An executive assistant's day is a constant stream of turning information into something the executive can act on in thirty seconds. That is exactly the kind of work AI is good at, as long as confidentiality stays intact.
First: what never goes in
- Board papers, deal terms or anything marked confidential, unless the tool is company-approved for it.
- Personal details about your executive or their family.
- Passwords, travel document numbers or payment details.
Use a work account in an approved tool, and when in doubt, replace names with roles.
Meeting briefs
Build a one-page brief for [executive]'s meeting with [role at
company]: purpose, what they will likely ask for, our position,
open issues from recent emails, and three questions to ask. Use
only the material I paste. [material]Inbox triage
Sort these emails into: needs [executive]'s decision, I can
handle, FYI only, and can be archived. For the first group, give
one line on what decision is needed. [emails]Draft a reply in [executive]'s voice: short, direct, warm but
not effusive. Examples of their emails: [examples]. The reply
should [position].Travel
Plan a two-day trip to [city] around these fixed meetings:
[list]. Suggest flight windows, a hotel area near the meetings,
transfer times, and buffer time. Flag any tight connections.Check live prices and availability yourself. AI suggestions on schedules can be out of date.
Minutes and actions
From these notes, write formal minutes: attendees, decisions,
actions with owner and deadline, next meeting. Neutral tone. Do
not attribute opinions to named people unless they are in my
notes. [notes]Other time-savers
Turn [executive]'s voice note transcript into a clean email to
[recipient]. Keep their meaning, fix the rambling. [transcript]
Summarise this 40-page report in one page for [executive], with
the three things they need to decide. [report]
Draft a polite decline for [invitation], leaving the door open
for [alternative].Set it up once
Create a project with your executive's style: three or four of their real emails, their priorities this quarter, and key names by role. Every draft starts closer to right.
Questions people ask
Can ChatGPT manage a calendar?
Not directly in most setups. Microsoft 365 Copilot and some connected tools can read calendars; ChatGPT alone works from what you paste.
Is Copilot better than ChatGPT for EAs?
If your organisation runs Microsoft 365, Copilot can see email, calendar and files in context, which helps for triage and briefs.
Will AI replace executive assistants?
It removes the drafting and sorting, which leaves more room for the judgement and relationships that make a good EA valuable.
Where to take this next
For Microsoft 365 users, see the Copilot prompt gallery. The Pack builds an assistant around your role and your executive's style.
Leave a comment: