One of the biggest differences between a good administrative professional and a great one isn’t organization, speed, or even anticipation.
It’s communication.
Not how much you communicate, but instead what you choose to communicate, when you choose to communicate it, and how you deliver it.
Over the years, I’ve watched incredibly capable admins struggle, not because they weren’t doing great work, but because their executive didn’t see it, didn’t hear it, or received it at the wrong moment. And I’ve also seen admin/executive partnerships thrive because communication was intentional, strategic, and thoughtful.
It’s not about “keeping your Executive in the loop.” This is about managing information as a leadership skill.
Executives today are overwhelmed. According to a 2024 State of Meetings report, senior leaders spend nearly 35-40% of their time in meetings, leaving very little time for deep thinking, decision-making, or getting work done! It’s hard to keep up when you spend almost half of your time in meetings.
That means every message you send, every interruption you initiate, and every update you deliver either sharpens your executive’s focus or distracts them from what matters most.
Strategic admins understand that communication is a filter, not a firehose.
Since we need to decide what to communicate, here is a quick list of what to do and what not to do.
Do:
- Decisions that require judgment, not just information
- Flag risks early, before they become urgent
- Translate complexity into clarity
- Connect dots your executive may not have time to connect
Example:
Instead of saying, “Three meetings were rescheduled,” try:
“We’ve had three reschedules this week due to overlapping priorities. I recommend blocking Tuesday afternoons going forward to protect strategic work time.”
You’re not just reporting; you’re showing you can think strategically alongside them. It’s not up to them to suggest that time is protected, but up to you.
Don’t:
- Forward emails without context
- Share every detail “just in case”
- Assume your executive knows why something matters
I know that a mistake we’ve all made is sending too much information, thinking we are being extremely helpful. The more information they have, the more equipped they are to make decisions, right? Except your Executive doesn’t necessarily need the full picture, but instead needs the right picture. We can help them with that.
However, being a strategic thinker is more than just filtering information. We also need to know when to communicate! Knowing when to speak up is just as important as knowing what to say.
Do:
- Match the message to the executive’s energy level
- Use patterns (weekly check-ins, end-of-day summaries, Monday priorities)
- Save non-urgent items for structured time
Gallup research shows that employees who receive clear, timely communication are nearly 4.5 times more likely to feel engaged at work (Gallup, State of the Global Workplace).
Admins play a huge role in how and when clarity is delivered.
Don’t:
- Interrupt deep focus for non-urgent matters
- Save critical issues for “later” when they’ll explode
- Assume “no response” means “not important”
One admin told me she waited three weeks to raise a concern because her executive “seemed stressed.” When she finally did, the response was: “I wish you’d told me sooner, as this was manageable back then.” I’ve done the same in my personal life. When I should have raised a concern with Warren, I talked myself out of it, thinking that later would be better (and listing all the standard excuses for delaying the conversation). Later wasn’t better.
Strategic communication respects timing without avoiding responsibility.
Now, when it comes to HOW to communicate, the great admins truly stand out. Framing is everything!
Do:
- Lead with the outcome or decision needed. As Stephen Covey says, ‘Begin with the end in mind’
- Speak in bullet points, not paragraphs
- Offer a recommendation or solution, and not just a problem
Try this structure:
- Context (one sentence)
- Impact
- Recommendation
Example:
“The vendor has missed two deadlines, which puts the launch at risk. I recommend we escalate today or move to our backup option.”
Don’t:
- Bury the point. One sentence with total clarity is required at all times.
- Vent emotionally
- Present problems without thinking through solutions
Harvard Business Review notes that leaders trust team members more when they demonstrate judgment, not just execution (HBR, How Leaders Build Trust, 2020).
Admins who communicate strategically build that trust faster. We want to be more than helpful; we want to be high-value.
Here’s the mindset shift I want you to consider:
You are not just communicating to your executive.
You are communicating for them.
You are shaping:
- how they see priorities
- where they focus attention
- how they make decisions
That is influence.
And the admins who master this don’t just support executives. They become indispensable strategic partners.
Working well with your executive isn’t about being agreeable or available 24/7. It’s about being intentional.
Ask yourself:
- Is this message truly helpful right now, or could it wait or be handled differently?
- Am I adding insight, or just sharing information?
When you get communication right, everything else in the partnership gets easier.
And that’s not admin work.
That’s leadership.