One of the biggest responsibilities you carry as an Executive Assistant or Director of Operations is this: make your Rainmaker’s life easier.
You hear it all the time: their 80% is your 20%. But how do you actually figure out what’s on that 80% list — especially when your Team Leader is running a million miles an hour and doesn’t always slow down to delegate?
Here’s a quick, powerful hack one of our coaching clients just implemented. It’s deceptively simple, and already creating major wins.
The Hack:
Create a one-question Google Form or JotForm and automate an email to your Business owner that goes out daily.
That’s it. One question. Every day. Something like:
👉 “What did you do today that someone on the operations team could have done?”
They click the link. They type a quick answer. Boom.
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“Returned a call to Mr. Seller to give him showing feedback.”
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“Created a CMA.”
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“Talked to the venue about our client event”
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“Put together slides for the team meeting.”
It takes them 15 seconds to respond. It gives you a goldmine of insights. And the answers? They live in a spreadsheet that you can track, review, and turn into action steps.
Bonus Round:
Once your Rainmaker builds the habit of replying (and runs out of things to type), switch up the question to:
👉 “What would have made your life easier today?”
Maybe it’s a new system. A tweak to a meeting. A tighter calendar. More prep from the team.
This question helps you shift from just taking things off their plate to actually making their plate smaller. (Big difference.)
But don’t stop there…
Because data without action is just clutter. You need a follow-through system.
Here are two solid options:
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Weekly Meeting Sync: Add this spreadsheet review to your weekly Rainmaker 1:1. Go over the responses, choose what to act on, and set clear timeframes.
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Solo Sweep: Create a recurring weekly task in your CRM (you have one, right?) to review the spreadsheet yourself and decide what you can quietly shift, automate, or improve — all without waiting to be told.
Why this works:
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It’s simple.
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It’s scalable.
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It trains your leader to think daily about what they’re doing that they shouldn’t be doing.
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And it gives you the info you need to step up, serve at a higher level, and stop operating in the dark.
Now THAT is bossy!
And while we are talking about Rainmaker/Operations Communication . . .
Make sure BOTH of you are signed up to create your User Manuals For People. This ONE communication tool has been a huge accelerator of trust and results in our business and it can be for you as well!