As an administrative assistant, you are often responsible for conveying your executive's messages to various stakeholders, such as clients, colleagues, or partners. How can you ensure that your executive's communication is clear, concise, and effective? Here are some tips to help you improve your executive support skills in this area.
Before you draft or deliver any communication on behalf of your executive, you need to know who your audience is and what they expect from you. Consider their background, level of expertise, preferences, and goals. For example, if you are writing an email to a potential customer, you might want to use a friendly and persuasive tone, highlight the benefits of your product or service, and include a clear call to action. On the other hand, if you are sending a report to a senior manager, you might want to use a formal and professional tone, provide factual and concise information, and address any questions or concerns they might have.
Ensure clarity in your executive's communication by aiding in concise organization of thoughts, offering feedback, promoting simplicity in language, and reviewing messages before dissemination.
To ensure your executive's communication is clear: Understand their objectives. Simplify complex information. Organize content logically. Edit and refine for clarity. Seek feedback from trusted sources. Provide relevant context. Practice and rehearse delivery.
Another way to ensure your executive's communication is clear is to follow their style and voice. This means using the same language, tone, and format that they would use if they were communicating directly. For example, if your executive likes to use bullet points, abbreviations, or emojis, you should do the same. If your executive prefers to use long sentences, formal words, or attachments, you should follow suit. This will help you maintain consistency and credibility in your executive's communication.
Before you send or share any communication on behalf of your executive, you need to clarify the purpose and the message of the communication. What is the main goal or objective of the communication? What is the key message or information that you want to convey? How do you want the audience to respond or act? By answering these questions, you will be able to craft a clear and focused communication that achieves your executive's desired outcome.
One of the most important steps to ensure your executive's communication is clear is to proofread and edit your communication before you send or share it. This means checking for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting errors, as well as ensuring that the communication is clear, concise, and coherent. You can use tools like Grammarly or Hemingway to help you with this process. You can also ask a colleague or a friend to review your communication and give you feedback.
Finally, you can ensure your executive's communication is clear by asking for feedback from your executive and your audience. You can ask your executive if they are satisfied with the communication, if they have any suggestions for improvement, or if they have any questions or concerns. You can also ask your audience if they understood the communication, if they found it useful or relevant, or if they have any feedback or comments. By doing this, you will be able to learn from your mistakes, improve your skills, and build trust and rapport with your executive and your audience.
It's essential to clarify the executive's communication style and preferences. Some assistants make the mistake of thinking that what they did at a past job will work at a current job, and that's not always true.