There’s a pattern we’ve seen time and time again.
An executive is ready to hire a Personal Assistant (PA). The pressure’s on, time is short, and expectations are high.
But the job spec? Vague.
The onboarding? Rushed.
And the vision for the role? Let’s just say, loosely defined.
Fast forward six weeks and both sides are frustrated. The PA feels like they’re missing the mark, and the executive wonders why the hire hasn’t transformed their working life yet.
Here’s the truth: no matter how talented your PA is, they can’t deliver against expectations that were never clearly set.
Assumptions are not a strategy
It’s easy to assume that the right PA will simply know what you need. That they’ll step in, sweep up the mess, and make sense of your chaos without you having to say a word.
Assistants aren’t mind readers. They’re strategic professionals, not magicians.
If the scope of the role hasn’t been clearly defined, even the most capable PA is left second guessing priorities, trying to read between the lines of every calendar entry and Teams message.
That’s not efficiency. That’s uncertainty. Uncertainty that kills performance.
The ripple effect of poor scoping
When clarity is missing from day one, the impact runs deeper than most people realise:
- Time gets wasted because no one is quite sure what “urgent” really means
- Trust erodes because mistakes happen, and assumptions get made
- Confidence takes a hit especially for the assistant, who starts to feel like they’re always on the back foot
- You don’t get the results you were hiring for in the first place
Clarity isn’t just a ‘nice to have’. It’s what allows high performing assistants to operate at pace, with autonomy and confidence.
What clarity really looks like
It doesn’t have to mean a 12-page job description or a colour-coded task list. In fact, some of the best clarity we’ve seen comes down to just a few core things:
- A clear understanding of what success looks like in the first 30, 60, 90 days
- An honest conversation about communication preferences and decision making styles
- Defined priorities, not just tasks
- The trust to give access, not just instructions
When that foundation is in place, great assistants don’t just keep up. They get ahead of you.
The bottom line
If you want a PA who can anticipate, enable, and act with impact, start by giving them something concrete to work with. Define the role. Share your pain points. Be honest about your needs, even if they’re messy.
A PA who has clarity can create calm. A PA who’s guessing? Just creates more noise.
Hiring support shouldn’t be a gamble. It should be a strategy.
If you’re ready to scope your next PA role properly, and find someone who fits it, we’d love to help.
Get in touch with the Lily Shippen team.
https://lilyshippen.co.uk/looking-to-hire-personal-assistant
