Back in 2019, our working days as EAs were very different compared to how they are now. We are now Executive Assistants who are, more often than not, working separately from our Executives in a hybrid way. Sometimes, we are in the office together and sometimes, we are not.
This means that for EAs today to be truly effective, we need to be intentional, purposeful, and strategic in the ways that we communicate, prioritise tasks, and support our Executives.
EAs should keep in the front of their minds each working day on how they communicate with their Executive to obtain clarity about their tasks and their Executive’s priorities, and they need to lean in to partnering more strategically with their Executive to contribute to their organisation’s growth in today’s fast-moving world.
Meanwhile, EAs working remotely must actively maintain clarity about tasks amidst changing expectations in the workplace. This means that when and how you communicate with your Executive will make a huge difference to both of you. Have an open conversation and discuss their preferred communication method so that you’re not second guessing yourself every time you make contact with your Executive.
You also need to pay close attention to your Executive’s priorities and be prepared to seek out information in a more creative and deliberate way. Look at their inbox – what are the themes emerging? What emails or messages are they choosing to respond to and what are they letting slide? What are the movements in their calendar and what’s coming up on the horizon?
These are all signposts of your Executive’s priorities, and pleasingly you don’t need to be in the room to see these signposts – they are there at your keyboard fingertips no matter where you are. Use these signposts to add value once you notice them.
Ask yourself, what can you do that will help your Executive – help them with planning or help mitigate or anticipate? Who can you speak to on their behalf? Think of the possible answers to these questions for the next time you speak to you Executive in order to assist them.
Finally, one has to strive to be a strategic EA and partner with their Executive on business matters as often as they can. Today’s fast moving and ever-changing working environment means that EA’s have a tremendous opportunity to contribute to the growth of their organisations through the effectiveness and value that they add to their Executives. Strategic EAs roll their sleeves up, lean in, get curious, ask questions, and familiarise themselves with their Executive’s world.
Try to think like your Executive but with the benefit of separation (i.e., ‘fresh eyes’). Take ownership of the tasks your Executive shouldn’t need to worry about and free them up to be more effective in their role. Treat it like a learning opportunity for you and that the more you do and get involved on their behalf means you’ve added to your toolkit to be an effective EA.
Shadow your Executive by requesting to attend meetings with them, take notes on action items, and dig a little deeper in to the key considerations that they’re dealing with. Get involved, make suggestions, and offer advice. A strategic EA seeks opportunities to assist and inform themselves and assist their Executive to be better.
All of these things can be done while working in a hybrid way and by using the devices we have to work remotely to our benefit. There are so many opportunities for EAs today to grow and adapt to this new way of working to become more effective, efficient, and valuable.