In the world of executive support, speed is currency. You are hired to be efficient. To anticipate needs. To move quickly. To make things happen, often at a pace that the rest of the organisation simply cannot match. When you’re supporting C-suite leaders, delays aren’t just inconvenient; they can have real business impact. But here’s the truth that doesn’t get talked about enough:
Not everyone operates at your speed. And they’re not supposed to.
The mark of an exceptional assistant isn’t just how fast you get things done, it’s how you balance urgency with emotional intelligence, fairness, and respect for the people you rely on to make those things happen.
Because behind every unanswered email, delayed response, or missed detail… there’s a human being. Someone with competing priorities, pressures, and a life outside of work and how you engage with them matters.
The Hidden Cost of “Chasing”
Recent reporting suggests that nearly six hours a week are lost to administrative tasks by non-admin professionals. That’s time people are actively trying to protect. So when assistants send repeated follow-ups, “just checking in” emails, or increasingly urgent nudges, it doesn’t accelerate progress; it often creates friction.
Let’s be honest: Email fatigue is real. And the quiet frustration towards being chased? Also very real.
If something is genuinely urgent, the solution isn’t more emails, tt’s better communication.
Pick up the phone, speak to someone directly, find their assistant and align properly. That’s not inefficiency, that’s professionalism.
Urgency Without Impatience: The Assistant’s Balancing Act
The best assistants understand this subtle but powerful distinction:
- Urgency is about the task
- Tone is about the relationship
You can move quickly without making people feel pressured, dismissed, or overwhelmed and that’s where emotional intelligence comes in.
10 Everyday Scenarios: What to Say Instead
1. When You Haven’t Had a Response
You sent the email yesterday. It felt clear, concise, and easy to action. You’ve checked your inbox a few times since… still nothing. Now you’re starting to feel that pressure build because you know your executive will ask for an update.
It’s tempting to assume the worst, that it’s being ignored or deprioritised. But in reality, it’s far more likely that it’s simply been buried under competing demands.
Instead of: “Just chasing this, please respond ASAP.”
Try: “I appreciate you may be busy, just checking if you’ve had a chance to look at this when convenient.”
This keeps the door open without putting someone on the back foot.
2. When Something Is Actually Urgent
Your executive’s plans have suddenly changed. What was a “later this week” task is now a “we need this today” situation. You’re under pressure, and naturally, you want to transfer that urgency quickly but if that urgency lands too abruptly, it can feel like a demand rather than a request.
Instead of: “This is urgent. I need this now.”
Try: “I’m so sorry to rush, this has become time-sensitive. Would you be able to help with this today?”
You’re still communicating urgency but with awareness and respect.
3. When You’re Following Up Again
You already followed up once, now you’re about to do it again. You can feel that internal frustration creeping in because from your perspective, this is holding things up. But from their perspective? They may not even realise it’s still outstanding.
Instead of: “Following up again.”
Try: “I just wanted to gently follow up in case this got buried, completely understand if you’ve had a busy few days.”
This removes blame and keeps things collaborative.
4. When You’re Feeling Frustrated
You’ve asked for something more than once. You’ve been clear. You’ve given context. And yet, you’re still waiting. This is where tone matters most, because frustration has a way of slipping into your wording without you even realising.
Instead of: “I’ve already asked for this.”
Try: “I realise you may have a lot on, just looping back on this as it’s still needed on our side.”
You’re acknowledging your need without projecting irritation.
5. When a Deadline Is Slipping
You had a timeline in mind. Maybe it was even agreed. But now that deadline has passed, and you’re left managing expectations upwards while trying not to damage the relationship sideways. Calling something “late” might be factually correct but it’s rarely helpful.
Instead of: “This was due already.”
Try: “I just wanted to check in on timing, do you have an updated estimate for when this might be ready?”
This keeps the focus on moving forward, not assigning fault.
6. When You Need a Quick Turnaround
Sometimes you need a favour. A quick turnaround. Something that sits outside of someone’s planned workload. How you ask in these moments often determines whether you get a yes, or a reluctant response.
Instead of: “Can you do this immediately?”
Try: “If there’s any chance this could be prioritised today, it would really help, but I understand if that’s not possible.”
This gives them autonomy, which people appreciate.
7. When You Need to Escalate
You’ve followed up. You’ve given time. But now your executive is asking questions, and you need to show progress. Escalation might be necessary, but it doesn’t need to feel like a threat.
Instead of: “I’ll have to escalate this.”
Try: “I may need to update my executive on progress, would you prefer I hold off while you take a look?”
This keeps things transparent without creating tension.
8. When You’re Not Getting Anywhere via Email
You’ve sent the original message. Then a follow-up. Maybe even another. At this point, you’re refreshing your inbox more than you’d like to admit. This is usually the moment where many people send another email. But the real issue isn’t the message, it’s the method.
Instead of: Sending another follow-up email.
Try: Pick up the phone: “Hi, I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time, just wanted to quickly check in on something rather than adding to your inbox.”
It’s faster, clearer, and far more human.
9. When Someone Has Missed Something
You’re reviewing something that’s been sent over, and you spot it, a missing detail, an oversight, something that needs correcting. It’s easy to point it out directly, but tone here can either maintain confidence or unintentionally create defensiveness.
Instead of: “You missed this.”
Try: “I think this part may have been overlooked, would you mind taking another look?”
A small shift that keeps things constructive.
10. When You Need Ongoing Support
You find yourself going back to the same person repeatedly. Similar requests, similar delays, similar back-and-forth. At some point, it’s worth asking whether the process itself needs to change.
Instead of: “I’ll keep chasing.”
Try: “Would it be helpful for us to align directly on this going forward to make things easier?”
Sometimes the most efficient solution is simply better alignment.
Matching the Medium to the Moment
If something isn’t urgent, email works perfectly well. It allows people to respond in their own time, without interruption. But as soon as urgency increases, relying solely on email can actually slow things down.
You’ve probably experienced it yourself, messages get buried, inboxes fill up, and even the clearest request can go unseen. That’s where your professional judgment comes in.
A quick message can help surface something that matters. And when timing is critical, a direct call often achieves in minutes what emails can’t achieve in hours. If you’ve already followed up more than once, that’s usually your sign. Not to push harder, but to change approach.
The Reputation That Sets You Apart
Assistants are often judged not just by their executives, but by everyone they interact with. People remember:
- Who respected their time
- Who communicated clearly
- Who treated them like a human, not a resource
And those relationships? They’re what actually make things happen faster in the long run.
When you consistently communicate with clarity, patience, and respect, people notice. They trust you, they prioritise your requests, they want to help you, and over time, that becomes your biggest advantage. Because true efficiency doesn’t come from chasing, it comes from relationships that make things happen naturally.
So yes: move quickly.
Yes: be efficient.
Yes: get results.
But do it in a way that makes people want to help you; because that’s where the real power lies.