The to-do list of an Executive Assistant can seem relentless and never-ending, and executive assistant courses can arm you with the skills you need to navigate this often-challenging role. However, these days there is an essential platform that EAs of the past didn’t have access to – modern technology! From managing time and tasks to schedules and projects, here are some invaluable apps that may grant you a five-star rating on your next performance review!

Task Management Tools

• Todoist – One of the most popular business apps on the market, it can be used on all devices and allows you to share tasks with your Executive and your colleagues.
• TickTick – This app has some great features, including a timer that allows you to schedule in regular breaks, which can enhance productivity. It can also be integrated with your calendar and project management software.
• Microsoft To-Do – If you use Office or Microsoft 365 in your job, this tool is for you! It syncs fully with Outlook so you can manage tasks on the platform you probably use the most.
• Google Tasks – If you use the Google Suite, this app will sync with Gmail and your Google Calendar and can also be downloaded as an app on your mobile.
• Omnifocus – The ideal app for Apple fans. It is built around the Getting Things Done productivity system and has lots of features that will help you move projects forward.
• TeuxDeux – This to-do list app allows you to list all your tasks throughout the week, add recurring tasks, set deadlines and highlight important tasks.

 

Time Management Tools

• Toogl – This app can help you tack the time spent on your work. You can manage and tag your time by client, team, project or Executive, and see data and add notes on where and why you are spending it.
• RescueTime – Similar to Toogl, except it will automatically track your time and give you real-time data on where your time is spent. If colleagues and your Executive also install it, you can then be the boss of everyone’s time management!

 

Productivity Tools

• Freedom – Are you a bit of a procrastinator who uses social media a little too much during working hours? This app blocks unproductive websites that may distract you while you’re working.
• Pocket – This is free productivity software that captures notes, websites, images anything else that could be considered task-oriented.
• Workflow – This is a highly adaptable app that helps minimise some of your everyday, complicated tasks. It also allows you to create unique home screen shortcuts on your phone that can perform groups of tasks with one tap!
• Grammarly – An excellent app for those who spend a big part of their day writing reports and documents, as it quickly checks your spelling and grammar.
• ai – This app is probably the most advanced and accessible platform in the area of minute taking and dictation.

 

Scheduling Tools

• Google Calendar – Probably the calendar of choice of many EAs – it has loads of easy collaboration tools and great extensions.
• Vyte – This meeting scheduler integrates with your Google Calendar and provides lots of extra options for diary management.
• ai – Using artificial intelligence, this app takes away the to-ing and fro-ing that often comes with scheduling meetings. Once you set up your preferences, the AI technology will have all of the information required to schedule a meeting. Plus, the more you use it, the app will start to understand where best to place the meeting within your Executive’s schedule.
• Office Tracker – Office Tracker enables you to coordinate your entire organisation’s schedules and meeting rooms on the same platform so you can all see what each other is doing!
• Time Zone Ninja – This app will help you schedule international meetings. The interface allows you to select your location and that of your attendees, and then the preferred time and meeting date. The technology will then produce a timetable with a selection of the best possible times for all attendees.
• Accompany – If you sign up with your Executive’s email, this app will pull together profiles of all of the organisations and people your Executive has meetings with. You can source past communications with the contact, news about them, their social media posts, financial reports attached to the organisation, articles they’ve written and a whole lot more. Your boss will then be more than prepared for their next meeting with them!

Project Management Technology

• Monday – This is one of the more popular and flexible PM apps available and is a visual platform that lets you plan, schedule and collaborate with other users on projects.
• Hiver – Hiver is a Gmail extension that lets teams manage their shared inboxes. An extension has lots of added features that will help you manage inboxes without having to forward emails or send lots of them out!
• SmartSheet – SmartSheet empowers organisations to plan, automate, track and report on work. It also has an easy-to-use interface, work automation features and real-time dashboards.
• Google Docs – Probably the best feature of this app is your ability to work on a document in “real” time. If you are in a different location from your Executive, you can still work on the document together!
• Evernote – Evernote is a fantastic app that helps with the collaboration of information. It has a host of features that helps you share notes, documents and ideas including with colleagues.
• Lucidchart – This app lets you create organisational charts, diagrams and mind maps collaboratively and then make and share changes in “real-time”.

 

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