Focuses on the training and development needs of admin professionals and features topics such as hard skills (software competencies, writing, communication, filing) and soft skills (teamwork, time management, leadership).
Issue link: https://digital.hrreporter.com/i/1071575
FEBRUARY 2019 2 Pass this secret-sauce recipe to your exec What are the key ingredients in a comfortable, productive relationship between the executive and the EA? Five tips offered to executives by an executive coach and business consultant are worth considering, and though the tips are meant for execu- tives, resourceful EAs can devise ways to get the message through to the boss. These are the five tips: Be clear in your communications� This should go without saying, says Dana Meyer (danameyerconsult- ing.com/), but executives too often assume the assistant "should know that I need this" or think "it is obvious that this is happening, so X, Y and Z should occur." Meyer says assistants experience frustration with their execs "because they need a little bit of context so that they can get it right the first time ver- sus turning it in and then getting the feedback: 'no, I really need this to be this way because of this.'" To avoid this misunderstanding, take the time to make the assignment clear in the first place. Don't block the support available to you because "it's easier or faster for me to do it myself versus explain- ing what I need." If that's what often happens, Meyer says, "then why do you have an assistant and why do you have a team?" So a little bit of upfront coach- ing will serve the executive best in the long run. Otherwise, says Meyer, "your calendar, your to-do list, it's just going to become unmanageable." Be appreciative� When the execu- tive expresses gratitude for how the assistant makes life easier, it builds goodwill for those times "when you hit those little speed bumps and you're going to need that." Have ongoing communication between yourself and your assis- tant� It's not happening as much as it should, Meyer says. Each needs to un- derstand how to make the other's job easier over time. Get together briefly once a day or at least once a week to focus on priorities. When hiring an assistant, think through what you really need� Rather than selecting someone just like you, find a candidate who fills some gaps in your own way of doing business. If you're a bit laid back, you may find an advantage in hav- ing an assistant "who makes things happen," who is aggressive while still being thoughtful. If you sometimes feel overwhelmed, a super-organized assistant may save the day for you. So even if you and your executive(s) sync in all of the above, your exec may know some colleagues who could profit from these tips. Or if your own exec is good to work with but might be even better with one or two of these tips, you'll find a way to get the message across. E D I TO R ' S N OT E George Pearson Administrative Assistant's Update is published once a month by Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. Director, Media Solutions, Canada: Karen Lorimer Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Todd Humber Editor: George Pearson george@adminupdate.ca Associate Editor: Jennifer Lewington jennifer@adminupdate.ca EDITORIAL OFFICE (519) 271-6000 Administrative Assistant's Update Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. 1 Corporate Plaza, 2075 Kennedy Road Toronto, ON M1T 3V4 CUSTOMER SERVICE (416) 609-3800 (800) 387-5164 customersupport.legaltaxcanada @tr.com Contents copyright. All rights reserved. © 2019 Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. Contents may not be reproduced without written permission. Brief extracts may be made with due acknowledgement. Annual subscription: $199. Publications Mail Registration No. 40065782 GST# 897176350 UPDATE Administrative Assistant's Admin forum in Toronto AAU contributor Rhonda Scharf will be among featured instruc- tors in an Executive Leadership Support Forum March 6 and 7 at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto. The two-day ELS Forum will include a session in which two executive assistants (from Mo - neris and Iron Mountain) will be paired with their executives to discuss "The Intricacies of a True Partnership." Instructors in addition to Scharf will include Julie Per - rine, CEO and founder of All Things Admin; Vickie Sokol Evans, CEO and founder of the productivity training firm Red Cape Company; Monique Helstrom, Chief of Simon, Simon Sinek Inc.; and Nadia Hernandez, executive producer of the ELS Forum. For more information visit elsforum.com.