1. Objective

This SOP governs 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 relationship. It defines what to set up, what to learn, and how to demonstrate value fast — before the executive's initial enthusiasm for the engagement fades.

Where this SOP starts: Day one of a new client placement.
Where this SOP ends: Day 30 — when the onboarding review takes place and ongoing rhythms are confirmed.

Success looks like: By Day 30, your executive trusts you with their calendar, inbox, and at least two recurring operational responsibilities. You have documented their preferences. They require less checking-in than they did in Week 1. You have identified their three biggest stress points and have systems actively addressing them.

2. Your Role & Boundaries

2a. What you handle independently

• Completing your access setup and system orientation without needing to be walked through it
• Conducting the discovery conversation and preference mapping
• Documenting what you learn as you learn it
• Identifying and executing at least one unsolicited action per week that demonstrates value
• Building your initial SOP drafts for recurring tasks

2b. What requires executive approval before acting

• Any client-facing communication sent in your executive's name
• Any changes to calendar structure, scheduling tools, or external-facing availability
• Any new recurring commitment added on your executive's behalf
• System access changes beyond what was agreed at onboarding

2c. What you never do

• You never wait until Day 30 to start demonstrating value — start in the first 48 hours
• You never assume you know what your executive needs without verifying it
• You never make promises to third parties on your executive's behalf without explicit authorization
• You never skip documentation — if you learn how they prefer something done, write it down

3. The 30-Day Onboarding Roadmap

Week 1 — Access, Orientation, Quick Wins

Day 1:
- Confirm access to all required tools: calendar, email, task manager, file storage
- Complete the Client Setup Worksheet (SOP-CEA-FOUND-04-CLIENT) if not already done
- Review the past 2 weeks of calendar — understand their typical week
- Review the past 30 days of inbox — identify recurring senders and communication patterns

Day 2–3:
- Conduct or confirm the discovery conversation (Section 4)
- Ask: "What are the three things that take the most of your time that you wish you didn't have to do?"
- Identify the first quick wins (high-frequency tasks you can take over immediately)
- Set up the morning check-in routine [SOP-CEA-COMM-02]

Day 4–5:
- Complete the first full week of daily priority sweeps [SOP-CEA-FOUND-03]
- Identify any missed follow-ups or open loops from prior weeks — surface and resolve
- Do one thing without being asked and mention it matter-of-factly

Week 1 deliverable: Executive preferences documented. First recurring tasks owned. Morning check-in established.

Week 2 — Systems and Patterns

• Establish inbox triage routine [SOP-CEA-CAL-03] — begin managing the inbox daily
• Set up the email label/folder structure [SOP-CEA-CAL-04]
• Begin managing the calendar: audit for the next 2 weeks, flag issues, add missing buffers [SOP-CEA-CAL-01]
• Draft your first SOP for a recurring task you've now done multiple times
• Identify who their key contacts are (top 5 clients, key vendors, frequent collaborators)

Week 2 deliverable: Inbox actively triaged. Calendar managed with buffer structure in place. Key contacts documented.

Week 3 — Deepening Scope

• Take ownership of scheduling for all new requests [SOP-CEA-CAL-02]
• Begin drafting emails for executive review [SOP-CEA-COMM-03]
• Identify and resolve one recurring operational friction point without being asked
• Review and confirm follow-up system — are anything falling through the cracks?
• Build or update the Executive Profile document (Section 5)

Week 3 deliverable: Ghostwriting started. Scheduling fully owned. Follow-up system operational.

Week 4 — Review, Confirm, Expand

• Conduct a Day 30 check-in with your executive: What's working? What needs adjustment?
• Confirm ongoing rhythm preferences (how often they want updates, preferred communication channel, preferred times for check-in)
• Present the systems you've built and confirm they reflect their preferences
• Identify the next area of scope expansion for Month 2
• Archive your onboarding notes into a permanent Executive Profile document

Week 4 deliverable: Day 30 review completed. Executive Profile finalized. Month 2 scope confirmed.

4. The Discovery Conversation

Conduct this conversation in Week 1 — ideally Day 1 or 2. It can be live or async via a short questionnaire.

Questions to ask:

1. What are the three things that take the most of your time right now that you wish you didn't have to do?
2. What does a great week look like for you — what does it feel like and what gets done?
3. What time of day are you sharpest? When do you prefer not to be interrupted?
4. How do you want me to communicate with you — email, Slack, text, quick call? How often?
5. Are there any relationships (clients, vendors, contacts) I should know are sensitive or require special handling?
6. What's the one thing that, if it keeps falling through the cracks, causes you the most stress?

Document every answer. Reference it in how you build your systems.

5. The Executive Profile Document

Create and maintain this document from Day 1. Update it continuously.

Section 1: Communication Preferences
- Preferred channel (email / Slack / text / voice)
- Preferred format (bullets / narrative / brief / detailed)
- Best times for updates
- How to handle urgent items vs. non-urgent items

Section 2: Working Style
- Which profile applies (Visionary / Grinder / Relationship Builder / Analyst — see SOP-CEA-FOUND-02)
- Known stress triggers
- Scheduling preferences (meeting days, protected blocks, buffer preferences)

Section 3: Key Relationships
- Top clients — names, communication style, relationship notes
- Key vendors — who they are, what they handle, how to communicate with them
- Sensitive relationships — anyone requiring special handling or escalation

Section 4: Recurring Tasks & Rhythms
- Weekly recurring responsibilities and deadlines
- Monthly recurring responsibilities and deadlines
- Known commitments and ongoing projects

Section 5: Preferences Discovered
- Anything specific they've asked for or corrected — update as you learn

6. Day 30 Review Protocol

At Day 30, schedule a 15–30 minute conversation with your executive to review the engagement.

Topics to cover:
1. What areas are working well and should continue?
2. What areas need adjustment — something you're doing that isn't quite right?
3. What should you take on more of in Month 2?
4. Are there recurring tasks still living with them that should move to you?
5. How is the communication rhythm working — too much, too little, right channel?

Document the outcome and update your systems accordingly.

7. Escalation Protocol

Escalate when:
- You encounter a tool or system you don't have access to that is needed for your work
- You discover a significant open loop, missed commitment, or operational problem from before you started
- A third party contacts you about something sensitive before you have clear authorization to represent your executive

Escalation message format:

Flagging this from onboarding:

[Brief situation summary]

I wanted to surface this before acting — my recommendation is [X].
Shall I proceed, or would you like to handle this directly?

8. Tools & Access

9. Changelog