The employer is testing whether you can independently manage multiple open loops while the executive is offline, protecting client relationships and executive time without overstepping your authority.
Walk through each thread in order of urgency, specify exactly what you would do on your own versus what you would prepare for the executive's decision, and end with how you would summarize everything for a fast landing review.
Start by triaging by deadline and by what you can safely act on alone. The proposal is the true deadline, so your job there is to make it decision-ready: lay out the options, the risks, and your recommendation in a one-page brief, then draft the approval email so your executive can reply in under two minutes the moment he lands. For the angry client, do not sit on it another hour. Send a holding reply within the next few hours, apologizing for the delay, acknowledging the specific frustration, and stating that you are reviewing it now and will come back with a concrete resolution by a set time. Offer a reversible remedy, such as a discount or a follow-up call, but flag clearly that you are holding final commitment pending his sign-off. For the board member, check the calendar yourself, propose two or three specific times that respect existing commitments, and send those options with a note that you will confirm once your executive returns. Say plainly that you will not make irreversible commitments, but you will keep every thread moving. Finish by preparing a one-page landing summary, time-stamped, so he can scan it on the tarmac and decide in seconds.
A common mistake is to freeze and say, 'Wala po akong magagawa kasi wala si boss.' Instead, say: 'I will triage by deadline, respond to the client with a reversible option, prepare the proposal for his quick approval, and propose meeting times to the board member.'
Situation
In my previous role as a remote assistant for an e-commerce founder, he once boarded a 12-hour flight after a quick handoff that left three open loops: a supplier proposal deadline, a frustrated repeat customer, and a board member asking for a meeting.
Task
I had to keep the most time-sensitive items moving without making a decision that would lock the founder into something he would not have agreed to, and without being able to ask him.
Action
First I checked his email and calendar history to understand each thread's context and past decisions. I acknowledged the angry customer within two hours with a genuine apology and offered a refund or replacement option consistent with past policies. For the supplier proposal, I prepared a comparison of the three options against his previous vendor notes and marked the one that matched his usual choice, but did not send a final approval. For the board member's calendar request, I replied with three available slots from the founder's calendar and asked the board member's assistant to choose one, which kept the meeting moving without committing the founder's time incorrectly.
Result
When the founder landed, he had a one-page summary of what I did and what still needed his decision. He approved the recommended supplier within minutes, the customer issue was already resolved, and the board meeting was confirmed.
When your executive is unreachable, push reversible actions forward and prepare decisions so they take minutes, not hours.
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