Availability, Friend or Foe?

I was really looking forward to writing this post.

Recently, while having coffee with a friend on a Saturday at 5 PM, she witnessed first-hand how an Executive Assistant’s availability can be put to the test.

I got a message from my boss: "Are you available?” Panic mode. SOS. Drop everything — this must be urgent!

In the end, it was something that could be solved in under 10 minutes with a few WhatsApp messages. But… is this common? Are EAs supposed to be available 24/7?

If you work as an Executive Assistant, you know exactly what I’m talking about. That constant pressure to be reachable. The feeling that if you don’t reply within 5 minutes, something’s going to explode. That if you disconnect, you might as well have vanished.

Because for many people, availability = effectiveness.

But here’s an uncomfortable truth: being always available doesn’t make you a better EA — it just makes you more exhausted.

Being available doesn’t mean being online 24/7.

It means knowing when and how to show up, what to prioritize, and how to support without breaking yourself.

It’s not about saying “yes” to everything. It’s about saying “yes” to what really matters.

Here are 3 key tips to stay available without losing your time (or your mind):

1. Set clear response windows: “I’m online from 9 to 6 CET, and outside those hours only for true emergencies (the real kind).”

2. Match the channel to the urgency: Teams or email for everyday needs, phone calls only for what truly can’t wait. Train your environment.

3. Protect your own focus like you protect your exec’s calendar: Schedule your own tasks. Block time. Being an EA doesn’t mean being at everyone’s disposal — it means exercising judgment.

Availability without strategy is servitude.But availability with boundaries? That’s a superpower.

Because you’re not “always there.” You’re there when it matters. And that is invisible leadership.

If you need support or have questions, feel free to reach out or book a 1:1 mentoring session with me.