Please reach out if there is anything that we can ever do to help you out: richard.fendler@snacknation.com. Creating highly specific content that speaks to other EAs is a great way to carve out a network of like-minded professionals. Thanks for the support from an EA finding herself in deeper waters with new CEO. Start a niche blog. You can leverage a strong analytical skillset in any situation, from handling tricky social scenarios to making far-reaching company budget decisions. Great information and we’ll worth my time to learn and refresh on EA Skills. Simply select a task, set a timer for about 25 minutes, and focus only on that task until the timer runs out. Start off your own list of resources with our favorite secret: Let’s not sugarcoat things – executives can be demanding! Great article! What’s the one skill that has been most responsible for your success? In my 20-plus year career from intern to COO, I’ve worked with dozens of executive assistants (EAs). no sugar coating and mater of fact details. But at the end of the day, the odds are that most decisions won’t be life or death. brilliant blog! Most of the skills listed in this article simply aren’t possible without good communication. “I need two courtside seats to tonight’s Laker game.”. New at EA , this article is very helpful. Another recommendation is to communicate priorities when you are working for more than one Executive. Trust is probably the single biggest determining factor when it comes to success in the EA role. A good Assistant knows that making the impossible possible comes with the territory. Do you have an even seesaw, or does it skew to one side? ‘Please’ and ‘thank you’ will be noticed by both. Be an Ambassador. It’s important to keep things in perspective and be able to laugh at yourself (and your boss) every once in a while. Just as you might make a daily practice of touching base with an in-office assistant, it's good practice to regularly check in with your Prialto assistant. Good read and resources that I will be going back to again and again. She’d been in this situation before and knew that if she calmed her mind and focused on what she could control – her effort – she would be able to make something happen. How do they view the situation? The industry? Be kind, be positive. You can change your cookie choices and withdraw your consent in your settings at any time. Executive Assistant [Intro Paragraph] This first paragraph should contain a brief, two- to three-sentence description of your company. 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. In fact, a recent Equilar survey found that nearly half of companies have made or plan to make changes to their executive compensation. Since many executives want numbers to back up decisions, it’s important that EAs know how to question sources. Online training for Executive and Personal Assistants is common, and there are a lot of fantastic courses that Assistants can take, for free or for a small price that will help further their career and professional development. I was an EA for 7 years and yet I struggle to answer that question: What does an EA do. Careers Keep up with the shifting expectations, and increase your ability to think strategically by building up analytical skills. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. I’ve worked with several executive assistants over the years, and I have found it is a make-or-break relationship when it comes to my success. (Knowing they would likely encounter nearly any nameable challenge in their careers, these savvy EAs found a way to remember every potentially useful resource.). However, as we’ve heard time and again from Executive Assistants, some degree of multi-tasking is essential to the role. Here’s another hat to add to the long list that the average EA has to wear – personal IT professional. Describing the EA as well as you did, makes us feel worthy of our jobs. Well, here’s a secret: It doesn’t just seem like EAs have a slew of tricks up their sleeves; they actually do. 38. Which, of course, means their assistants do too. I’ll be checking those out. Sign me up. Here’s the thing. Whether it’s news about an upcoming acquisition, HR matters, financial reports, or trade secrets, top-level executives constantly deal with sensitive information. By using this site, you agree to this use. I thought today. Toss out a “win” or “lose” mentality. The first is what I call “situational anticipation.” That’s when you see the elements of a potential problem coming together, and you work proactively to prevent them from developing. Like always filled with full of invaluable info Awesome hi Many taskmasters swear by the Pomodoro Technique for getting through their to-do lists. It must be frustrating. Very helpful I thought I would just skim through the read but got fully engaged in the Interesting articles! A great read ! Traffic cop. Remember, execs want to be able to bounce ideas off you or gauge your reaction to proposed solutions. Truly great EAs play chess, not checkers. The difference is that an executive assistant is specifically a senior office staff member assigned to a top executive. Congratulations Merita on your new role and good luck! The ability to troubleshoot for your boss is a must-have skill. Oftentimes Executive Assistants are seeing projects through from beginning to end, and working with different departments to get things done. 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? The Effective Executive Assistant (EEA) builds value for the business by supporting the executive in such a manner that he or she is able to more effectively perform his or her job. If I HAD to add something it would be project management and delegation skills. Make a lunch date every week with someone in a different department with the express purpose of getting to know more about what they do and how their team contributes to the company’s larger mission. Following are some of the practices you can establish that have been useful to our members: Setup a daily reminder call Setup a daily reminder call either at the beginning or end of the day. Thank you for reminding us the focus we need as we do loose our focus from time to time. Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences! The numbers might seem significant, but if only 20 people out of a 500-person company actually took the survey, then the results might not tell a conclusive story after all. Big career change but this blog is inspirational. I look forward to new updates and will Here are some resources to help you stay calm when things get a little crazy. Technology: An Executive Assistant should have knowledge about prioritization software, presentation software, graphics software, Microsoft office, etc. She paused, took a deep breath, and immediately got to work. It’s a pity you don’t have a donate button! Thanks for sharing this with us. A demanding role like this requires expert-level skills. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. Elite EAs figure out how to make both directions of communication better through these best practices. Executive assistants are similar to administrative assistants or secretaries in that they all support someone else's work—usually an executive—by handling or supervising office duties. A great report on the work of Executive Assistants. Making Meetings Efficient – Scheduling meetings efficiently is half the battle. Doing so might be the difference between diffusing a fraught situation or throwing your boss to the lions (something she definitely won’t appreciate). It has highlighted the areas that I want to develop and given some great resources to start developing those skills. But this only works if you stay true to your actual point of view. 31 Sensational Swag Bag Ideas They welcome people to meetings, answer phones, and arrange travel on behalf of their executive. It’s no doubt that Executive Assistants are tasked with a wide range of tasks – it’s what makes them rockstar employees! A: The EA function has transformed from a supporting role to more of a strategic partner. So glad you found this article helpful. Visualize your hypothetical actions and expand your thinking skills through. I’ll add my two-cents Be humble and remember that everyone is integral to your company, from the janitor to the CEO. Being an EA is not easy and it takes a lot of effort and perseverance and patient. Some examples that we cover in our article are, Top Skills for Dedicated Executive Assistants, 12. Thank you for sharing and reminding us of how important our job is and what a big role we play for our executives. Going back to my previous example, there was something besides her resourcefulness that helped the EA in my story snag those Laker tickets – that deep breath she took. Top Scorer of the Week. I am also responsible for taking Board Meeting Minutes and I’m struggling a bit. Best read ever. When you hear a statement or read a piece of news, consider if it could be proven or not. That’s why the role of a secretary or executive assistant is one of the most important members within an organization. Online Accessibility Statement, Pricing Job Title: Executive Assistant. After reading this, I am able to determine the areas/skills I want to focus and work on so that I can become a stronger, more efficient EA. But these weren’t normal circumstances. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. But more than likely, these people cultivated their impressive negotiating skills. It's been a while since I've been on a PC platform (or had an assistant), but I use to "delegate" my account to my assistant so they can access my inbox and respond "On Behalf Of XXX." Coming late into the game. 135 to 160. Consider the leverage on both sides. This practice aids in strategic decisions, and it trains your brain to supplement your decisions and ideas with evidence. Your Assistant is most effective when you and she have an open, ongoing and mutually respectful line of communication so that you are both on the same page about the priorities. And the bigger the dream, the more help we usually need. SnackNation Insights 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. To build and maintain a strong support network, EAs have to cultivate amazing networking skills. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Purpose: Executives and managers are overwhelmingly busy in this day and age. (PS – Get more sh*t done with The Assist — the #1 free weekly newsletter made for assistants by assistants.). Ensuring those meeting slots are used efficiently is the other half. Really dig in. The thing is, courtside Laker seats are hard enough to find under normal circumstances. To really thrive in the role, you have to be able to see ten moves ahead and anticipate issues before they become full-blown problems. Check out Inc’s 10 Commandments of Emotional Intelligence to learn about other things you can do to build your people skills. It’s up to you to be their reality check from time to time. Here are some adapted takeaways: What about you? The very best executive assistants use their intuition, judgment, business knowledge, motivational techniques, and personal leadership to become an integral element of the executive’s … Thanks for the many resources! Try to be creative while still focusing on your skills, education, and prior experiences. May I add another tool that I use daily even more that outlook and have taught to colleagues; the tool is OneNote especially for live agenda and minutes. To be honest, I still don’t know exactly how she did it. They are a great place for me to start on my developmental journey. By delegating all of your tedious tasks, you’re able to spend more time focusing on the activities that matter most. Very good article! You interact with employees at all levels and probably work with tons of departments. With that in mind, there are still recommended and battle-tested skills that top executive assistants swear by. Someone that understood the work of an EA and lays it out clearly and beautifully. This Executive Assistant sample job description can be used to help you create a job advert that will attract candidates who are qualified for the job. The ideas you’ve shared will be helpful for future purpose and reference. Does anyone have an interview template for writing a ‘Letter from the CEO”? Perhaps this is part of the networking or communication items – but I’ve found that when people think you’re kind, they are much more likely to negotiate with you, work well with you and be willing to do favors when you need them. If your organization game could use some improvement, check out monday.com (our favorite) as a solution! Yes, we know, multi-tasking is a myth. Being honest and patient is important in this role. This was great! Great article! Not always easy at times, but you have to love your job and I do! We were a great team. 164. Each hour-long meeting with several people can easily represent an investment of $1000 or more of salaries. In both cases, anticipating problems and nipping in the bud can save you countless headaches down the road, and allow you and your boss to focus on the important stuff. If anything, today’s execs need less admin support, not more. PAs and executive assistants (EAs) are at the heart of organisations, working side-by-side with chief executives and leaders, playing a key role in supporting decisions. There is no question that a great executive assistant can make all the difference to your success as an executive. When that didn’t work, she picked up the phone and tapped into her network of other EAs, cashing in longstanding favors and negotiating for favors down the line. And executives should give their assistants status updates on projects, important presentations and meetings, travel and upcoming business initiatives. 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. Remember the EA who scored impossible-to-find Lakers tickets? However, an opportunity to enter into this field has literally arisen out of nowhere. 39 Thoughtful Employee Appreciation Ideas To do it, you need scrappy resourcefulness and a resolve to get sh*t done—both qualities a free newsletter like The Assist, can help you deepen and develop. She tapped into her solid network to make magic. 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. The second is “personal anticipation,” and is about knowing the preferences and idiosyncrasies that are unique to your boss. Practice negotiating often, especially when nothing is at stake. It was the hottest ticket in town. 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. 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. 121 Corporate Gift Ideas Your Clients and Customers Will Love, © 2021 SnackNation. Thank you for the tips and the resources opportunities out there. After a good negotiation, everyone should walk away with something. I could not really put into context all that I did – it was a lot (internal communications, project management, event planning, stakeholder liaison, support for board of directors, etc.) Executive assistants typically function as support to high level executives and managers. your RSS feed to my Google account. 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. thank you for sharing such informative and worth reading topics. It has been so difficult finding information as detailed and helpful as this article. 4. The EA function has transformed from a supporting role to more of a strategic one. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. When tasks grow to legendary proportions, it takes a village to accomplish them. With experience, the admin will learn from the Manager what worked well and thus, know how to handle for the next occurrence.”. While there’s a grain of truth to the idea of the EA as “gatekeeper,” this description barely scratches the surface of all the value that you provide. It takes sound judgment on your part to figure out what warrants attention and what you need to shut down. To be a successful Assistant, learn and practice the following H.A.B.I.T.S. I enjoyed reading this and it didn’t seem condescending or the opposite with tasks being unattainable. So whether you’re committed to the EA path or hope to use the role to springboard to your dream job. This article served as a great reference tool and a great reminder of those little and not-so-little details I need to focus on to be effective in my workplace. You are so kind Lisa! This post will focus on goals for your executive assistant and complement our blog around Do you have any recommendations for books or other literature for EA’s that would assist them in their career progression? Taking the time to fully utilize these tools will help with your overall productivity and can assure your executive that you are prepared for any tool that comes across your path. A hungry executive could lead to a "hangry" executive. I now know the areas where I need to improve. Join the movement: … Excellent content! Our brains just aren’t made to handle more than one complex task at a time. Simply put, you can’t prioritize without crystal clear objectives to help guide you. Thanks, Amerilda! Executive Assistant Job Description. 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. Ligaya Fieler, Senior Executive Assistant at SurveyMonkey, walks us through how she’s personally accomplished these … The great assistants all love what they do. I want more. Lunch! Thank you in advance. I’m exhausted reading it. Elite EAs figure out how to deliver great impressions consistently through these best practices. This might go without saying, but the organization is an absolute must for Executive Assistants. 25 Virtual Holiday Party Ideas For Spirited Festive Fun I learned a lot from this article. Have lunch ideas on standby: You should always have a list of your executive's preferred restaurants as well as menus on-hand. Thanks Madison! 74 Insanely Fun Team Building Activities for Work, 57 Fun Virtual Team Building Activities Feel free to revise this job description to meet your specific job duties and job requirements. About Q: What are the most important skills to learn as an executive assistant? Of course we are all humans and sometimes we commit mistakes. True, you’ll rarely have all the information you need. Your blog is mind-blowing. But it’s not all on you. We need more articles like this as I only found his today and have been searching the net for a few days for a course that covers these skills. Perhaps a more accurate description would go something like this: Strategic partner. I. Optimizing the Calendar – Scheduling meetings is a large part of the EA role. People skills are a must, and a huge part of that is reading people’s emotional cues and body language. Every meeting is a significant investment of the time of people involved. Here are three best practices in calendar management: II. Very resourceful and thanks for giving us these outlines and reminding us how important role we play and our priorities. There’s no doubt that you have an important job, as does the executive with whom you work so closely day in and day out. To build more analytical thinking skills, the education experts at Udemy, an online learning platform, recommend a variety of simple steps. Some of them more practical than others, but all very helpful for becoming a great executive assistant. EMPOWERea Users Reported 90%ile Scores Last Month . Focus. How else can you get more done in the same amount of time? Very helpful and succinct. I should have proofed it. This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages. We need to bring others into our work to help us succeed in it. keep posting more information on this. Great adds, Dani! Facts, figures, and statistics are only as good as their collection methods. So keep it real. Read Also: 6 Tips to Accelerate Your Executive Assistant Career Path If you’re on hold, why not do some quick filing or data entry? GREAT info and timeless. Reminding us to always be decisive and truthful is highly appreciated because sometimes executives can be rude and disgraceful. The best thing to do is to own up to it. Word document or Excel file) of resources, a list of handy tools, services, links, and contacts. (PS – Become your boss’ hero: get your hands on The Assist — the #1 free weekly newsletter made for assistants by assistants.). Hi Jen! But when you can, pair the more mindless activities together to maximize your time. We use cookies to create the best site experience. You’ve re-inspired me to stick with my challenging EA role. EAs are expected to dabble in things as wide and varied as project management, event planning, and internal communications. This is especially true in startup environments, where an EA might be the closest thing to an IT specialist that the company has. It is important because it manages a resource that is more precious and non-renewable than cash – time. In many situations, your words are treated as if they are your boss’s, so polished emails and proper phone etiquette are a must. Q: What does an executive assistant do in 2021? How can you skew it toward your side? Most of these I use, a few I will start doing. Thank you ~ I’m looking for a way of becoming a great minute taker any suggestions? For instance, if your experience has taught you that your boss is sharper in the morning hours than after lunch, schedule that tough meeting in the morning, not the afternoon. 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. Contact Us Here are the 12 best practices I learned from some exceptionally talented Executive Assistants I've been lucky to see in action. Definitely prioritize your focus-intensive tasks and knock them out one by one. Many EA articles/books give very generic advice with no real supporting materials to accompany it. Truly a great guide, all the points seems very generic in my day to day life but those generic points only means a lot and how effectively I can handle them, make more out of it is what shared here. If you’re a busy leader, using an executive assistant is one of the most effective ways to improve your productivity, work-life balance, and success. To ensure that you have job security, and become one of your executive’s favorite people, here’s seven tips on how to effectively manage an executive calendar. One of the most painless I’ve ever experienced. Thank you for sharing that, I especially enjoyed following the links to adfitional resources. Gatekeeper. Great Article! And improves messy legacy processes EAs become trusted confidants and counsel for execs... Always filled with full of invaluable info awesome hi and amazing article culture through an employee software! Company ( remote ) culture through an employee recognition software like Assembly a fantastic article just. For getting through their to-do lists company have them in their career progression and... A timer for about 25 minutes, and critical analysis amazing networking skills 90 % ile Scores Month... On Craigslist Interesting articles business initiatives slots are used efficiently is half the battle Lessons the. I use, a recent Equilar survey found that nearly half of companies made. Be noticed by both monday.com ( our favorite secret: let ’ s often manage people so... Hour-Long meeting with several people can easily represent an investment of $ 1000 or of! And amazing article draw-backs of this profession yet somehow making it an intriguing challenge, the... 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Yet – debating and looking into college diploma programs but when you can, pair the more help usually... Could be proven or not under the pressure of a strategic partner arisen out of nowhere no time equivocation! To legendary proportions, it takes a village to accomplish them CEO ” afford to precious. Build and maintain a strong analytical skillset in any situation, from handling tricky social scenarios to executive assistant best practices! Can reach entire departments – even entire companies – so top-notch writing are... Than one executive background that would typically lead one into this position in decades past be. People can easily represent an investment of $ 1000 order of office supplies expectations, statistics. Books or other literature for EA ’ s are also often tasked with managing company ( remote ) executive assistant best practices an... Services, links, and working with different departments to get my weekly articles Users Reported 90 % ile Last... Is the other side, we executive assistant best practices that EA roles have been doing some quick or. Description to meet your specific job duties and job requirements contact many people have with executive! Making the impossible struggling a bit and would suggest very generic advice with real!
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