How to Give Feedback to Your Executive Assistant: Scripts That Build a Great EA


 

Quick answer: Give your executive assistant short, specific feedback every week. Use the SBI model: describe the Situation, the Behavior, and its Impact. Praise what you want repeated, correct one thing at a time, and ask how they want to be recognized. A 15-minute weekly coaching slot does more than any annual review.

Ava’s EA kept sending meeting briefs that were too long. Ava skimmed them, felt annoyed, and said nothing for two months. When Ava finally raised it, the EA said, “I wish you had told me in week one.” (Ava is a composite of executives we work with.)

Most EAs need more information about what you want. Feedback is how they get it.

Why Does Feedback Matter So Much?

Feedback drives engagement. Gallup found that 80% of employees who received meaningful feedback in the past week are fully engaged. Yet meaningful feedback is rare. In the same study of nearly 15,000 employees, only 16% said their last conversation with their manager was extremely meaningful.

That gap matters more for a remote EA. They cannot read your face across the office. If you do not say it, they do not know it.

What Is the SBI Model?

SBI comes from the Center for Creative Leadership. It keeps feedback clear and fair in three parts:

  1. Situation: When and where it happened.

  2. Behavior: What they did, stated as fact.

  3. Impact: What it caused, good or bad.

SBI works for praise and for correction. It removes guesswork. Your EA knows exactly what to repeat or change.

What Do Good Feedback Scripts Sound Like?

Here are scripts for common moments, mapped to the traits of a great EA.

Praise for proactivity:
“On Tuesday, before the investor call (situation), you pulled their last three emails into the brief without being asked (behavior). I walked in knowing exactly where we stood (impact). Please keep doing that.”

Correction on communication:
“In yesterday’s reply to the supplier (situation), the tone was sharper than I would use (behavior). They took it as a complaint, and I had to smooth it over (impact). For suppliers, start warm, then state the issue.”

Correction on follow-through:
“After last week’s team meeting (situation), two action items had no owner in the notes (behavior). Both slipped a week (impact). Can you add an owner and a due date to every item?”

Praise for judgment:
“When the flight was canceled on Friday (situation), you had two backup options ready before I landed (behavior). I lost no time and made the dinner (impact). That is exactly the calm I need.”

Notice the pattern. Each script is short, specific, and tied to a result.

How Often Should You Give Feedback?

Use a 15-minute weekly coaching slot. A simple agenda:

  1. One win (3 minutes). Name something they did well, using SBI.

  2. One fix (5 minutes). Name one thing to change, using SBI. Just one.

  3. Their questions (5 minutes). What is unclear? What do they need from you?

  4. Next week (2 minutes). One focus for the week ahead.

Give quick praise in the moment too. A one-line Slack message works: “That brief was perfect. Thank you.”

For the wider rhythm of check-ins and reviews, see our guide on how to manage a remote executive assistant.

How Should You Recognize Good Work?

Ask your EA how they like to be recognized. Gallup found that only 10% of employees are asked this. Some want public praise in a team channel. Some want a private note. Some want more responsibility. Asking takes one minute and makes every future thank-you land.

What Mistakes Should You Avoid?

Saving it up. Feedback loses value fast. Give it within a week.

Fixing five things at once. One change per week sticks. Five changes overwhelm.

Vague praise. “Great job” teaches nothing. Name the behavior.

Only correcting. Praise the behaviors you want more of, as often as you correct.

What Changed for Ava?

Ava started a 15-minute Friday slot. Week one’s fix: briefs on one page, three bullets per attendee. By week three, the briefs were exactly right. By month three, the EA was suggesting fixes to Ava’s own meeting habits. The EA had moved from good to great, one specific note at a time.

Feedback is how the traits of a great EA grow. Read the 7 traits that turn a good executive assistant into a great one to see which traits to coach first. For new hires, pair this with our guide to training an outsourced executive assistant.

Key Takeaways

  • Meaningful weekly feedback drives engagement, and most employees rarely get it.

  • Use SBI: situation, behavior, impact.

  • Run a 15-minute weekly slot: one win, one fix, their questions, next week’s focus.

  • Ask your EA how they like to be recognized.

  • Correct one thing at a time, and praise as often as you correct.

FAQ

How do I give feedback to a remote executive assistant?
Use a short weekly video call for coaching, and quick written praise in the moment. Keep each note specific, using SBI.

How do I correct my EA without hurting the relationship?
Describe the behavior and its impact, and keep the focus off the person. Then agree on one clear change.

How long until feedback shows results?
Most single changes stick within two to three weeks of steady feedback.

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