note for every external meeting, and…

Manages a client's email inbox. The client opens their inbox each morning to a clear, organized view — everything labeled, urgent items flagged, and draft responses ready for any emails awaiting their…

Closes out each workday: completing a structured wrap-up, filing open items, communicating a status summary to the agent, and leaving the workspace ready for the next morning. The VA handles completin…