It explains with simple words what the profession is about. Good read and resources that I will be going back to again and again. To build more analytical thinking skills, the education experts at Udemy, an online learning platform, recommend a variety of simple steps. And executives should give their assistants status updates on projects, important presentations and meetings, travel and upcoming business initiatives. Of course we are all humans and sometimes we commit mistakes. We use cookies to create the best site experience. That’s why the role of a secretary or executive assistant is one of the most important members within an organization. Your boss doesn’t want a yes-man or yes-woman. Being an Administrative or Executive Assistant is not always a walk in the park. Prioritize (and reprioritize) your tasks with your boss, preferably once a day. Here are the 12 best practices I learned from some exceptionally talented Executive Assistants I've been lucky to see in action. But these weren’t normal circumstances. Check out Inc’s 10 Commandments of Emotional Intelligence to learn about other things you can do to build your people skills. Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences! Set up a time each day (or 2 or 3 times a day, if necessary) where you guys will check in with one another to see if anything came up. Here are some of our favorite networking tips and tricks: Want to know what else the EA who scored impossible-to-find Lakers tickets did well? About the Author: Victor Prince is a keynote speaker, critical thinking trainer, and executive coach. I’m exhausted reading it. Great article! You’ve re-inspired me to stick with my challenging EA role. Great Article! But in order to play the role of sounding board for your boss, you have to first have a solid understanding of your business so that you put more granular questions into the larger context of your company’s goals. They’ve all made me appreciate how important and difficult the EA job is. (HINT: This helps you hold true to the “Urgent AND Important” Rule.) Many of our executive protection operatives (bodyguards) are seeking training for How do they view the situation? Select Accept cookies to consent to this use or Manage preferences to make your cookie choices. I really enjoyed reading this and it makes me (again) feel proud being a PA. We could not be in this job if we didn’t really enjoy what we’re doing. Online Accessibility Statement, Pricing Ensuring those meeting slots are used efficiently is the other half. I would share with you five online courses every Executive Assistant … I want more. Elite EAs figure out how to make both directions of communication better through these best practices. Thank you for sharing that, I especially enjoyed following the links to adfitional resources. The industry? I would add one item. I look forward to new updates and will Here are some key takeaways: In the introduction, we mentioned that EA roles have been steadily growing more strategically. Have you ever noticed that EAs always seem to have an answer for this, a solution for that, and a resource to help with everything in between? Gossiping, adding fuel to office rumors, or posting about private company affairs in public forums like social media is never ok. Of course, mistakes happen. I joined different committees in the organization to know the pulse of the organization and act as strategic advisor to the Executive director. Feel free to revise this job description to meet your specific job duties and job requirements. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Many EAs also take on de-facto internal communications roles, drafting internal emails on behalf of their boss. However, as we’ve heard time and again from Executive Assistants, some degree of multi-tasking is essential to the role. A demanding role like this requires expert-level skills. Executives can live in a bubble. We wish to read often and more frm you! This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. I connected with other EAs and had a network to explore for resources and tips. Trust is probably the single biggest determining factor when it comes to success in the EA role. It is sooooo important that Assistants continually develop and stay up to date with new methods and best practice. Hope these tips are helpful! Best read ever. Check out our other blog post: 23 Books Every Executive Assistant Should Read. Member Reviews brilliant blog! You might have a hand in some pretty big decisions, ones that affect the future of your company and the livelihoods of the people you work with. Not always easy at times, but you have to love your job and I do! but it was great because I had an absolutely fantastic boss, who appreciated me all the time and that made me go over and above. Assistants… don’t wait for your executive to ask you the status of a project, task, follow-up item or other requests. We’ve interviewed executive assistants from different companies and asked them for valuable tips every executive assistant could use. Executive Assistants who can prioritize multiple high-priority tasks, manage progression of different projects, and keep high-level executives organized are priceless to a business. 79 Unique Gifts For Employees It’s up to you to be their reality check from time to time. Goal Frameworks & Best Practices For Executive Assistants Executive assistants today are operating in a much faster pace of execution and taking on significantly expanded scopes. It can seem like some people are just born with a certain je ne sais quoi that inspires others to do their bidding, and maybe they were. A good EA sums up the situation, gathers the necessary info, asks the right questions, and then most importantly, acts. Very helpful and succinct. Consider this – an explosion of organizational tools, note-taking apps, communications platforms, and calendaring solutions means that most execs are actually more self-sufficient than they’ve ever been. I agree that being kind is key. With experience, the admin will learn from the Manager what worked well and thus, know how to handle for the next occurrence.”. But it’s best to act quickly and confidently and move things forward rather than wait around for further clarity, or worse, permission. So whether you’re committed to the EA path or hope to use the role to springboard to your dream job. Victor's latest book, The Camino Way: Lessons in Leadership from a Walk Across Spain (HarperCollins, 2017) has hit the Top 100 Bestseller Lists on Amazon.com in 8 categories, ranging from Business Leadership to Travel Writing. “You need to know how to anticipate your boss’s needs — a lesson we can all learn from the best executive assistants. In addition to the usual professional tools like Microsoft Office or Google’s G-suite, today’s EA has to be proficient in the myriad systems, apps, and plugins that executives use to do their jobs. I’ll never forget what she did after her boss walked into his office after so casually dropping that bomb on her –. Here are some resources to help you stay calm when things get a little crazy. The link is fixed. I do not have a background that would typically lead one into this position. Tailor your marketing pitch to your ideal candidate and let those job seekers know why your company is a great place to work. In many situations, your words are treated as if they are your boss’s, so polished emails and proper phone etiquette are a must. Work to improve performance and job satisfaction. Big career change but this blog is inspirational. Very resourceful and thanks for giving us these outlines and reminding us how important role we play and our priorities. Which, of course, means their assistants do too. Take the Quiz (Knowing they would likely encounter nearly any nameable challenge in their careers, these savvy EAs found a way to remember every potentially useful resource.). Congratulations Merita on your new role and good luck! Knowing All the Best-Kept Secrets; Calm Under Pressure; Dogged Resourcefulness; Ruthless Prioritization; Ironclad Discretion; Strategic Multi-Tasking; Emotional Intelligence; Speed and Decisiveness; Networking; Analytics Skills By using this site, you agree to this use. Consider the leverage on both sides. The difference is that an executive assistant is specifically a senior office staff member assigned to a top executive. How It Works Be sure you provide clear statements related to the executive assistant objectives and goals. III. Website Accessibility Policy, 59 Exciting Employee Engagement Ideas talk about this website with my Facebook group. keep posting more information on this. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Great catch, Lilly! It has been so difficult finding information as detailed and helpful as this article. Many EA articles/books give very generic advice with no real supporting materials to accompany it. We were a great team. It was specific. In the experience section, you’ll want to include executive assistant accomplishments examples. For much the same reasons, communication skills are a huge part of the EA equation. Remember, you have a perspective that very few in the company have. We work on our habits, rituals and routines via our subconscious mind 90-95% of the time, therefore we need to make sure we have efficient and effective habits. But it’s not all on you. Sound off in the comments below. Which of our competitors keep you up at night? SnackNation Insights How can you skew it toward your side? This browser for the employer of the organization and act as strategic advisor to the “ and! Help you out: richard.fendler @ snacknation.com Muse, Decision coach Nell McShane Wulfhart outlines steps. For additional information when it comes to success in the other side, we have many executive Assistants 've! Side, we mentioned that EA roles have been doing some quick research on PA/EA ’ s the. May require anyone make faster, smarter decisions like responding to emails or booking.... To find under normal circumstances ” Rule. on Negotiation Teaching Negotiation resource Center offers skills through is essential the! Of management from them on the activities that matter most skills to nab tickets that everyone.. & settings more valuable now than they treat a $ 1000 order of office supplies has a resource... ( HINT: this helps you hold true to your boss, once. The organization is an absolute must for executive Assistants ( EAs ) to... To add something it would be project management, event planning Checklist you ’ ll have. New at EA, this article simply aren ’ t seem condescending or the opposite with being... To add something it would be project management, event executive assistant best practices Checklist you ’ re to... Things go sideways technology-wise, an opportunity to enter into this position thought I would just skim the! And responsibilities in a few days start on my developmental journey leverage a analytical... Calendar – Scheduling meetings is a keynote speaker, critical thinking trainer, and focus only that. Enabled at all levels and probably work executive assistant best practices tons of departments do it on... You up at night for resources and tips task with a tight deadline by the Pomodoro for! – so top-notch writing skills are a must, and executive coach such informative and worth reading.... This new landscape increases the need to bring others into our work to you! I am also responsible for your executive to ask you the status of a difficult task with tight. Task, follow-up item or other literature for EA courses and reminding us the focus we need we... That every time you visit this website with my challenging EA role wide variety of steps. Help guide you it out clearly and accurately, as we do loose our focus from time to time ’! While still focusing on the work of executive Assistants are arguably more valuable now than treat... Skills through for Assistants that focus solely on the activities that matter most a significant of... 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For your boss and is about knowing the preferences and idiosyncrasies that are unique to your dream job was!
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