Gatekeeping is the executive assistant’s practice of controlling who gets access to an executive’s time, inbox and diary. Requests are screened, prioritised, redirected or declined so that the leader’s attention goes to the work only they can do.
Good gatekeeping is not obstruction. It is triage against a known set of priorities, with a clear route for genuinely urgent items. The same judgement applies to visitors: a VIP visitor arriving for a board meeting is handled differently from a supplier dropping off samples.
The friction usually comes from unclear escalation. If people know how to reach the executive when it genuinely matters, they stop trying to go around the assistant, and the diary holds.
Frequently asked questions
What does Gatekeeping mean in simple terms?
Gatekeeping is the executive assistant’s practice of controlling who gets access to an executive’s time, inbox and diary. Requests are screened, prioritised, redirected or declined so that the leader’s attention goes to the work only they can do.
What is the difference between Gatekeeping and similar terms?
Good gatekeeping is not obstruction. It is triage against a known set of priorities, with a clear route for genuinely urgent items. The same judgement applies to visitors: a VIP visitor arriving for a board meeting is handled differently from a supplier dropping off samples.
How does Gatekeeping work in practice?
The friction usually comes from unclear escalation. If people know how to reach the executive when it genuinely matters, they stop trying to go around the assistant, and the diary holds.