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But it doesn't matter if you like doing your work. If you're working all the time, to the point where you can't arrange a doctor's appointment, you're working w

But it doesn't matter if you like doing your work. If you're working all the time, to the point where you can't arrange a doctor's appointment, you're working way too much. When you're in a leadership position, it's a matter of time until it impacts the rest of the team. The one personal task that takes a lot of time that I'd consider outsourcing would be to go to the store to pick up my prescriptions. But even that gives me a chance to reflect. It's really quite hard to imagine that it's a significant loss not having a personal assistant. What are some tasks that need to be outsourced? (Another way to phrase it: The rest of their team probably don't have personal assistants. If it's a work necessity, they should consider making a personal assistant a company benefit.)

ryan-c 5y ago
I've had my PA arrange doctor's appointments, it's great. It's not a matter of working too much, it's that I only have so much mental energy to go around. Decisions can be draining. Dealing with people can be draining. These things aren't draining to the same extent for everyone.
- Arete314159 5y ago
  These days with everybody understaffed, making a doctor's appointment can be very time-consuming, as well! You might on hold / re-routed and the whole call could take 15 or 20 minutes, which is a lot in the middle of the day.
dymk 5y ago
Why is it that doctors appointments are something that you need to set aside time to make, personally? Why can't somebody else do that for OP? I don't personally need an assistant, even though I work at the same company as my CEO (who has a personal assistant as well). Him having one doesn't mean everybody needs one.
deleted 5y ago
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version_five 5y ago
> If it's a work necessity, they should consider making a personal assistant a company benefit I have seen workplaces with concierge service for employees to handle personal tasks - I'm actually surprised this isn't more popular. Tech companies definitely are known for meals and snacks and coffee being provided, I think that is in the same direction. To your question, scheduling meetings and travel can be a huge time suck, especially for a CEO that would have lots of both and rapidly changing plans. Logistics for meetings - "party planning" can be a big job and depending on the size of the company there may not be someone separate to do that. Personal stuff like changing addresses, filling forms for whatever, waiting to have a mattress delivered (I had a former boss send an EA for this), anything where you have to be on hold on the phone. All this admin stuff only increases as you get busy, and it would be great to have someone to deal with it. Plus there are always special projects - pulling info together for a presentation or something, looking for a vendor for something. I think I'm talking myself into hiring one...
- sillysaurusx 5y ago
  It's telling that most of your examples are business related, whereas OP said that personal tasks are first and foremost. But if you actually try to name some personal tasks, it becomes difficult. The sole realistic example seems to be "anything where you have to be on hold on the phone." I don't think that life admin tasks increase as you get busy. Life stays the same, and work consumes proportionally more. Would you use an EA to take your kid to school? Pick them up? Your life needs to be on hold for those things, but to me it feels really strange that some people would want to outsource it in the name of work.
  - version_five 5y ago
    > It's telling that most of your examples are business related, whereas OP said that personal tasks are first and foremost Yeah that might be because I have no life and am mainly thinking about business :) I don't think anyone is talking about outsourcing family stuff. I agree that would be something to be concerned about.

ryan-c 5y ago

I've had my PA arrange doctor's appointments, it's great. It's not a matter of working too much, it's that I only have so much mental energy to go around. Decisions can be draining. Dealing with people can be draining. These things aren't draining to the same extent for everyone.

Arete314159 5y ago
These days with everybody understaffed, making a doctor's appointment can be very time-consuming, as well! You might on hold / re-routed and the whole call could take 15 or 20 minutes, which is a lot in the middle of the day.

dymk 5y ago

Why is it that doctors appointments are something that you need to set aside time to make, personally? Why can't somebody else do that for OP? I don't personally need an assistant, even though I work at the same company as my CEO (who has a personal assistant as well). Him having one doesn't mean everybody needs one.

deleted 5y ago

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version_five 5y ago

> If it's a work necessity, they should consider making a personal assistant a company benefit I have seen workplaces with concierge service for employees to handle personal tasks - I'm actually surprised this isn't more popular. Tech companies definitely are known for meals and snacks and coffee being provided, I think that is in the same direction. To your question, scheduling meetings and travel can be a huge time suck, especially for a CEO that would have lots of both and rapidly changing plans. Logistics for meetings - "party planning" can be a big job and depending on the size of the company there may not be someone separate to do that. Personal stuff like changing addresses, filling forms for whatever, waiting to have a mattress delivered (I had a former boss send an EA for this), anything where you have to be on hold on the phone. All this admin stuff only increases as you get busy, and it would be great to have someone to deal with it. Plus there are always special projects - pulling info together for a presentation or something, looking for a vendor for something. I think I'm talking myself into hiring one...

sillysaurusx 5y ago
It's telling that most of your examples are business related, whereas OP said that personal tasks are first and foremost. But if you actually try to name some personal tasks, it becomes difficult. The sole realistic example seems to be "anything where you have to be on hold on the phone." I don't think that life admin tasks increase as you get busy. Life stays the same, and work consumes proportionally more. Would you use an EA to take your kid to school? Pick them up? Your life needs to be on hold for those things, but to me it feels really strange that some people would want to outsource it in the name of work.
- version_five 5y ago
  > It's telling that most of your examples are business related, whereas OP said that personal tasks are first and foremost Yeah that might be because I have no life and am mainly thinking about business :) I don't think anyone is talking about outsourcing family stuff. I agree that would be something to be concerned about.