The Digital Tightrope: From Slack Slang to Emoji Overload – What EAs and PAs should avoid doing at Work

Most people have experienced a moment at work, where someone sends a message, they think is friendly, informal, or efficient – and it lands with a dull thud. A thumbs-up emoji in response to a thoughtful update, a one-word abbreviation like “thx” after a long email, or a string of exclamation marks where a simple full-stop would have sufficed. And for Personal Assistants (PAs) and Executive Assistants (EAs), who often operate as the first line of communication between teams, leaders, and clients, these small digital missteps can shape how you’re seen and how far you go.

Workplace communication now plays out as much on screens as it does across meeting tables. Quick-fire messages, emoji reactions and even voice notes have become the backbone of how teams collaborate. But many forget that the tone of a message can shape perception, and either build or erode trust. For PAs and EAs, who often carry the invisible responsibility of managing relationships and setting the tone for others, treading this digital tightrope carefully is crucial.

The pandemic led to a steep rise in remote work – and with it, the definition of professionalism has been permanently redefined. We saw work attire become more relaxed, meetings take place in kitchens, and shorthand creep into once formal email threads. None of this is inherently negative; in many ways, it reintroduced a much-needed human element to work.

But informality has its limits. And for Personal Assistants (PAs) and Executive Assistants (EAs) who work closely with high-level Executives (often straddling generational and hierarchical divides), navigating those limits with precision is what sets apart the capable from the truly exceptional.

PAs and EAs must now consider digital communication to be a core part of their professional identity. If you’re organising a meeting, coordinating Senior Directors, or managing RSVPs for a high-profile event, the tone you strike in an email or Teams message is vital. In fact, it may matter even more than how you communicate in a board meeting, because written words don’t have body language to soften, clarify, or reinforce intent.

It’s not only younger employees who miss the mark with tone. The more awkward side of this conversation comes from senior leaders who are trying to adopt a more causal tone that doesn’t quite land. Maybe they’re misusing Slack GIFs or suddenly adding emojis to every sentence. These well-meaning efforts can unintentionally confuse, and, from the perspective of their junior colleagues, cross professional boundaries.

This can create tension within companies: leaders are trying to appear approachable, while younger staff are increasingly seeking a clear separation between how they communicate with friends and how they interact with their boss. And in the middle of it all, PAs and EAs are often responsible for translating tone both up and down the chain. So, being able to set a tone that reads as competent, approachable and natural is one of the most valuable skills a modern PA or EA can possess. It’s a skill that rarely involves copying anyone else’s communication style. It’s about developing your own voice – one that holds authority without sounding robotic, and has warmth without being performative.