Thinking Strategically – Expanding Your Impact Beyond the Task List
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Executive Assistants play a critical role in organizational success, but to truly thrive, they must look beyond the immediate to-do list. This empowering webinar is designed to help EAs elevate their thinking, align daily responsibilities with long-term business objectives, and become indispensable strategic partners. Participants will explore practical techniques for shifting from a reactive mindset to a proactive, forward-thinking approach that maximizes their impact across the organization.
Whether you're supporting one executive or an entire leadership team, this session will provide tools to help you anticipate needs, connect your actions to strategic goals, and apply structured thinking to boost efficiency. By adopting a strategic lens, you'll increase your value, deepen your influence, and position yourself as a proactive problem-solver in your organization.
Your Benefits for Attending:- Discover how to align your daily tasks with larger business strategies to drive more meaningful results.
- Learn methods to anticipate your executive’s needs before they surface, creating smoother workflows.
- Use structured thinking to identify opportunities, enhance productivity, and support smarter decision-making.
This session is ideal for Executive Assistants looking to move beyond task execution and into a more strategic, value-added role. You'll walk away with actionable insights that not only enhance your effectiveness but also position you as a forward-thinking leader in your role.
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Meg Steinschauer
Meg Steinschauer is a writer, researcher, and thought leader with a passion for exploring the psychology of human behavior, leadership, and resilience. With an MBA and ongoing studies in organizational psychology, Meg combines academic insight with real-world experience to break down complex topics [...]
IAAP Credit
Aurora Training Advantage has reviewed the content of this program and believes it aligns with the CAP Body of Knowledge. We estimate this program may qualify for 1 recertification point(s), based on 1 point per 1 hour of eligible training. Final determination of applicability rests with the CAP designee, who is responsible for documenting alignment for recertification purposes.
ATAAA Credit
Aurora Training Advantage is offering continuing education points designed to recognize dedication to training and excellence in administrative.
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This webinar received a total of 4 survey responses. Attendees have given an average rating of 4.4 stars out of a possible 5, reflecting the quality and value of the content presented.
Webinar Presentation
How many of the objectives of the event were met?
4.8 Stars
How useful was the information presented at this event?
4.3 Stars
Overall, how satisfied were you with this event?
4.3 Stars
Speaker Performance
Overall, how satisfied were you with this presenter?
4.3 Stars
How closely did the presenter follow the schedule?
4.3 Stars
Reviews From Webinar Survey
Our webinars are crafted to deliver exceptional value and insight to business professionals. Below, you'll find genuine feedback from attendees.
Holly B.
August 15, 2025
4.8 / 5
Webinar Rating:
4.7 Stars
Speaker Rating:
5.0 Stars
Do you have any other comments, questions or concerns?
no comment
Jenny P.
August 15, 2025
4.2 / 5
Webinar Rating:
4.3 Stars
Speaker Rating:
4.0 Stars
Do you have any other comments, questions or concerns?
Just a couple of observations: There was no 'group chat', so I was not able to benefit from the comments or experiences of others. The presenter referred to the comments and how great they were, but I was not able to see them or learn from them. Secondly, on the 15th slide in the deck, with the "REMEMBER" checklist, the presenter ran through a list of questions to ask yourself... they are not on the slide, but I believe they would be a great resource for enhancing the knowledge and actually using what I learned. Is there a possibility of getting that list of questions? She actually had questions for every point in that checklist.
Eva L.
August 15, 2025
4.6 / 5
Webinar Rating:
4.7 Stars
Speaker Rating:
4.5 Stars
Do you have any other comments, questions or concerns?
For some reason I was unable to use the chat feature
Vicki O.
August 15, 2025
3.8 / 5
Webinar Rating:
4.0 Stars
Speaker Rating:
3.5 Stars
Do you have any other comments, questions or concerns?
Please have the slides printed in advance so I could have printed them off before class
Frequently Asked Questions
The shift from reactive to proactive thinking is the defining transition in an executive assistant's professional evolution—and it requires both a mindset change and specific behavioral practices. Reactive EAs respond to requests as they arrive; proactive EAs anticipate what will be needed before it is asked, identify potential issues before they become problems, and take initiative on responsibilities that fall within their scope without waiting to be directed. Making this shift starts with developing a deeper understanding of the executive's goals and the organization's strategic priorities, so individual tasks can be evaluated in context rather than as isolated requests. Building time for reflection into the daily routine—stepping back from the immediate task list to ask 'what else matters here?'—is a structural practice that develops strategic awareness over time. Meg Steinschauer, whose research integrates organizational psychology with leadership development, provides specific techniques for developing this proactive orientation in Aurora Training Advantage's Thinking Strategically webinar.
Aligning daily tasks with organizational strategy begins with understanding the strategy itself—what the organization is trying to achieve, what the executive's role is in that achievement, and how specific projects and priorities connect to larger goals. EAs who invest in this understanding can evaluate every task not just on its immediate requirements but on its strategic significance: which tasks deserve more time and quality because they directly advance a key priority? Which routine tasks could be streamlined or delegated because their strategic contribution is low? This alignment thinking also enables EAs to flag when their executive's calendar, focus, or energy is misaligned with their stated priorities—a contribution that is genuinely strategic rather than simply administrative. Regular conversations with the executive about evolving priorities keep the EA's mental model current and relevant. Meg Steinschauer, with an MBA and studies in organizational psychology, addresses how to develop and maintain strategic alignment in Aurora Training Advantage's Thinking Strategically webinar.
Structured thinking—the deliberate application of analytical frameworks to complex situations—is a skill that dramatically increases an EA's ability to solve problems, communicate insights, and support executive decision-making. Effective methods include: SWOT analysis for evaluating options or situations across strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats; issue trees for breaking complex problems into manageable, structured components; priority matrices (like the Eisenhower Matrix) for evaluating tasks by urgency and importance; and pre-mortems—imagining how a plan might fail before executing it, to surface risks proactively. For EAs specifically, developing a structured approach to information management—using consistent templates for briefings, meeting prep, and project status—ensures executives receive organized, actionable intelligence rather than raw information. These methods also improve communication: when EAs can present complex situations in a structured, well-reasoned format, their influence on decision-making increases naturally. Meg Steinschauer explores structured thinking tools for EAs in Aurora Training Advantage's Thinking Strategically webinar.
Strategic thinking elevates an EA's organizational influence because it shifts their contribution from volume-based to impact-based. An EA who completes tasks quickly and accurately provides operational value; an EA who proactively identifies a scheduling conflict that would have derailed a key executive meeting, or who prepares a briefing that surfaces a critical risk before a board presentation, provides strategic value that is qualitatively different and demonstrably higher. This higher-level contribution creates visibility with leadership, builds a reputation as someone who thinks at the organizational level rather than the task level, and opens doors to expanded responsibilities and career opportunities. It also changes the executive's relationship with the EA—from a support relationship to a genuine partnership where the EA's judgment is actively sought. Organizations that recognize and develop strategic EAs also benefit from improved executive effectiveness and organizational coordination. Meg Steinschauer, writer and thought leader in organizational psychology, addresses how to cultivate and communicate strategic value in Aurora Training Advantage's Thinking Strategically webinar.
Anticipating executive needs before they arise is the highest expression of proactive support and one of the most valued capabilities an EA can develop. It requires three interconnected foundations: deep knowledge of the executive's priorities, working style, and current pressures; organizational awareness—understanding the broader context of meetings, projects, and stakeholder dynamics that will generate future requests; and pattern recognition—learning from past situations what types of needs tend to arise in similar circumstances. Practical anticipation techniques include reviewing the executive's calendar regularly to identify preparation gaps, monitoring relevant internal and external communications for emerging issues, maintaining a running log of pending items that may require follow-up, and periodically asking the executive directly about upcoming challenges where advance support would be valuable. Over time, anticipatory behavior becomes predictive: the EA develops such comprehensive situational awareness that they are routinely one step ahead. Meg Steinschauer provides specific techniques for building this anticipatory capability in Aurora Training Advantage's Thinking Strategically webinar.