10 Free Ways to Show Appreciation for Your Executive Assistant This Holiday Season
Meaningful gestures that make a big impact, no budget required.
Executive Assistants hold together the parts of leadership most people never see. They anticipate needs, prevent problems before they surface, protect your time, and keep the business running when the pace accelerates. Their work is often invisible by design, which means much of what they do goes unrecognized precisely because nothing ever goes wrong.
And while gifts are wonderful (and much appreciated), the gestures that matter most don’t require a budget, they require awareness.
Here are 10 free (but powerful) ways to show your Executive Assistant you truly value them this holiday season.
1. Write a sincere thank-you note
Not a generic “thank you for all you do.” Make it personal. Executive Assistants work behind the scenes, and their best work is often invisible: the crises that never happened, the fires you never had to put out, the meetings you never walked into unprepared. Call out the systems they strengthened, the decisions they helped you make faster, or the mental load they quietly carried for you. Specific praise lands deeply because it acknowledges the impact most people never see.
2. Give them an unexpected afternoon off
Time is one of the most meaningful gifts you can offer, especially during a season when Executive Assistants are carrying the emotional and operational weight of everyone else’s end-of-year deadlines. If the workload allows, clearing their calendar for an afternoon is a powerful way to say, “I see how hard you’ve been working, and you deserve a moment to breathe.”
Executive Assistants are often the ones protecting everyone else’s time while rarely having space protected for themselves. A few hours to recharge, run errands, or simply rest can make them feel valued in a way material gifts often can’t. A rested Executive Assistant is a higher-performing Executive Assistant. This small gesture pays dividends for both of you.
3. Give them public recognition
Recognition hits differently when it’s spoken out loud. Executive Assistants work behind the scenes, preventing problems you’ll never even know about. Because so much of their success is invisible, they often don’t get the spotlight they deserve, even though they make your spotlight possible.
Giving them a moment of public appreciation: in a team meeting, on a leadership call, or in a company Slack channel puts their impact on record. It signals to the organization that their work matters, their effort is seen, and their contribution is essential to how you operate. Sometimes, being acknowledged in front of others is the gift that stays with them the longest.
4. Ask what would make their work easier
Executive Assistants spend their days thinking three steps ahead for everyone else, but are rarely asked what they need to work more effectively. A simple question like, “What’s one thing that would make your work smoother?” communicates respect, partnership, and that their experience matters, not just their output. You may be surprised by how small the request is.
You may uncover something immediately fixable such as clearer access, a stronger workflow, a tool upgrade, or a shift in how information flows that removes friction for them and directly increases your own efficiency and capacity. Sometimes the most meaningful gift is giving them a voice in shaping the year ahead.
5. Share your upcoming priorities early
“Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.” — Brené Brown.
Nothing applies more directly to the Executive Assistant/executive relationship.
When you share your upcoming goals, travel, deadlines, and major commitments ahead of time, you’re giving your Executive Assistant clarity, and clarity is one of the most valuable gifts they can receive. It removes unnecessary stress, allows them to anticipate instead of react, and empowers them to plan in a way that makes your entire year run smoother.
It also sends an important message: “I trust you with what’s ahead.”
And the more your Executive Assistant can see the road in front of you, the more they can clear it before you even get there, which ultimately benefits you both.
6. Celebrate them on LinkedIn
Public recognition doesn’t just feel good, it has lasting professional value.
Endorsing your Executive Assistant for a few of their top skills or writing a thoughtful recommendation on their LinkedIn profile is a small gesture with a big ripple effect. It acknowledges the caliber of their work, strengthens their professional reputation, and supports their long-term career growth.
For someone whose impact is often behind the scenes, being celebrated in a public, professional space can mean more than you realize.
7. Invite them into planning conversations sooner
Looping your Executive Assistant in early costs nothing, and yet it changes everything.
When you bring them into planning conversations before decisions are finalized, you signal that you see them as a strategic partner, not just a recipient of requests. Early insight helps them anticipate needs, prevent conflicts, and set you up for success long before a task ever reaches your inbox.
It’s a simple gesture of trust that pays you back in smoother execution, fewer surprises, and a far more strategic partnership.
8. Acknowledge their growth
One of the most meaningful gifts you can give an Executive Assistant is recognition of how they’ve evolved.
Call out where you’ve seen them level up this year. Maybe it’s their anticipation, communication, project follow-through, ability to keep you focused, or the leadership presence they bring to every interaction.
Because so much of an Executive Assistant’s impact is quiet, proactive, and behind the scenes, their growth often goes unseen. Naming it out loud validates their hard work and reminds them that their development matters to you. It’s a small gesture with a big emotional return.
9. Give them permission to push back
One of the greatest gifts you can give an Executive Assistant is the psychological safety to challenge you when it matters. When they feel empowered to say,
“This conflicts with your priorities,”
“We should rethink the timing,” or
“This isn’t the best use of your time,”
you get better decision-making, better boundaries, and better outcomes.
Great Executive Assistants aren’t just task-doers. They’re strategic guardrails. Letting them step into that role not only elevates your partnership, it ensures you’re operating at your highest level, too.
10. Say “thank you” in the moment
Small, timely appreciation goes a long way. Whether it’s after a thoughtful draft, a tough meeting they prepped you for, a schedule save, or a last-minute pivot—acknowledging their impact right when it happens reinforces the value they bring every single day. These quick moments of gratitude add up, and they tell your Executive Assistant that their work is seen, respected, and truly making a difference.
Final Thought
Showing appreciation doesn’t require a budget, it requires awareness.
Leaders who express gratitude clearly and consistently build partnerships grounded in trust, respect, and shared momentum. When you recognize the quiet, steady work your Executive Assistant does every day, you strengthen not just the relationship, but the results you create together.
