Strategy Meets Execution
Growth is exciting, but without the right mix of strategy and execution, your company is like piling up fancy dishes for a dinner party and forgetting to wash them—impressive at first, but eventually, it’s just a mess.
Too often, I see visionaries within companies (usually the CEO) come up with incredibly big plans, only for those plans to die a slow death on the side of their desk, waiting for “when things slow down.” Years pass, and those great ideas stay just that—ideas.
Don’t get me wrong—those ideas ARE great. But if they never make it out of the planning stage, what’s the point?
What’s missing? The person to take those initiatives, OWN them, and move them forward, along with someone to actually DO the work.
Enter the Chief of Staff (CoS) and the Virtual Executive Assistant (VEA). Both are crucial to your organization’s success, but they serve different and complementary roles.
The Role of a Chief of Staff (Strategy)
A Chief of Staff is responsible for connecting the dots across your organization. They:
- Have the authority to make decisions on high-level priorities and align the entire staff.
- Identify gaps and opportunities while ensuring the execution of strategic initiatives.
- Manage big-picture items like playbooks, manuals, onboarding, offboarding, culture, and operations.
- Work across departments to ensure everything is aligned and on track.
Additionally, a CoS builds and maintains relationships with external stakeholders, agencies, and counterparts, ensuring strategic consistency and operational success. While their work is at a higher level than a VEA, the CoS works closely with their counterpart to ensure everything gets done.
The Role of a Virtual Executive Assistant (Execution)
A Virtual Executive Assistant focuses on day-to-day operations, often supporting the CEO or senior leadership by:
- Managing calendars, email triage, and coordinating projects.
- Keeping the CEO out of the weeds so they can focus on what only they can do.
- Acting as a barrier between the CEO and unnecessary interruptions, whether they’re time-sucking tasks or people.
The VEA works closely with the CoS to execute strategic priorities, taking the vision and turning it into action by actually doing the work.
Why Your Organization Needs Both
“I don’t need anyone to book my travel. I can do that.”
I recently heard this from a prospect. My response?
“Of course, you can do it. But are you the only person who can do it? What about the things that only you can do? Focus on those and let someone else handle the rest.”
Here’s the thing: If you’re a CEO, your time is likely worth $350–$1,000 an hour. Is it worth paying yourself that rate to arrange your calendar or respond to queries? Probably not. A skilled VEA can handle those tasks at a much lower cost, freeing you to focus on what matters most.
Now, let’s talk about that pile of strategic initiatives sitting on your desk or in a forgotten Google Doc. You need someone to take those priorities, make them an organization-wide focus, and drive them forward. Enter the CoS.
A CoS will assess what’s missing, what needs to be cut, and what should be delegated to your VEA.
8 Examples of What a CoS and VEA Can Handle for You
- Employee Onboarding
- Employee Offboarding
- Client Onboarding
- Client Offboarding
- Equipment Sunsetting
- Culture Planning Framework
- Decision-Making Framework
- Sales Playbook
- Marketing Playbook
- Workflows
Stop Washing Your Own Dishes
If your organization is missing key processes or you’re overwhelmed by tasks that shouldn’t be on your plate, it’s time to rethink your approach. At Northern Primrose, we offer both strategy and execution through Chief of Staff and Virtual Executive Assistant services.
Let’s get your business running smoothly—because no one wants to be the CEO stuck scrubbing the dishes. Reach out today, and we’ll handle the mess for you!
