Supercharge your success as an Assistant with our weekly email. Subscribe now.
Share
Your Executive just left. Now what?
Published about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Wednesday
1st April
No: 61
Your Exec has left the building. Now what?
If your Exec leaves… here’s what actually matters
If you’ve ever had that moment where your Executive tells you they’re leaving, or you hear it through the grapevine before anything is official, you’ll know how quickly everything starts to shift.
One minute, you’re running a normal week. The next, you’re in the middle of leadership changes, unclear decisions, and a lot of people asking you questions you don’t have answers to yet. On top of the fat you know full well people are having conversations about your future that you might not be involved in.
So, rather than jumping ahead to “what does this mean for my job?”, this week's newsletter covers where to focus first.
When your Executive leaves, it can feel strange to suddenly be the one waiting for answers, or depending on how they leave, completely blindsided by events. In this article, we will explore what actually happens when your Executive leaves, what to focus on in those first few days, how to protect your role, and how to think about your next move.
Let’s talk about onboarding a New Executive, a task that can be challenging but is also an opportunity for us, as EAs, to showcase our skills and add real value. Onboarding requires careful planning, clear communication, and a proactive mindset. In this article, we’ll explore Diana Brandl’s 10-point strategy plan for onboarding a new Executive.
What to do in those first few days after your Exec announces they are leaving
Get clarity on your position early You don’t need every detail, but you do need to know where you stand. Speak to HR or your Executive’s manager and ask directly what happens to your role in the short term.
Work out who is actually in charge now There is usually an interim structure, even if no one has explained it properly. Who is covering your Executive’s responsibilities? Who is making decisions? Who do approvals now sit with?
Keep the day-to-day running There will still be meetings, emails, approvals, and people needing direction. This is where you add a lot of value. You are often the only person who can keep things moving while everyone else is working out what is going on.
Manage expectations around you People will come to you for answers. It’s completely fine to say you don’t have them yet. What matters is that you stay calm, keep communication clear, and don’t guess or fill in gaps when you don't know for sure.
Give yourself a minute to process it Even when it’s expected, it can feel strange. You might have worked closely with this person for years. It’s fine to take a step back and process it, while still keeping things steady professionally.
What's Happening...
The EA Campus Conference
Over three unmissable days, you’ll dive into game-changing sessions on the future of the Assistant role, take part in hands-on workshops that deliver practical, real-world results, and explore the latest in AI tools, tech demos, and tactical support you can use immediately. Best of all, you’ll do it all surrounded by a room full of people who get what it means to do your job, and love it just as much as you do.
Confetti is a team events and experiences platform that helps Executive Assistants plan and deliver engaging team moments without having to start from scratch. If you’re responsible for organising team events, onboarding experiences, or company-wide sessions, it gives you a straightforward way to book and manage everything in one place.
Over three unmissable days, you’ll dive into game-changing sessions on the future of the Assistant role, take part in hands-on workshops that deliver practical, real-world results, and explore the latest in AI tools, tech demos, and tactical support you can use immediately. Best of all, you’ll do it all surrounded by a room full of people who get what it means to do your job, and love it just as much as you do. Book now>>>
14th April, 2026 @ 11am ET | 4pm GMT | 5pm CEST
Automation for EAs Masterclass
This LIVE masterclass, led by automation expert Kelly Goss, offers a unique opportunity to enhance your professional capabilities and become a tech-savvy, future-ready Assistant. Whether you're new to automation or looking to refine your existing skills, this session will provide practical insights and real-world applications that you can implement immediately. Book now>>>
28th April, 2026 @ 11am ET | 4pm GMT | 5pm CEST
Copilot for Email & Task
Management Masterclass
Microsoft Copilot is becoming central to how email, tasks, and collaboration work across Microsoft 365. Copilot for Email and Tasks Management Masterclass is a focused, practical Masterclass designed specifically for Executive Assistants who want to use AI to manage email more effectively, capture actions accurately, and create structured task workflows that actually stick. Book now>>>
Wednesday 8th April No: 62 What the New Breed of Exec Needs From You The Executives we support are changing. If you’ve been an EA for a while, you’ve probably started to notice a shift in how your Executive works day to day. The way they communicate, make decisions, and manage their workload looks different now than even a few years ago, and that naturally changes what they need from you. As EAs, we’re seeing more Executives who move quickly, switch between channels constantly, and expect us...
CONNECT April 3rd | Issue 56 Latest Articles When Your Executive Leaves When your Executive leaves, it can happen in different ways. Each situation looks slightly different, but the impact on you, as the EA, can feel very similar. In this article, we will explore what actually happens when your Executive leaves, what to focus on in those first few days, and how to protect your role. Read more → Why Filtering AI Workslop Is Becoming a Core EA Skill In this article, we will explore what makes...
Wednesday 25th March No: 60 You know that email you have to read three times AI workslop is becoming your problem If you’ve recently opened one of your Exec's emails, read it twice, and still thought, “What are they actually asking here?”, this one is for you. Because I’ve had a few of those this week. You know the ones. Looks very polished, lots of paragraphs, quite confident in tone, absolutely no clear answer anywhere in sight. And after the third read, you realise… I now have to fix this....
