Putting the Executive in Executive Assistant

When I started working, the role of the Executive Assistant was very different. We were the hands behind the brain. My executive used to dictate to me, as I took shorthand, and I would transcribe his words into a beautifully set out document with excellent punctuation and grammar. Through this process I would gain a greater understanding of my executive, their thoughts, preferences and approach to business outcomes.?With the advent of self-sufficiency, we are no longer able to easily access this insight into our executives.

As an Executive Assistant, one of the most important qualities you bring is your understanding of what your executive’s goals are and how they achieve them. You understand their work style, where their priorities are and how they can best use their time. You understand the business, where roadblocks exist and where relationships need to be built.

Understanding the business is more than just knowing how to process a form or make a booking. It is about understanding the why behind business processes and practices, the legislation and accountability behind the decision making and what are the risks to that decision making, and the impacts of those risks. Whether you work in the public or private sector, these are considerations for all executives.

Each executive is very different in the way that they work. There are many practices, processes and procedures that will stand the test of time, however your ability to adapt those to your executive, is where you bring value. You might find that your executive is a morning person and are therefore more productive in the morning than the afternoon. Consequently, their schedule may contain more clearance time in the morning when they have more capacity to think strategically. Calendar management is not just about appointments and meetings, it is about making the best use of your executive’s time. They only have a limited amount and as the Executive Assistant, you need to ensure they are using it well.

You and your executive are a team who work together to achieve the same outcome. Together, you will make your executive effective and efficient. When you are first starting out with a new executive, you need to find out where you can most add value to their day. Executives are not the experts in office management. You need to use the skills you have and decide how best to make the office efficient for your executive. Do not come to them with problems, come to them with solutions. Developing procedures for the administration of your office will ensure that your team is aware of the efficient practices you have implemented. Involving your team and setting expectations for their participation in the efficiency of your executive is an important part of team effectiveness.

The role of an Executive Assistant is an important part of the leadership team, so ensure you add value in the most effective way. Seek advice when you need to and continue to develop your skills to learn more about the business side of your organisation. As you grow in the role, you will move from being transactional to being more strategic. You will gain a deeper understanding of your executive, their role and where it fits into the organisation. You will develop key stakeholder relationships, which will assist in influencing outcomes. More than just setting up meetings, you will be a key driver in the success of your executive meeting their goals. Ultimately, you will be able to take away some of the decision making from them and anticipate their requirements before they ask. Bring your executive mind to your Executive Assistant role!