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Speak So You’re Heard: Mastering Communication That Moves Power
The Strategic Assistant Revolution Continues
Joshua Washington
July 17, 2025
💬 Quote of the Week
The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.
💼 A Personal Note from Joshua
Hey EA-Pros Community,
Senior-level assistants don’t just manage calendars.
They manage influence.
But if your insight, ideas, and perspectives don’t land with power, you stay invisible, even when you’re right.
This week’s focus is Strategic Communication, and it’s not just about speaking well.
It’s about learning to frame conversations the way executives process information.
Let’s break that down.
🧠 Feature Insight
Your Words Are Currency, Spend Them Strategically
If you’ve ever shared a brilliant idea that went ignored, only to hear it repeated (and credited) later, you’ve experienced the framing gap.
Here’s the fix:
✅ Executives make decisions based on risk, return, and reputation.
✅ Senior communicators translate tasks and insights into those three currencies.
Use this framing equation:
“This [idea/initiative] protects against [risk], accelerates [business outcome], and strengthens [reputation/positioning].”
📌 Example:
❌ Instead of: “We should shorten the onboarding manual, it’s too long.”
✅ Say: “A shorter onboarding manual reduces ramp-up time, protects team productivity, and reinforces our reputation for operational efficiency.”
Same idea. More power.
🧠 Executive Coaching Corner
The 5 Strategic Phrases That Make You Sound Like a C-Level Leader
1. “Here’s the strategic trade-off I see…”
→ Signals business thinking, not task preference.
2. “I want to pressure test this idea through a few key filters…”
→ Shows proactivity and risk assessment.
3. “This aligns with our [quarterly priority / OKR / business goal]…”
→ Reinforces executive alignment.
4. “One option is X. A bolder option is Y. Which direction feels more aligned?”
→ Demonstrates initiative without overstepping.
5. “Let me frame this through impact, timing, and next steps…”
→ Moves conversations toward clarity and decision.
📌 Practice this week: Use one of these phrases in a leadership meeting or 1:1. Watch the tone of the room shift.
🚨 Free Career Training Invite: BREAKING THE LADDER
📅 Sunday, July 27 | 🕚 7:00 PM EST
Not every assistant wants to become Chief of Staff.
Not every ladder leads where you want to go.
This free, executive-level training is where strategic assistants break out of outdated roles and build new momentum.
What you’ll learn:
How to reframe your role and your voice,
How to create a custom career path that’s actually worth climbing,
How to position yourself as a certified Strategic Partner (not just a great support).
🎯 This is a conversation-shifting, clarity-building, role-redefining hour.
✉️ P.S.
Executives respect clarity, direction, and control of the conversation.
They don’t need more talking. They need strategic framing.
And no one is better positioned to master that than you.
Joshua