Office Dynamics - Executive And Administrative Assistant Training

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I’m a Bored Executive Assistant – Is It Time to Move On? – Ask an Admin

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Ask an Admin was created by Office Dynamics to help administrative professionals with their problems through the help of their peers. We don’t always have an answer to each individual’s problem but we know some of you might. Please read the question and comment below.

EA with Brains asks:

How to approach this situation?

I work for a C-level executive who gives me tasks to do even though I’ve asked my executive if there’s anything I can do to assist with project-related work. I’m bored and not sure if it’s time to search for another job. I’m over 50 and may not get a match in salary (I’m highly compensated).

Thank you!

Please share your thoughts and advice in the comments below.

Want to learn more about Ask an Admin and how to submit your own question? Click here! 

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The Vanishing Executive Assistant—NOT!

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I would like to address the recent article that appeared in the Wall Street Journal on January 18, 2020 by Rachel Feintzeig regarding The Vanishing Executive Assistant. Sorry, the article is closed to WSJ subscribers only. If you do not want to invest in a subscription to WSJ, even for a few weeks, read Joan’s rebuttal below. It will give you a good idea as to what was covered in the article.

First, I have been entrenched in the administrative profession for 50 years. I worked in the profession for 20 years before starting Office Dynamics in 1990. Office Dynamics specifically focuses on training and development for administrative professionals of all levels. I have written 5 books for assistants, educated 300,000+ assistants, have worked with 70+ Fortune 500 companies, and coached 300+ executive/assistant teams. [Read more…]

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Be a Trailblazing Assistant

Your office environment is a mix of workers and trailblazers, and the two have nothing to do with titles. Workers tend to know their job and only their job. They work with their heads down. They show up but show little interest in understanding the business as a whole and working to further the vision of the organization. They may be really good at what they do, but the overall value they bring to the company is lacking because they’re not part of the bigger picture.

Assistants who are trailblazers are valuable team members who understand the business, work for its best interest, and strive to succeed in every interaction and every project. They ingrain themselves into the culture of the company. They are constantly willing to go above and beyond to work for the best interest of the company. These assistants are the team members who elevate to a higher level and are invited to become members of the executive team. They truly serve as value-added partners. That means they never work on autopilot. They are constantly awake, aware, and engaged at work. Because of the way they work, they are able to consistently provide benefits to the organization. Here are some great ways you can show you are a team member who can add value:

[Read more…]

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7 Ways Executives Can Improve Communicating with Their Assistants

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I have been fortunate to gain a three-dimensional view of communication between executives and assistants:

I was an assistant for 20 years thus understanding what I needed from my executive so I could be effective. I worked with a variety of managers and executives, each with different personalities and communication styles.

Since 1990, I have been the CEO of my own company and have worked with several of my own assistants. I have noticed the impact my communication (or lack of) has on my assistant’s ability to do a great job. [Read more…]

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Too Many Meetings!! – Managing My Executives Calendar – Ask an Admin

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Ask an Admin was created by Office Dynamics to help administrative professionals with their problems through the help of their peers. We don’t always have an answer to each individuals problem but we know some of you might. Please read the question and comment below.

April M. asks:

My executive’s calendar is jam-packed on a daily basis & she’s asking me to come up with a better solution to managing her calendar. She needs time to do work, answer emails, etc, but the requests for meetings are constant and a lot of them are at her request. They are needed. They are necessary to schedule. But how do you balance ‘free’ time with meeting times? I block out time on her calendar, but inevitably a meeting gets put in its place. We’ve tried to do only 5 meetings per day, but more often than not it winds up being 7 or 8 or more! I made the suggestion that decisions/discussions happen over email vs. in person in a meeting – but that’s not possible either most of the time. Does anyone have a good meeting/scheduling hack they use? Any good tips for me?

Thank you!

Office Dynamics actually has some info on this subject (see below) but we’d love to hear what tips or advice you have. Please leave a comment below.

We have an eBook called, Mastering Your Executive’s Calendar, a blog Calendar Management for Executive Assistants, videos, Calendar Management for Executive Assistants—the Holistic Approach, Administrative Assistant – Complex Calendar Control, Executives & Assistants Working In Partnership: The Definitive Guide to Success and Managing Your Executive’s Day.

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Calling All Assistants—Secret to Building a Strategic Partnership

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For more than 15 years I have been teaching assistants how to build a strategic partnership with their executives. I especially spend a lot of time on this topic in my World Class Assistant™ designation course. A strategic partnership is quite different from just building a partnership with your executive or just working as a team. An example of how they would be different is that in a partnership the assistant and executive will have weekly or daily huddles. In a strategic partnership, the assistant and executive meet quarterly to discuss (in detail) the upcoming quarter. They look at every facet of what is expected to occur, new projects, how much time might they be involved, who is going to manage what, and more. This quarterly meeting will last 2 – 3 hours.

 

There is a secret I want to share with you. As I reflect on my 20-year career as an assistant, I know something special takes place when you have a strategic partnership. It is more than the work you do. I call it The Anatomy of a Strategic Partnership. [Read more…]

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