Tanja Zajonc
Senior Executive Assistant
From Practice, Not Theory
I work as a Senior Executive Assistant in an international company, coordinating operations across multiple sites in Germany and Bulgaria. My day involves supporting VP-level leadership, managing complex stakeholder relationships, and navigating the space between "support" and "ownership."
The EA Operating System didn't start as a product. It started as my own attempt to bring clarity to situations where responsibility was constantly shifting — where I was expected to "just handle it" without clear authority, where success was assumed but failure was personal.
Over years of trial and error, I developed frameworks that helped me categorize situations, communicate boundaries without conflict, and move from reactive to strategic. The DCI model (Decision · Control · Influence) became the foundation of how I approach every request.
"Clarity before action. Reduction over complexity. That's the operating principle."
Why I Built This
Most EA training focuses on skills: calendars, travel, communication. But the real challenge isn't skill — it's role clarity. Knowing what's yours to own, what's yours to steer, and what's yours to influence.
I built the EA Operating System for experienced EAs who already have the skills but need the structure. People who are tired of over-owning, over-explaining, and carrying invisible responsibility.
This isn't about working harder or being more productive. It's about working with clarity — so you can be effective without burning out.
Principles
These are the ideas that shape the EA Operating System.
Clarity Before Action
Don't act until you know what you're owning. The 30 seconds spent classifying a situation saves hours of confusion later.
Reduction Over Complexity
More frameworks don't help. Simpler frameworks, applied consistently, do. Three modes. That's it.
Boundaries Without Conflict
You can protect your scope without sounding defensive. The right language makes boundaries feel like professionalism, not pushback.
Structure Creates Freedom
When you know how to categorize situations, you stop second-guessing. That mental freedom is the real outcome.
Get in Touch
Questions about the EA Operating System? Feedback? Ideas for future modules?
[email protected] →