The EA Guide to Using ChatGPT
As Executive Assistants, we are often the backbone of our organizations, juggling myriad tasks and responsibilities. Mastering AI tools like ChatGPT is becoming increasingly vital not only to our jobs (and all the things on our plates) but to our survival in the corporate world. As we move forward, EAs who can effectively leverage AI will become the curators and gurus of technology in our jobs, streamlining processes and enhancing productivity.
Harnessing the power of ChatGPT offers numerous benefits, from time-saving efficiencies to improved information management. This AI tool can assist with everything from drafting concise emails to conducting thorough research, allowing EAs to focus on more strategic tasks. By integrating ChatGPT into our daily workflows, we can enhance our roles and provide even greater value to our executives and organizations.
The Versatile Uses of ChatGPT for EAs
Efficient Copywriting and Editing: ChatGPT can serve as an excellent copywriter, brainstormer, and editor. It helps to refine and polish written communications, ensuring they are concise, sophisticated, and in your unique voice. For instance, you can prompt ChatGPT with: "Rewrite this email draft to be more succinct, polished, and sophisticated. Remove unnecessary details while maintaining a friendly tone."
Handling Email Correspondence: Responding to emails can be time-consuming, but ChatGPT can streamline this process. By pasting an email thread into ChatGPT and specifying the tone and message, you can quickly generate thoughtful and professional responses. For example, you might say: "Reply to this email as me (Julia), being thoughtful, polite, professional, and specific. We are unable to fulfill the request of this investor because (insert reason), but offer other options and solutions, and propose a meeting time with our CEO and CFO next week (Insert time option)."
Conducting Research: As EAs, we often need to gather and curate information. ChatGPT can expedite this by providing quick, comprehensive answers to various queries, such as the best hotels in Toronto for an executive stay or top-rated flower shops in NYC for same-day delivery for a client. This allows us to deliver well-researched recommendations efficiently.
Creating How-To Guides: When tasked with onboarding new team members or organizing complex processes, ChatGPT can generate detailed guides. You can instruct it: "You are an expert teacher. Create a thorough guide for a new team member at our company, including an itinerary for their first day and details about the company, department, and key personnel. Ensure the guide is comprehensive and easy to understand. (Insert details and info you want it to include)."
Simulating Job Interviews: Making moves as an EA? Preparing for job interviews can be enhanced with ChatGPT. By simulating interviews, you can practice responses to typical questions and receive feedback on your answers. This helps to build confidence and improve performance in real interviews.
Writing Letters of Complaint: EAs often get the dirty work, like trying to get refunds or getting something fixed. When the problem is with another vendor, service provider, or outside professional, you need to focus on your communication and persuasion skills. There is a ChatGPT for that! You can prompt it with: "You are an expert in persuasive writing. I want you to write a letter of complaint to a company called [insert company name]. The reason I am complaining is that [insert reasons]. Your aim is to persuade the company that it is vital that they put this right to avoid losing our company (or my executive) as a customer. My details are [insert name/address/whatever details you want to give]."
Staying Up to Date: Staying informed about industry developments is crucial for EAs. ChatGPT can provide summaries of the latest news, trends, and regulations, ensuring you are always up to date. For instance, you might ask: "Summarize recent health-tech news related to current politics, developments, and regulations in the U.S., focusing on AI companies in healthcare."
Creating Fun: Planning company events and activities often falls on EAs. Heck, sometimes it is the best part of the job! But ChatGPT can help make it better by creating engaging quizzes or ice-breaker games, adding a fun element to professional gatherings. For example, you could say: "You are a quiz master. Create a list of 10 tricky and fun questions on [subject], including the answers." or “Make me a list of 10 icebreaker games to play at a professional retreat that will be engaging and fun for the team.”
Planning Itineraries: Planning a trip for your executive and their family can be a daunting task you don’t want to mess up. ChatGPT can assist in creating a detailed and family-friendly itinerary. For instance, if your executive is planning a two-day trip to New York City, you can prompt ChatGPT with: "Create a two-day family-friendly itinerary for New York City, including top tourist attractions and the best restaurants, with activities grouped by location for convenience."
Streamlining Personal Tasks: ChatGPT can be a valuable tool for managing personal tasks for your executive. Whether it's sending reminders, creating to-do lists, or even helping with personal shopping, ChatGPT can handle it all. You can prompt ChatGPT with: "Help me manage my executive's personal shopping list, including setting reminders for purchasing recurring items and finding the best deals on specific products."
A few tips:
Iterate and Refine: If the initial response isn’t quite right, try again with a more specific prompt or adjust the wording to be more particular. For example: “Make me a list of the 10 top-rated Flower Shops in LA” or “Create a two-day family-friendly itinerary for New York City avoiding Times Square, and including top-rated vegan restaurants.”
Edit and Personalize: ChatGPT's responses should be edited, fact-checked, and adjusted to match your executive's unique voice and style. While ChatGPT can significantly cut down on the time it takes to craft messages, it's important to add personal touches and ensure the final output reflects your executive's tone and preferences.
By integrating ChatGPT into your toolkit, you can enhance your efficiency and effectiveness as an Executive Assistant. Embracing AI tools not only simplifies routine tasks but also positions you as a forward-thinking professional, capable of leveraging technology to its fullest potential. Don’t think we didn’t use ChatGPT to help us make this blog post better than verision 1!