Quick Wins for Your Assistant ⇪

Our aim at Athena is to help you achieve more by becoming a level six delegator.

In each issue of our newsletter you’ll get unique delegation tips, including:

• Level Up → The Thumbs System

• Delegate This → Quick Wins for Your Assistant

LEVEL UP

The Thumbs System for Quick Decision-Making

We make hundreds of decisions each day — it can be exhausting. The Thumbs System is a powerful technique for making quick, clear choices without excessive cognitive load.

Here’s how it works:

1. Train your assistant to frame questions that only require you to give a simple “yes,” “no,” or “I need more information” whenever possible.

2. Use simple, visual cues for responses:

   1. Thumbs up emoji 👍 = Yes

   2. Thumbs down 👎 = No

   3. Question mark❓ = Need more information

3. For anything else, ask your assistant to offer numbered choices so you can indicate your preference easily.

The Thumbs System will speed up decision-making, reduce decision fatigue, and train your assistant to simplify complex issues into digestible summaries and clear options.

Here’s an example:

DELEGATE THIS

Quick Wins for Your Assistant

When you start working with an assistant they’re eager to add value right away. However, they lack the context and specific experience for your work. On top of it all, if you're new to having an assistant, you're likely still figuring out how to delegate effectively.

Quick wins build their confidence and give you immediate value, which creates a virtuous cycle: Delegate a simple task, see it done well, then delegate more.

Here are some starter ideas:

1. Near-Term Event Scheduling → Book a date night, social event/meal, spa or massage treatment.

2. Medical Assistance → Book overdue labs (in-home draws or at office). Schedule medical appointments or find new providers. Set up prescription delivery. Submit all your superbills and insurance reimbursements. Research out of network procedures.

3. Shopping → Any personal items needing replacement (headphones, phone or phone case/screen, wearables, clothing, etc). Research gift ideas.

4. Home → Find and schedule vendors or help needed, i.e. general contractor, childcare, landscaping, housekeeping, carpet cleaning, HVAC.

5. Finance → Review and close credit card or bank accounts. Set up bill pay for items in backlog.

6. Travel → Research and plan an upcoming trip. Centralize all your hotel and airline points so you can track and utilize them. Dispute or submit a travel complaint / seek reimbursement.

7. Recruiting → Create an automation to pull in potential candidates for current role you’re hiring for. Email school alumni or relevant LinkedIn contacts for role recommendations.

It’s good for your assistant to hit the ground running, and equally important for you to see immediate value so you start trusting you can delegate by default.

Liked this issue? Let us know by voting in the poll below. And expect to receive more delegation tips to help you build leverage every few weeks.