1. Objective
This SOP governs two of the most judgment-intensive skills in the EA role: knowing when to act vs. when to escalate, and managing capacity when workload exceeds what can be completed. Escalation judgment and capacity transparency are what separate EAs who reduce their executive's mental load from EAs who increase it. Done well, both skills are nearly invisible — problems are handled or flagged before the executive notices them.
Where this SOP starts: Any time you face a task, situation, or workload volume that requires a judgment call.
Where this SOP ends: When the item is resolved, escalated with a recommendation, or capacity is confirmed with your executive.Success looks like: Your executive never discovers a problem through a third party that you already knew about. You never silently drop a task. When workload is high, you communicate clearly and help them reprioritize — rather than delivering late or incomplete work without warning.
2. Your Role & Boundaries
2a. What you handle independently
- Making prioritization decisions using the task hierarchy [SOP-CEA-FOUND-03] without needing direction
- Resolving situations that are within your authority and carry low risk of error
- Identifying and communicating capacity constraints before they cause problems
- Managing your own workload clarity — keeping a visible, up-to-date task list
2b. What requires executive approval before acting
- Any situation where financial decisions are involved that you haven't been pre-authorized to make
- Any communication with a client or third party in a sensitive or escalated situation
- Any task you're choosing to deprioritize that the executive may consider urgent
- Situations where you genuinely don't know how the executive would want something handled and the stakes are meaningful
2c. What you never do
- You never silently drop a task — if something won't get done, you say so first
- You never escalate without a proposed solution — bring the problem and a recommendation
- You never make a financial commitment, agreement, or promise on your executive's behalf without authorization
- You never let a Level 1 item go unaddressed because your queue was full — flag it and act
3. The Escalation Decision Framework
Use this framework to decide whether to handle a task independently or bring it to your executive.
Act independently when:
- The task is within your defined scope of responsibility
- You have the authority and access to complete it
- The risk of error is low, or the error is easily corrected
- The cost of interrupting your executive exceeds the risk of acting
Escalate before acting when:
- The decision has financial implications your executive hasn't pre-authorized
- The communication involves someone your executive has flagged as sensitive or important
- You genuinely don't know how they'd want it handled and guessing wrong has real consequences
- A client emergency needs their direct voice and authority
Escalate immediately when:
- There is a threat of legal action
- A client or prospect situation requires damage control
- A communication from media, press, or regulators
- Any situation where your executive's personal or professional reputation is at stake
4. How to Escalate Effectively
The wrong approach: Forward an email with no note and wait. Send "I'm not sure what to do with this." Report the problem and ask for direction.
The right approach: Come with context and a recommendation. Your executive approves or redirects — they don't have to think from scratch.
Escalation message format:
Flagging this — wanted your input before responding.
[1–2 sentence situation summary]
My recommendation: [specific proposed action]
Shall I proceed, or would you like to handle this directly?
What this message does:
- Gives them the situation without burying them in detail
- Shows you've already thought about it
- Makes it a one-click decision for them (yes/no/adjust)
- Does not add to their mental load — it reduces it
Best practice: If you're escalating something time-sensitive, flag the deadline explicitly: "This needs a response by [time/date] — flagging it now so you have time to decide."
5. Over-Escalating vs. Under-Escalating
Both patterns damage the working relationship.
Signs of over-escalating:
- Asking for direction on decisions clearly within your scope
- Sending updates on every small task completed
- Requesting confirmation before acting on routine, recurring responsibilities
- Making your executive "manage" you rather than rely on you
Impact: Creates more work for your executive. Erodes confidence in your independence. Defeats the purpose of having an EA.
Signs of under-escalating:
- Acting on something with financial or legal implications without authorization
- Handling a client situation without notifying your executive
- Making a commitment that your executive hasn't agreed to
- Letting a Level 1 item sit unaddressed because you were busy
Impact: Creates risk for your executive's business and reputation. Breaches trust. Can create serious downstream consequences.
The calibration target: You should be solving things and reporting back on them — not asking for permission first. The exceptions are situations with real risk. Over time, as trust builds, your independent authority expands.
6. Capacity Management Protocol
When your workload exceeds what you can reasonably complete, follow this protocol.
Step 1: Assess and prioritize
- Apply the task hierarchy [SOP-CEA-FOUND-03] to your full task list
- Identify which items are Level 1 or 2 (non-negotiable this session) and which are Level 3–4 (flexible)
- Determine what must be done today vs. what can move to tomorrow
Step 2: Flag and ask for prioritization help
Do not silently try to do everything. Do not drop tasks without saying anything.
What to say:
"I want to make sure I'm focused on the right things today. I have [Task A], [Task B], and [Task C] all on my plate. Given your priorities, should I push [Task B] until tomorrow, or is there something else I should move?"
This communication prevents dropped balls and shows you're managing at the right level — not just executing tasks but managing workload.
Step 3: Confirm and document
Once priorities are reset, document the agreed order and proceed. If anything gets deferred, note the new deadline and ensure it's tracked for the next day.
7. Workload Visibility
Maintain a shared task list your executive can see at any time. This is not so they can manage it — it's so they have transparency.
What to include:
- All active tasks and their current status
- Any items flagged for their review or decision
- Upcoming deadlines for the next 48–72 hours
- Any capacity constraint you've flagged
When your executive can see what you're working on, they are far less likely to wonder if things are being handled. Visible workloads reduce their mental load — which is Category 2 value.
8. End-of-Day Capacity Check
At the end of every work day:
1. Review your task list — is anything open that should have been completed?
2. Flag any items that were deferred and confirm they're on tomorrow's priority stack
3. If you were over capacity today, note it in your end-of-day summary and identify the cause
4. Send the end-of-day summary if your executive expects one
9. Tools & Access
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| [Task manager] | Shared task list with real-time status |
| [Calendar platform] | Workload context and deadline visibility |
| [Communication platform] | Capacity flags and escalation messages |
10. Changelog
| Date | Notes |
|---|---|
| April 2026 | Initial release |